Fortresses and Churches in Eastern Serbia, 2024, part 1 (Golubac)
October 2024 was a free month for me in the sense that I didn't travel abroad, but more importantly, I didn't want to. In September, I had been to Italy and upon returning home, I felt a clear need to settle down and stabilise. This didn't mean I wasn't ready to explore a bit in Serbia. I took advantage of the beautiful autumn weather and a few free days that appeared in my, I can freely say, traditionally quite busy calendar, so I planned two day trips. The first one took me to eastern Serbia, practically through the southern part of the Danube valley region, i.e., near the right bank of this great European river.
Here’s a map showing all the places I visited during this trip:
I set off relatively early in the morning with the plan to go directly to the medieval fortress of Golubac, but it turned out that a new motorway was being built in this part of Serbia, so I had to take a somewhat roundabout route. Then, as if that wasn't enough, at one point I decided to take a route that was slightly shorter, but the actual driving was longer. It was clear to me that there would be more curves and such, but I decided not to let that bother me. The day was sunny, the nature around me was very beautiful and I wasn’t in any particular rush.
A few times, the navigation led me along some dirt roads. If the navigation hadn't taken me there, there’s no way I would have chosen those roads myself! Even so, I wasn’t sure if it was a wise choice, although it certainly was a shortcut. In the end, everything turned out well, but I was left wondering how come Google knows about these roads.
Then I came across a sign by the road indicating that the Tumane Monastery was practically on the way. I knew I “had to” stop there, as it is only about 10 km from Golubac.
The Tumane Monastery was founded in the 14th century and according to the oral tradition, it was established by the famous Serbian medieval knight Miloš Obilić, who is a hero of many Serbian epic poems. He earned his status as a great national hero partly because, according to the legend, in 1389, during the Battle of Kosovo, he managed to reach the Turkish Sultan Murad I (b/r 1326/1362-1389) and kill him. To this day, it remains uncertain who exactly carried out the assassination of the Ottoman sultan and while some researchers consider Obilić to be a real historical figure, others attribute only a legendary status to him.
In any case, regarding the Tumane Monastery, Miloš Obilić, according to the legend, went hunting (since he was born and had his castle in this part of the country) and accidentally wounded the hermit Zosimus the Sinait who lived in a cave and was dressed in deer skin. It is assumed that this is why Miloš did not recognise that it was a man. Regardless, Miloš wanted to take the wounded hermit to a healer, but Zosimus told him: “Leave it and let me die” (Tu mani i pusti me da umrem). To atone for his sin, Miloš Obilić founded an endowment – a monastery where he laid the relics of hermit Zosimus. While the construction was still underway, Prince Lazar allegedly called Miloš to battle (at Kosovo) with the words: “Leave the building of the monastery, gather your Stižani (men from Stig region) and hurry to Kosovo to defend the country” (Tu mani zidanje manastira,...). Because of all of this, over time, the monastery became known as Tumane (or Tuman).
In any case, Tumane was first mentioned in the Turkish defter (tax register) of 1572-73. The monastery and church were destroyed over time, while a new church was built in the first half of the 19th century. However, it was not constructed well and in 1910, it was demolished to the ground. The construction of a new church had to wait a bit, but it was finally completed in 1924 and that church can be seen here today.
In addition to the relics of Venerable Zosimus the Sinait, the monastery also houses the relics of Venerable Jacob the New of Tuman that have been kept here from relatively recently.
I will say more about Venerable Zosimus the Sinait later on, but for now, let me say a few words about Saint Jacob. He was born as Radoje Arsović (1894-1946) and was an exceptionally educated diplomat with a PhD in philosophy from Sorbonne and a law PhD from the University of Montpellier. At some point, he left public service and became a monk at the Žiča Monastery, taking the name Jacob. According to his wishes, he was buried at the Tumane Monastery. In 2014, his grave was opened and it was found that his remains were free of decay. He was canonised in 2017.
The relics of both saints are believed to be miraculous. There are numerous recorded instances of miracles that occurred either after prayers or spontaneously, often with the “presence” of these holy figures. Because of all this, the Tumane Monastery has become a particularly popular destination for believers in recent years. In addition to the main church, there is also a consecrated area in the churchyard where services are held.
