The Origin - adventure hiking tour in Eastern Serbia - Explore Serbia

495 €

Price of the tour

Book the tour

March-November

Dates

5 days

Duration

12+

Years

moderate

Have you ever wondered: how did Homo sapiens overcome other human-like species? Why did it happen? And, where did it all begin? Are you ready for an extraordinary hiking adventure? In your neighborhood, in the east of Serbia, there are breathtaking viewpoints, must-see places, and must-hear stories. Join us on a hike, feel the unique nature of eastern Serbia, and sharpen your view of the origins of our species. This is an archaeological, anthropological, and magical view of the state of affairs.

The trip highlights:

Belgrade is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It has always been at the crossroads of different civilizations. Every step through the city reveals a part of its rich history, which once had different names.
Djerdap National Park - the largest in Serbia, the protected area includes as many as ten nature reserves, and ten units of diverse heritage of nature, history, and beauty, such as big rivers carry with them. Djerdap Gorge - the largest river gorge in Europe, created where the mighty Danube broke through the Carpathian mountains in a length of 90 kilometers.
Lazar's Canyon - one of the most impassable canyons characterized by a unique complex of limestone valleys of impressive dimensions, numerous and significant speleological objects, diverse flora and fauna, as well as the beauty of the landscape. Passing through Lazarev Canyon is one of the most attractive hiking trails in Serbia.

MEETING POINT	Belgrade
DEPARTURE TIME	7.30 h
INCLUDED IN THE PRICE	Four nights with breakfast (two nights in Belgrade in a 4* hotel and two in Eastern Serbia in a 3* hotel), accommodation in double rooms Hiking tours for 3 days with a guide All tickets for the listed attractions Lunch in a rural household on the third day Local taxes
NOT INCLUDED	Transportation to Belgrade and the specified destinations Other not mentioned meals Travel Insurance

Additional notes:

Necessary personal equipment for the Origin - adventure hiking tour: Deep hiking shoes with Vibram soles or deep comfortable sports shoes with stronger soles, adequate clothing according to the weather conditions. Backpack with the necessary mountaineering equipment for a three-day hike, and refillable water bottles (1.5-2 liters per day). We also recommend hiking poles, sun protection (goggles, UV cream, cap, hat), energy bars, spare t-shirts, long hiking pants, headlamps, and raincoats.
Hiking tours are recommended for people in good condition and without health problems.
Passing through Lazar's Canyon is possible in the autumn months (September, October and November). If your arrival is in the spring or summer months, the hiking trail includes viewpoints on the Lazar's Canyon and leads along the Malinik Ridge.
The Origins - adventure hiking tour program is organized for a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 15 people. In the case of a smaller number, a price correction is made.
The given price is per person and for a minimum of 7 passengers. If there is a group of 4 to 6 people, the price is increased by 15 EUR per person.
On request, we can organize transport on the mentioned routes to Eastern Serbia and a transfer from Belgrade Airport to a hotel in Belgrade. The transportation price depends on the number of passengers and the type of vehicle (car, van, or minibus).
The road route for the entire program is this one.

The organizer reserves the right to correct prices due to changes in the monetary market or changes in accommodation prices, as well as the right to change the travel program (order of certain contents in the program due to objective circumstances).

Price list number 1 from 09.11.2024.

With this program are valid General conditions of travel organizer tourist agency Explore Balkans doo. License number: OTP 22//2024, A category

The tour is conducted in cooperation with a travel agency Mirno more from Majdanpek.

First day: Belgrade

Arrival in Belgrade. Accommodation in a 4* star hotel. Free time to explore this vibrant city and feel its unique atmosphere. Overnight stay.

Second day: Belgrade - Lepenski Vir - Djerdap National Park and hiking on Miroč

Early breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the east of Serbia by 7:30 a.m. Traveling along the Danube road on the route: Belgrade - Požarevac - Golubac fortress - archaeological site Lepenski Vir (route length: 170 kilometers).
Arrival at the archaeological site Lepenski Vir around 10 am.
Lepenski Vir is the oldest homo sapiens settlement in Europe. It is about the first organized human settlement in the open air (located in the Djerdap Gorge), founded more than 8000 years ago. The Lepen people carefully chose this location and formed a culture there that lasted two thousand years continuously, from 6500 to 4500 BC. The Lepenski Vir site was discovered during extensive research in Djerdap, which was carried out due to the construction of the Djerdap I hydroelectric power plant.
Getting to know their way of life, architecture and unique stone sculptures - fish-like faces of people. On-site stay: about 90 minutes.

Continuation of the trip to Djerdap National Park (driving about 35 minutes and the length of the road about 40 kilometers). The hiking tour starts right next to Great Kazan - the deepest and narrowest place on the Danube (94 meters deep and 157 meters wide).
The hiking trail goes through the National Park area to the Ploče viewpoint, and then to the highest peak of the Veliki Štrbac gorge (768 meters above sea level). The top mentioned is a part of Miroč mountain. Miroč mountain consists of Štrbac mountain peaks that rise above the Djerdap Gorge and its narrowest part of the Danube in Europe. Veliki and Mali Štrbac are nature reserves and the most attractive parts of the Đerdap National Park, with diverse and relict vegetation. Here, every nature lover can find their corner to enjoy fascinating viewpoints and unique nature.

Miroč Veliki Štrbac Đerdap — Veliki Štrbac peak, Miroč

Information about the mountain trail: the path is of medium difficulty and the total length is about 16 kilometers, the height difference from the starting point to the final point is 700 meters, and the duration of the tour is about 7 hours.
Arrival at the "Golden Inn" hotel in Majdanpek in the evening. Accommodation in rooms.

