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Serbia

After sailing a short while we found ourselves entering the first of a number of locks where by the level of the water will be raised or lowered depending on your direction on the Danube River.

The area will be referred to as The Iron Gates. The area a gorge on the river Danube. It forms part of the boundary between Serbia , to the south, and Romania, north. In the broad sense it encompasses a route of 83 miles in the narrow sense it only encompasses the last barrier on this route, just beyond the Romanian city of Orșova, that contains two hydroelectric dams, with two power stations, Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station and Iron Gate II Hydroelectric Power Station.

As you can see we are sharing a lock with another river going vessel too.

It is fascinating watching the huge gate in the distance closing more and more in each frame of the following photos.

Now that the lock is closed water is flushed into this area raising our vessel and others in the area to the level of the lake that we will be sailing in a few minutes.

The lock has just disappeared under the water and we are about to proceed to the next set of locks some distance away.

As you can see we have also gone through a second set of locks and are about to proceed into a man made lake area.

In the 1960's the former Yugoslavia, now part of Serbia and Romania cooperated on a joint venture that raised the level of the Danube with a series of Hydroelectric dams called the Iron Gates. The Danube is now placid between the Iron Gates, the long gorge is now underwater. This part is known as Iron Gate 2 as we are sailing from the Black Sea back toward Budapest in reverse of the normal trips. .

Numerous homes and second homes have been build along the banks of the newly formed lake on the Danube River.

Great reflections in the water.

We have now arrived at Gate 1 of the Iron Gates. The construction of the joint Romanian-Yugoslavian mega project commenced in 1964. In 1972 the Iron Gate I Dam was opened, followed by Iron Gate II Dam, in 1984, along with two hydroelectric power stations, two sluices and navigation locks for shipping.

We are now looking at the Aft or rear of the ship that is now inside a lock being raised or flooded.

Looking toward the bow of the ship.

As the ships pass under the bridges all antennas and anything on the top deck must be laid flat.

You can see that the water level in each side of the lock is the same and we proceed into the last of the locks of Gate 1.

Now inside the last lock waiting for the rear lock to close the gate to fill the last lock.

The Captain checking to see what distance he has from the ship to the wall of the lock.

Bow looking forward beginning to rise within the lock.

Looking Aft where we just came from

Closing tighter looking Aft.

Ready to Rock and Roll forward onward

Looking Aft for the last time. We are there almost.

Onward and forward the ship to our right leaving the last of Gate 1.

The Roman plaque "Tabula Traiana"

The first narrowing of the Danube lies beyond the Romanian isle of Moldova Veche and is known as the Golubac gorge.

Rock Statue of Decebalus in the Iron Gates Gorge is a carving in rock of the face of Decebalus, the last king of Dacia, who fought against the Roman emperors to preserve the independence of his country, which corresponded to modern Romania.

The sculpture was made between 1994 and 2004, on a rocky outcrop on the river Danube, at the Iron Gates, which form the border between Romania and Serbia. It is located near the city of Orșova in Romania.

The old monastery of Mraconia was flooded when the dams were built. To commemorate it, a new church was built on the Danube river bank.

Monastery Mraconia is found on the nicest part of the Danube, at the Cazanele Dunarii, which was a very important place for directing the ships and giving them instructions. There was considerable differences in the level of the Danube, creating thus dangerous circles.

The place on which it was built was called "the bubble", because the point of observation there. The word "Mraconia" means "corner" or "dark water".

Welcome to Belgrade, the Capital of Serbia and the former capital of Yugoslavia.

Home to a number of River Boats stopping for a visit.

Bisected by the Sava river, Belgrade is a town of two halves: the old and the new. New Belgrade was constructed during the socialist era and the grid of blocks retains its Soviet feel. I

Traffic jams are universal all over the world.

Graffiti on the side of the train cars on the bridge above the street.

Soviet era street cars

Trolley with no AC. It was May too.

Soviet era apartment buildings everywhere. The post-war years have not been kind to Belgrade. Although some sectors of Serbia’s economy are on the up, helped by the promise of E.U. accession, the average wage remains low and unemployment, especially among the youth, is high.

The Museum of Yugoslavia is a public history museum in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It chronicles the period of Socialist Yugoslavia as well as the life of Josip Broz Tito.

Vasilies, with an interpreter, was kind enough to tell us what it was like living in Belgrade during the Tito occupation and war in the late 1980's to 1990's. Don’t mention the war. Be conscious that most people you will talk to in Belgrade have lived through the trauma of the Yugoslav wars, which lasted for a decade until 2001, ending the pan-Slavic experiment. The violence perpetrated by Serbian forces led the fledgling post-socialist republic to be ostracized from the international community for several years, while internally they struggled under the corruption and repression of the Milosevic era.