I must admit I was a bit surprised by the huge crowd I encountered here (though I took photos so that not many people are visible). With a couple of large buildings rising around the also sizable parking lot in front of the monastery, everything felt, I must say, quite "commercialised" (if that's the right word). Perhaps it was because I didn't know much about this monastery, its importance and the miracles primarily related to health and family that draw more people here. On the other hand, the monasteries I've visited in Serbia so far have been much quieter, which feels more familiar to me.
In any case, I headed towards the church in order to explore it.
Along the way, I wanted to ask something a monk I noticed in the churchyard, but an elderly woman had already approached him, so I inadvertently overheard parts of their conversation and ended up giving up on my question. She told him that a woman in her family had been cured of cancer and out of gratitude she had written a poem that she wanted to share. The monk kindly told her to go ahead. As I walked towards the church, the entire churchyard echoed with her thanksgiving song, as it wasn’t just recited, but also had its own melody.
There were quite a few believers in the church as well, so I tried to look around quickly and take a few photos while I was at it.
In the church, there are also two kibotos containing the relics of the saints and there was quite a crowd. I didn’t want to take too many photos there, especially not in a way that would show people’s faces, so I only took one picture.
In addition to the kibotos with the miraculous relics of the saints, the church also houses the miraculous icon of the Mother of God “Kurskaja” that was brought in 1936 by Russian monks who lived at the monastery for some time, but I didn’t take a photo of it.
While I almost always buy and light candles during my visits to monasteries and churches, I also like to purchase some products offered there. However, the crowd was so large that I simply decided to skip it and went to my car, then drove 1 km uphill along a narrow asphalt road. Along the way, a man stopped me and asked if I could give his wife a ride since she was tired. Of course. I made space for her in the passenger seat and together we made our way to the parking area at the end of that short road.
There, I found the Hermitage of Saint Zosimus of Tumane.
As I’ve read, in the mid-14th century, a group of Sinaitic monks (meaning they originated from Mount Sinai, Egypt) fleeing from the Ottoman conquests on Mount Athos came to Serbia. They settled in various caves, living as hermits. This is how Zosimus the Sinait came here, leading a small group of monks, and the cave where he lived is located at this site I came to visit.
Everything is nestled in a dense forest and nearby there is also a spring the water of which is said to be miraculous.
The woman I gave the lift to went directly to the spring and since my water bottle from home was already empty, I took the opportunity to fill mine as well. Some say that gifts are also offered here for the souls of the deceased and beneath the pipe where the water flows, you can see small coins that have been left there.
As for the Hermitage of Saint Zosimus of Tumane, it consists of two caves connected by a narrow passage. It is believed that Zosimus lived in one and prayed in the other.
Interestingly, the last hermit to live here was synkellos Pahomije, who left Tumane Monastery in 1954 and secluded himself in the cave. He passed away in 1965.
I didn't venture into the first cave since it is narrow and low, but I peeked inside a bit and took photos of what I could.
Then I climbed the steps to a small chapel that was built in yet another cave within this large rock formation.
After that, I went back down to another cave nearby, but I must admit I wasn’t quite sure if it was the other cave of Saint Zosimus. Judging by the container where believers leave monetary donations, I assume it is.
Actually, within this rock formation, there are several smaller caves and all of this makes up a natural monument called the Tufa Accumulation near the Tumane Monastery.
To be honest, I was a bit confused here as well. From what I’ve read, there are mentions of waterfalls and cascades related to this site, but it's quite possible that these are seasonal occurrences. In autumn, in October, everything generally looked dry. The situation might be different in spring when the snow begins to melt. In any case, I stepped back a bit at the end of my visit in order to capture everything on camera, then I returned to my car and continued to the next destination.
My next destination was the Medieval Fortress of Golubac, which is an immovable cultural property of exceptional importance.
I had been here before on a few occasions and I even wrote about one of those visits (see: https://www.svudapodji.com/en/serbia-2006-3/). However, since my last visit up until 2024, the fortress has been reconstructed and transformed into a tourist attraction. The old road that literally ran through the fortress has been closed, while a new one has been built leading through a nearby tunnel (also new). I think it’s interesting to look at the photos in my aforementioned travelogue to see what it used to look like, while this text will show how everything has been developed now.
The location of this fortress is absolutely spectacular. Not only is it on a very steep cliff, but that cliff is situated where the Danube naturally widens significantly before entering the narrow Iron Gate gorge. From the shore, one might think it's a large lake rather than a river. Nowadays, it's also interesting that Romania lies on the opposite bank.
From the parking area, I first went to buy a ticket and then I took the visitor path leading to the fortress.