Third day: Majdanpek - Lazar's canyon hiking tour

Breakfast at the hotel. Driving on the route Majdanpek - Bor - Zlot - Lazar's Cave in a length of about 90 km.
In addition to its magnificent beauty, Lazar's Canyon is characterized by a geomagnetic anomaly, known in the world as Zlot geomagnetic anomaly. The cause of significantly increased magnetism in this canyon can be ore deposits or specific frequencies from the center of the earth.
The hiking route starts at the Lazar's Cave and continues for about 7.50 kilometers through the Lazar's Canyon. The first 2.5 km is an easy walk along the dry river bed, but after that, the much more difficult part of the trail begins. In several places, you come across giant stone blocks, which block the riverbed. They must be climbed carefully. Occasionally crawling under or going around huge fallen trees is unavoidable.

The bottom of the Lazar's Canyon is dry for most of the year. Due to the very steep and inaccessible rocky cliffs, it has not been fully explored. The canyon is known for its numerous caves and pits. It is about 9 kilometers long and the cliffs are 300 to 400 meters high. The canyon was created by the action of three rivers (now sinkholes): Mikulj, De Mižlok, and Vej. The cliffs of the canyon are vertical and flat, cut into the limestone massif of South Kučaj. At the narrowest part, the width of the canyon is less than 7 meters.
In one part of the canyon, there is an ascent along the ridge in a length of about 700 meters to the top of the canyon, and then the forest road leads to the viewpoint Kovej (located at 740 meters above sea level). Enjoyment and a break for photography at the viewpoint. Below the lookout point is the canyon's greatest depth, where on the right side of the valley is the upper edge of the vertical cliffs at 375 m above the bottom of the canyon, and on the left side the depth of the vertical cut is 330 m.

Lazarev kanjon vidikovac Kovej — Lazarev kanjon, vidikovac Kovej

Sightseeing of Naroda Cave (the only place where Vlachs could "read" the past), a visit to the viewpoints Petra's Rocks and lunch in a mountain house above the canyon.

At the end of the trail, a strong ascent follows to the viewpoint Kovej with a phenomenal view of Lazar's Canyon. Break at the viewpoint. Below the viewpoint is the greatest depth of the canyon, where on the right side of the valley is the upper edge of the vertical cliffs at 375 m above the bottom of the canyon, and on the left side the depth of the vertical cut is 330 m.
Information about a hiking trail: The trail is of medium difficulty and the total length is 16 kilometers, the height difference from the starting point to the endpoint is 500 meters, and the duration of the adventure is about 8 hours.
Important note: Passing through Lazar's Canyon is possible in the autumn months (September, October, and November). If your arrival is in the spring or summer months, the hiking trail includes viewpoints on the Lazarus Canyon and leads along the Malinik Ridge. The length of the trail is 14 km, and it belongs to the easy category, with a total ascent of about 400 m.
Return to the "Golden Inn" hotel in Majdanpek in the evening.

Fourth day: Majdanpek - Beli Izvorac - Valja Prerast - Rajko's Cave - Belgrade

Breakfast and check-out from the hotel. Drive to the starting point for the visit to the waterfall Beli izvorac and Valja Prerast (length of the road: 15 kilometers).
Beli Izvorac is one of the few cascading waterfalls in Serbia. The height of the highest waterfall is 16 meters. Downstream from the waterfall, there are limestone (small lakes) barriers with a diameter of up to 10 meters and a depth of about 2 meters. At the same time, Mala Pećina (the Small Cave) represents one of the oldest sites of homo sapiens material culture in Southeast Europe. 40 millennia ago - Neanderthals and Homo sapiens were good neighbors (they lived next to each other in two caves only 100 meters apart).

vodopad Beli Izvorac Majdanpek — Beli Izvorac, Monument of nature, Majdanpek: Dragoslav Ilic, CC BY-SA 4.0

Near the waterfall is the spring of Beli Izvorac and two karst caves, which were inhabited more than 40,000 years ago (Kozija and Mala Pećina). In Kozja Pečina, Neanderthal remains were found, as well as various artifacts (stone axes and spearheads).
A fascinating stone arch (popularly known as the "hollow rock" under which the river passes) is located a few kilometers away. The hollow rock is a magnificent stone bridge carved by the river Valja Prerast. The river Valja Prerast cut a passage through limestones that are about 130-150 million years old, creating the highest overgrowth, i.e. a natural stone bridge. This natural stone bridge, Valja Prerast, is the highest stone arch in Europe. With its height of over 49 meters and width at the bottom of about 10 meters, it dominates the surroundings in its beauty, especially when you see the sun below it in the afternoon.

Beli Izvorac, Valja Prerast — Valja Prerast at sunset – Gojko Gavrilo, CC BY-SA 4.0

Information about a hiking trail: The trail is easy and has a total length of 7 kilometers, the height difference from the starting point to the highest point is 250 meters, and the duration is about 4 hours. Hike along forest and dirt paths.
Departure to Rajko's Cave (drive about 20 minutes, road length 17 kilometers). Rajko's Cave is very rich in cave jewelry of fairy-tale shapes (the jewelry is made of the highest quality white crystalline calcite). The corridors of the Rajko Cave are over two kilometers long and are divided into river and dry horizons. The temperature of the cave is a constant 8 degrees Celsius, and the air humidity is 100%, so warmer clothing is recommended for visiting the cave, even in the summer. The length of the trail, accessible to visitors, inside the Rajko's Cave, is about 1.4 kilometers.
Departure for Belgrade in the afternoon. Arrival in Belgrade around 8 p.m. Accommodation in a 4* hotel.