Top 3 Serbian fortifications to explore on your weekend trip

Summer maybe drawing to an end but there’s no need to worry. Autumn is arguable the best time to explore Serbia, when the fierce summer heat gives way to cooler days and more comfortable conditions for travelling throughout the countryside.

Beyond Belgrade, Serbia is dotted with medieval fortresses and fortified monasteries that have survived centuries of turbulent history . They may be less famous than the great castles and chateaux of Western Europe, but that is precisely what makes them so rewarding to explore. Here are three Serbia’s most remarkable strongholds located within a 2-hour drive from capital Belgrade.

Perched dramatically above the Danube, Golubac Fortress witnessed centuries of warfare and changed hands many times.

According to a local legend, the fortress takes its name from a Golubana, a beautiful young woman who refused to enter the harem of an Ottoman commander. As punishment, she was chained to a rock rising from the Danube. The story is part of Golubac rich folklore although its historical origins remain uncertain.

Suring the 14th and 15th centuries, Hungary, Serbia and later the Ottoman Empire fought for control of the fortress and the strategic waterway below it. Golubac guarded the entrance to the Djerdap Gorge, where the Danube cuts through the Carpathian mountains, making it a crucial link between East and West.

Some of Europe’s most celebrated warriors took part in the fighting. Among them was Zawisza Czarny, the famous Polish knight and national hero, who was killed during the Ottoman siege of Golubac in 1428.

Today, visitors can explore the meticulously restored fortress along four routs of varying difficulty . The complex includes a palace and nine towers, the most famous of which is the multi-story Hat Tower, rising from the highest point of the cliffs and overlooking a broad sweep of the Danube.

More about the fortress, routes, and entrance fees here.

Yes, it is a monastery. But Manasija is so heavily fortified that it can easily be mistaken for a medieval fortress.

Built in the 15^th century by Despot Stefan Lazarevic, one of the last great ruler of the medieval Serbia, the Serbian Orthodox monastery stands in a mountainous landscape near the town of Despotovac.

Its thick wall is reinforced by 11 towers with more than 100 machicolations-openings through which defenders could drop stones, oil or other projectiles on attackers below.

The complex is dominated by a remarkably well-preserved 11-meter-high Despot's Tower. Together with the walls and towers, it is considered an important example of medieval Serbian military architecture.

One of the most remarkable experiences is to climb onto the fortifications and walk along the centuries-old walls, with views over the monastery church and the ruins of its medieval refectory.

It is a rare chance to experience a medieval defensive complex from the same vantage point as the people who once guarded it!

Smederevo was the final capital of the independent medieval Serbia and its fortress became one of the most coveted prizes in the struggle between Serbia and the expanding Ottoman empire.

The fortress finally fell to Sultan Mehmed II, known as Mehmed the Conqueror, in 1459, after the Ottoman siege brought an end to the medieval Serbian state. It came just six years after the fall of Constantinople.

Built in the Byzantine tradition, Smederevo was designed as a vast fortified complex on the Danube by Despot Đurađ Branković – the ruler of Serbia at the time. Its strategic positions, natural waterways and massive stone walls created a formidable defensive system that covered 11 hectares and incorporating 25 towers.

The fortress combined a fortified royal palace [link] with a vast fortified town enclosed by thick walls and moats. After its capture, the Ottomans recognized its strategic importance and turned Smederevo an major military base.

Today, Smederevo remains one of the largest surviving medieval fortresses in Europe. Its immense walls and towers offer a glimpse into the final chapter of medieval Serbia -and make it well worth adding to any itinerary through the country.