However, before I reached there, a couple of signs caught my attention, displaying the same message – “Danger; Venomous snakes in the area.”
Although it was a sunny day, it was the second half of October, plus a strong wind was blowing, making the temperature low enough that I figured the snakes were smart enough not to come out of their burrows in such weather.
Not far away, I did spot an animal that was quite decent and kept a safe distance. Even if it had approached me, there wouldn't have been any problems. It was a black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros).
Now I finally took some time to explore the site itself.
In addition to the impressive fortress, you can also see the remains of the old settlement, the Town of Golubac, which developed as a suburb in the immediate vicinity between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Both the fortress and the settlement required a large amount of lime in order to make plaster. Here, you can also see the remains of an old lime calcination kiln from the 15th-16th centuries.
As for the fortress itself, it was already the ancient Romans who had their own fortification here on the right bank of the Danube, on a rocky elevation marking the end of the Homolje Mountains. Later, the site changed hands between the Bulgarians and the Byzantines, but archaeological research suggests that the Serbs began constructing a new fortification at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th centuries. On the other hand, Golubac was first mentioned in a Hungarian written document dating back to 1335.
These were turbulent times in this part of the world, with various "owners" of the fortress coming and going, and its appearance changing due to additions and adaptations to the new needs. However, it is believed that Golubac achieved its final form by the end of the 15th century.
The result was a fortress with nine towers interconnected by ramparts. Six towers have essentially square plans, while the Keep or Tower 1 has a polygonal plan at the lower part and a cylindrical one at the top. The small Tower 2 has a circular ground plan, while the Cannon Tower or Tower 9 has an octagonal plan. Speaking of this, it's worth mentioning that the towers on the western side of the fortress were reinforced over time, with walls up to 2 m thick, creating polygonal or cylindrical plans. This is significant as it shows that the nature of warfare changed from the time of the fortress's construction. The construction began when battles were fought with cold weapons, but with the introduction of firearms, it became necessary to reinforce the outer side from which it was easiest to approach the fortress.
As I got closer to the fortress, I found the Cannon Tower particularly interesting, even though it is the lowest.
Upon entering the fortress, the first thing you encounter is one of the inner courtyards. In the next photo, the main focus is on Tower 5 (on the left) and Tower 4 (on the right).
However, I first entered Tower 8, immediately to the left of the entrance, in order to start my tour from there. This involved occasionally climbing narrow and steep wooden stairs that lead to several levels, but it was definitely worth it.
There are numerous signs with text in both Serbian and English, allowing visitors to read and learn about various related things. A significant amount of information is dedicated to the Battle for Golubac from 1428.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the Danube served as the border between Serbia and Hungary, while Golubac Fortress was a crucial border stronghold. However, in 1427, the fortress was captured by the Ottomans.
Due to the threat posed by the Ottomans' northward expansion, the Hungarian king Sigismund of Luxembourg gathered the best knights from Europe in 1428 who lead an army of about 25,000 to 30,000 men, initiating the Siege of Golubac. Knights were a significant phenomenon in medieval Europe – warriors and armoured cavalry considered brave, skilled, loyal, noble and virtuous.
In line with this, King Sigismund (who was also the Holy Roman Emperor and held various other titles) established the Order of the Dragon in 1408 to combat the Ottomans, with the Serbian Despot Stefan Lazarević being the first knight of the order. An interesting story is that in 1412, a knightly tournament was held in Buda, Hungary, where Despot Stefan Lazarević participated and won a wreath of victory in one of the events. However, he did not take part in the Battle for Golubac, as he had passed away a year earlier. (About the place where he passed away, see: https://www.svudapodji.com/en/south-of-belgrade/.)
In fact, King Sigismund had granted the administration of Golubac (and some other estates) to Despot Stefan Lazarević as a part of various rulers’ agreements from the first decade of the 15th century. The further arrangement was that the title of the Serbian despot would be inherited by Đurađ Branković, but he needed to return the estates. After Despot Stefan's sudden death, a certain Vojvoda Jeremija was the military commander of Golubac, and this all lead to complications. Eventually, Vojvoda Jeremija sold the fortress to the Ottomans for 12,000 ducats.
King Sigismund thus decided to reclaim Golubac by force, but he was unsuccessful and the fortress remained in the Ottoman hands after the failed siege.
As for my visit, I climbed to the very top of Tower 8 and enjoyed a wonderful view in all directions.