The Church of Saint Sava is a Serbian Orthodox church located in Belgrade. It is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world and ranks among the largest church buildings in the world

Ten years after Tito's death ethnic unrest's resulted in a series of wars which led to the dissolution of Yugoslavia into six separate states: Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

House of Flowers, the Josip Broz Tito Mausoleum, is the resting place of the President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and his wife Jovanka Broz. It is located on the grounds of the Museum of Yugoslav History in Belgrade, Serbia

Batons on display presented to Toto. See explanation in the next photo.

Also on display are thousands of elaborate relay batons presented to him by young 'Pioneers', plus gifts from political leaders and the voguish set of the era.

More batons presented to him.

The tomb of Tito. Many still view Tito as a strong, influential leader, revered for leading an uprising against the Nazis. Others however see him as a totalitarian dictator who prohibited free speech, imprisoned tens of thousands of political dissenters, and killed over half a million people.

View looking toward the entrance of the building.

Belgrade is by no means a 'pretty' capital, but its gritty exuberance makes it one of the most happening cities in Europe.

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system. He is from Belgrade. There is a museum in Belgrade for him. Ironically this is an advertisement for Tesla products.

Reflections of the Church of Saint Sava in a neighboring new modeern glass building.

Florin, our local guide, introduced us to the Church of Saint Sava Orthodox Cathedral one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world and ranks among the largest church buildings in the world. The main floor is currently under renovation.

The greatest achievement of the construction process was lifting of the 4,000 ton central dome, which was built on the ground, together with the copper plate and the cross, and later lifted onto the walls. The lifting, which took forty days with the especially constructed hydraulic machines, was finished on 26 June 1989.

Twenty one feet below the Church of Saint Sava there is the Crypt and Dome Mosaic.

Crypt of Memorial Temple of Saint Sava, Temple beneath the temple bears the official name Temple of the Holy Martyr Prince Lazar. The base of the crypt itself was formerly much smaller and located beneath the altar of the temple, taking up space of about 250 square meters and was designed for the storage of human remains of Serbian patriarchs.

Crypt can be used for worship and as a venue for cultural events - debates, performances, exhibitions, lectures. Modern decorative lighting of identical temperature gives an extra sense of grandeur coloring. Golden color dominates the vault. Constant pleasant temperature creates additional pleasant feeling.

Belgrade has lots of streets cars

New and modern round about in the city.

When the bombs rained down on Belgrade in 1999, the city which had seen so much war in its life was suddenly in the crosshairs again. The people of Serbia , as buildings exploded around them, they felt the full force of a local conflict becoming an international target. Under the banner of NATO, more than a dozen countries were part of the bombings which they say was aimed at stopping the Kosovo War. At the time, there was alleged ethnic cleansing of Albanians in the Kosovo region by Serbian authorities and, despite not having a mandate from the United Nations, NATO believed the correct thing to do was stop any potential war crimes.

I was told this is a demonstration by teachers in Belgrade the day we were touring.

Belgrade is the center of political and cultural life in the country.

The House of the National Assembly of Serbia

There are 250 Deputies elected for 4 years terms.

Soviet era buildings still stand in the city

Soviet era buildings

Great open walking plazas downtown to walk and window shop.

Belgrade Fortress, consists of the old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, in an urban area of modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia

Local students on a field trip in Belgrade Fortress.

Belgrade Fortress is the core and the oldest section of the urban area of Belgrade. For centuries the city population was concentrated only within the walls of the fortress, and thus the history of the fortress, until most recent times, equals the history of Belgrade itself.. The first mention of the city is when it was founded in the 3rd century BC by the Celtic tribe of Scordisci, who had defeated tribes that previously lived in and around the fort. The city-fortress was later conquered by the Romans had a fortified camp on a hill at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava rivers.

The Sava and the Danube rivers meet in the distance

This is where the Sava River meets the Danube, contemplative parkland nudges hectic urban sprawl, and old-world culture gives way to new-world nightlife.

Downtown Belgrade in the distance

We were in Belgrade the beginning of May as the weather was warming. Numerous outdoor cafes were opening for the summer. Lots of people were out enjoying the warmer weather.

I spotted a location where the Rotary Club meets weekly. Having been a Rotarian for over 40 years I wanted a photo of their local flag. The restaurant thought I was crazy.

Belgrade is a great city to walk around in warm weather.

Local drinking fountain. Bill a friend on the trip had to try it out. I would say it had to be the largest drinking fountain I have seen in my travels around the world.

Local art anyone?

Cool looking outdoor restaurant with umbrellas inverted upside down for shade.

Reflections on the Danube River from our river boat Concerto.

In Europe the bridges are lighted in the evening. Spectacular for photography.