From here I also noticed that there were some fences and something resembling a path leading to the higher parts of the site, the southern walls and towers. It was clear that passage was not allowed and I certainly had no intention of trying to climb there, but later I asked the people who work here and they told me that preparations were underway to open these paths next year, with a note that they are considered very difficult and probably dangerous. Each of these planned paths is already marked on a map visible at the site, with different colours indicating their level of difficulty.
In the next photo, you can see Tower 6 (at the top centre, without a roof) and part of Tower 7 (upper right), which represented the outer part of the fortress. The Ottomans added the stone reinforcements to these towers that I’ve mentioned earlier.
Now I headed towards the octagonal Cannon Tower, or Tower 9, but along the way, I also captured the outer parts of Tower 8. The picture clearly shows how the original tower here received significant reinforcement as well.
As for the Cannon Tower, it was the last one built, while the Ottomans constructed it at the end of the 15th century.
You can reach it by a walkway at the top of a relatively low wall and the entrance is through a gate.
The tower was used to protect the port and the waterway, and it was built with two floors, each featuring eight combat positions for cannons. Today, replicas of 15th-century cannons can be seen on the first floor.
Although the access was closed, I found it interesting to capture the stairs that descend "somewhere below." I wasn't able to find out exactly where they lead.
On the upper floor, there are no longer any cannons, but there are flags of the Serbian Despotate and its despots, as well as flags representing the opposing sides in the Battle for Golubac.
The next thing I did was to return to the front inner courtyard and then I passed through an archway into the back inner courtyard, from where I began to climb the narrow stone steps to visit Tower 5. These steps are very narrow and uneven in height, so you need to climb carefully, but there is a handrail, making it manageable. This tower was used to defend the Palace, which now has a modern roof and is partially visible in the next photo on the right side.
Before entering the tower to explore it, I looked at the rest of the fortress visible from the top of the archway, which actually serves as a bridge or wall walk and a part of the defensive walls.
Here, you can see various towers quite well – Tower 4 is in the foreground on the right, Tower 6 is to its right, and partially hidden on the left is Tower 3. At the very top left is the Keep or Tower 1 that I’ve mentioned earlier; it has a polygonal ground plan and a cylindrical upper section. Due to its shape, it’s also called the "hat tower." Far left is the small Tower 2, which has a round plan.
Additionally, the previous photo is interesting because it shows a metal structure that will be used for climbing to the higher parts of the fortress once that section of the restoration is completed. Behind it, you can also see part of a tunnel and an old road that used to pass through the fortress.
As for Tower 5, which I was now about to explore, it has six levels, and the ascent and descent (the entrance is on the third level) are done using wooden stairs that are quite narrow and steep, making them somewhat challenging to climb.
Still, I managed to explore all the levels and it was interesting to read the various pieces of information displayed on the plaques that adorn the walls.
To start with, it should be noted that the Ottomans first captured Golubac in 1390, though it’s unclear for how long. It can be assumed that it was no later than the beginning of the 15th century, as by then (between 1402 and 1410) King Sigismund had already granted Golubac to Despot Stefan Lazarević. The Ottomans regained control of the fortress in 1427 when it was sold to them by the military commander, Vojvoda Jeremija. However, by 1444, Despot Đurađ Branković briefly regained Golubac. The Ottomans returned in 1458.
Within the tower, one can also read about the military commanders who were responsible for the fortress. This form of organisation was common to all – Serbs, Hungarians and Ottomans – though different terms were used. However, perhaps the most infamous among them was the Serbian Vojvoda Jeremija, who was not spoken of kindly by his contemporaries because of this selling of Golubac to the Ottomans.
From the top of the tower, you can once again look out at the surroundings through the windows.
After exploring all the floors of Tower 5, I went to the Palace. However, although this was once a three-story building – with storage rooms in the basement, a large hall for public functions and the residence of the fortress commander on the ground floor, and the palace crew on the upper floor – today you shouldn't expect any medieval castle here, as much of it has been destroyed over time. The space is now simply designed with a modern interior, where you can watch a short film about the site and its history in the entrance hall, where various lectures are likely organised as well.
There is also a small but quite nice museum arranged in the continuation of the palace.
At the entrance to this section, there is a very well-crafted statue of Vojvoda Jeremija, who sold Golubac for gold, which certainly doesn’t paint him as a positive historical figure.
Much more positive are the exhibits seen a bit further on, which are related to medieval chivalry and the Serbian Despotate.
The displayed armour is an accurate historical reproduction of a knightly suit from the early 15th century, representing a high-ranking knight. This was done to illustrate the preserved information that Despot Stefan Lazarević, as a renowned and successful knight of his time, received a complete suit of armour as a gift from the Venetian Republic in the early 15th century.
Also visible in the previous photo on the right is an accurate historical replica of a large knightly helmet with a decorative mantle and bull horns, which served as the heraldic symbol of the Lazarević family. The shield features a two-headed eagle and bull horns.
Next to it are metal protective "garments" that were likely used by lower-ranking warriors.
Arrowheads and ceramic bombs used in medieval warfare are also on display.
On the upper floor of the museum space, there is an exhibition dedicated to the Miroslav Gospel, the oldest book of Serbian literature from the late 12th century.
However, I didn’t linger here for long since I had many more places I planned to visit on this day. So, I made my way back to the car, taking a few more photos along the way.
I then drove to the centre of modern Golubac, which is also on the banks of the Danube, where I planned to visit a couple of cultural monuments. My first stop was the Church of St. Nicholas, which is classified as such.
This structure was built between 1830 and 1840 on the site of an earlier wooden church from the 18th century. However, this 19th-century church was partially altered in the late 20th century when a narthex with a bell tower was added, while the facade decoration remained modest.
In addition to the narthex with the bell tower on the western side, this single-nave church has an altar apse on the east, as well as smaller choir apses.
The frescoes were done more recently, while the church also houses some valuable icons.
After this, I took a walk to the Golubac Tourist Organisation. When I previously visited cultural monuments in Serbia, I often found that churches were closed. So, I thought it would be a good idea to check first with the tourist organisations that operate in all municipalities. The people at the one in Golubac were exceptionally friendly and helpful, but I needed their specific assistance, which is why I went to what they referred to as their temporary premises.
In the very centre of Golubac, there are two buildings that are classified as cultural monuments. However, since there had been a change in street names and numbers, I wasn't sure exactly where those buildings were located. The street itself is quite long, so I didn’t want to wander around hoping to identify them.
Thus, the staff at the Golubac Tourist Organisation directed me to the square with a fountain that is surrounded by a street named, naturally, Golubački trg (Golubački Square).
There, you can immediately see the building listed in the documentation as "Building in Golubac at Veljka Dugoševića no. 102." Today, it is a part of Golubački trg street.
This building was constructed as the home of grain merchant Aleksa Popović in 1890/1 and it constituted a representative structure along the street. It has a rectangular ground plan measuring 21x11.70 m, with a spacious passage on the eastern side that leads to a courtyard from which you enter the house. The foundations are made of stone, the building is made of brick, while the gable roof is covered with beaver tail tiles.
The street facade is richly detailed – among other features, there is a high socle that covers the basement and above it a tall ground floor with seven windows divided into three zones by pilasters with Corinthian capitals. The roof cornice is distinctly profiled and above it are three symmetrically placed attics.
Upon closer inspection of the previous picture, you can see reclining lion figures on the side attics. However, the most interesting feature is the central attic, topped with the sculpture “Reaper” that symbolises agriculture and gives this building its popular name – Kosač (Reaper).
A couple of buildings further to the east, now at the address Cara Lazara 2, is a similar cultural monument officially named "Building in Golubac at Veljka Dugoševića no. 110."
This house was built in 1893 by a wealthy merchant from Golubac, Vićentije Nedeljković. It is stylistically similar to the previously mentioned building; it has a rectangular ground plan measuring 21.74 x 13.16 meters, with its passage located on the western side. It also has three levels – a basement, a high ground floor and a loft – while the construction details are the same, including the brick walls and the pitched roof covered with beaver tail tiles. The horizontal divisions are similar as well, featuring a high plinth, richly decorated windows on the ground floor level and a nicely executed roof cornice, but this building has a single, centrally placed attic.
Such beautiful, stylised houses built in a small town in Serbia at the end of the 19th century must have stood out in their surroundings, while they still appear remarkably representative today. The first building has housed the business offices of the Agricultural Cooperative for many years, while the second is being prepared to become the Golubac Museum – the sign has already been installed!
In addition to these cultural monuments, including the nearby medieval fortress, Golubac is interesting because you can take a ferry from here to Romania, which lies on the opposite bank of the Danube.
I didn’t cross into Romania, nor did I plan to this time, so I continued west along the main road.