Novi Sad is a city in northern Serbia on the banks of the Danube River. Standing atop a riverside bluff, much of Petrovaradin Fortress dates to the 17th and 18th centuries, with an iconic clock tower and a network of tunnels. Across the river is the old quarter, Stari Grad, site of the Gothic Revival Name of Mary Church and the neo-Renaissance City Hall.

The blue and white river ship is the Concerto in the middle of the 3 ships we are sailing on.

Stari Grad is an urban neighborhood of the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. It is the main part of Novi Sad, and it is also known as City Center. In the Serbian language, the name "Stari Grad" means "Old Town"

Novi Sad translates to New Garden a town nestled along a bend in the Danube River. There are numerous historical and cultural monumments, parks and bustling squares thriving with pedestrian zones. Also the fortress in the previous photo standing tall along the Danube River.

Art work on the side of Soviet era apartment buildings.

English graffiti on a bridge along the Danube river.

I tried to find out the name of this tree. It actually almost looked like cotton falling from the tree along the Danube.

The Raid Victims Memorial was built in remembrance of the ’January Raid’ carried out from January 21st to January 23rd 1942 in Novi Sad. During these three days Hungarian fascists executed over a thousand people – Serbs, Jews and Gypsies. In 1971 at this place by the Danube river a 12 foot tall bronze monument called ’The Family’ was put up.

Interestingly a jet plane races across the sky at the exact moment the photo was taken balancing a cone trail on the head of the right bronze figure.

In 1992 78 bronze plates which were added to the memorial. Four of the plates tell the story of this tragical event in Serbian and Hebrew, and the other 66 plates hold the names of the victims. The memorial is designated as a cultural heritage site of great importance.

Pre school children walk along the Danube with their teachers enjoying the day.

Local park and a statue are very restful.

The local parks seem to be cared for very well.

The beauty in Novi Sad is in its name, translates to New Garden. Novi Sad is peppered with historical and cultural monuments, thriving pedestrian zone, bustling sqpares and verdant parks.

You can walk to all of Novi Sad's attractions from the happening pedestrian thoroughfare and outdoor restaurants,

Daily open market

The market sells lots of fresh fruit and vegetables all locallhy grown.

Serbian Orthodox Cathedral

Prewar building WW 1

Statue of Jovan Jovanović Zmaj and Saborna Crkva, Novi Sad Jovan Jovanović Zmaj was a very important Serbian poet.

In the distance is Novi Sad City Hal. It was built in 1895.

Following our walk through the streets of Novi Sad, we entered Liberty Square. The first thing you notice on entering from any direction is the beautiful Roman Catholic Parish Church of St Mary’s It was built in the neo-gothic style between 1893 and 1895 on the site of what was previously the cathedral.

Sremski Karlovci is a town and municipality located south on the bank of the river Danube, 5 miles from Novi Sad.

Our local, Neboija, guide for today in Nova Sad and Sremski Karlovci

It is said that every building, house and street in Sremski Karlovci have their own stories to tell, for this city was beyond doubt famous for its spirituality and culture of Serbia. The city had become an heir to the Patriarchate of Peć right after the First Serbian Migration in 1690.

The Cathedral church is glistening all in white, with its green domes

Lots of students take day trips here for a class study on history.

Apart from being the spiritual center, Karlovci had been the meeting point of cultural elites, poets, and prominent personae. Because of its close vicinity to Austria, and for the city’s important role with the Viennese Court, which was under the Habsburg’s management, Karlovci has been a city well ahead of its time

The church is dedicated to the Saint Nicholas, and today you can find valuable frescoes and paintings

Gymnasium of Karlovci – the first gymnasium ever to be founded in Serbia

Right next to the Cathedral church there is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Holy Trinity, originating from 1768. What makes this church outstandingly valuable are the baroque doors processed in xylography, safely guarding the oldest organ in Vojvodina.

Great dining inside and outside in the square.

More students visiting for the day on a learning adventure.

A third group of students visiting for the day.

This was a Museum of Beekeeping and Wine cellars. It was very interesting

One of the family members explaining the art of Beekeeping.

Huge stainless steel tanks for aging wine and fermentation.

Water view of our river Ship on the Danube from a bridge crossing the river.

Art on the side of the old soviet era apartment buildings.

Entrance to a farm where we have a traditional Serbian feast. It was very good.

Father teaching his son how to drive a tractor.

Entrance to the farm house.

Looks like fun to me.

Former barn converted into a dining hall for parties.

We are met by local musicians with traditonal Serbian music

Inside the dining hall prior to arrival of the rest of the guests. Beautiful

View inside the dining hall is quite large. All food is prepared in an adjacent building across the patio area.

The table where I was seated in the corner of all the glass looking out. Can't beat the views of the farm.

Full house of around 95 guests and enjoying the evening.

The fortress at night in Stari Grad.

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© 2025 Jim Schroder