SADDLE SORE AND FANCY FREE - Uzice, Serbia

..........previous post about our wanderings around Belgrade, capital of Serbia........

Rich and Tito, Uzice, Serbia

Excited to be on the move again, we embarked on what we were assured would be a slow and torturous train journey to Uzice in the south west of Serbia. Instead, we found ourselves on a brand new train, very modern, with big clean windows, and announcements in Serbian and English. Minutes into the trip we were well out of Belgrade, and into farmland, mainly growing mainly corn, plums and berries. This eventually gave way to wild green forests and red roofed cottages as we headed further into the hills and through many tunnels.

Train to Uzice, Serbia

Ain't nobody! 

We had no idea what to expect of Uzice, having heard varying reports. There's no way you could have called it beautiful, but there was certainly a shabby charm to the place, and the surrounding greenness and cooler climate were a welcome change from Belgrade. We had a room right in the centre, near the town square which is proudly beloved by the locals. The square was surrounded by socialist-era buildings including the either atrocious or funky (depending on your view) Hotel Zlatibor. It must have been the height of modern architectural fashion decades ago, but unfortunately the decay had now set in. The hillsides surrounding the town were filled with red rooved apartment blocks cascading down to the centre of town. 

View of Uzice, Serbia

Along the river in Uzice, Serbia

The "fabulous" Hotel Zlatibor, Uzice, Serbia

Our little apartment, Uzice, Serbia

Town square in Uzice, Serbia

We had a lovely time in Uzice exploring the town and outskirts, finding quiet places such as the huge hillside cemetery (no creepy statues this time!), quirky little churches and the biggest statue of Tito ever built (that was slightly scary close up!). There was a lot of history with Tito in Uzice. For a brief look at that time in Serbia, also see the last blog post. Uzice was involved heavily with the Partisans, and when Yugoslavia was liberated at the end of WW2, eight towns in Serbia were especially favoured by Tito, even having Tito added to the beginning of their names. This was dropped in the early 1990s.

Man hole cover with original name, Uzice, Serbia

Socialist-era design on apartment block, Uzice, Serbia

The Serbians love a good chandelier in their churches

Quirky old church, Uzice, Serbia

We didn't have much luck with exploring the Old City and Fortress, as a renovation job was being undertaken, but we wandered around the hill paths instead finding views, peace and quiet. The 1900 hydro power plant under the fort was compelling, apparently being the first such plant to be built using Tesla's theory of alternating current. What this theory actually means is a  mystery to us, but we know from the Tesla Museum we visited in Belgrade, it is the achievement he is most famous for! By the way, a fun video about Serbia's most famous personality is HERE. 

Uzice also had a city beach, but it wasn't quite up to Belgrade's standard. Actually, it was a bit uninviting and dire.

Lovely part of the river near the hydro plant, Uzice, Serbia

Relaxing in the park, Uzice, Serbia

There were plenty of delicious food options in town, and we had an amusing visit to a small local restaurant. Although we could pick out a few things on the menu we had heard of, it was all a bit confusing. The waitress took the time to translate things for us using her phone, and to double check she knew exactly what we wanted. The end result was amazing, and it was difficult to choose a favourite between the pasulj (another bean casserole) with a sausage and the chicken wrapped in bacon on skewers. What a feast!

Yummo meal of pasulj, kobasice and bacon wrapped chicken!!!

Our first fine day in Uzice (there had been a bit of drizzle), we hired out bikes for a ride along an old train line. The idea was to ride out to a monastery on a lake, but after more than four hours of riding uphill on an uncomfortable seat, Sal had had enough, and we decided to call it a day. It seems the crappy, cheap rental bikes in Asia are more suited to her delicate bits!! Ironically, Rich was in his element on the bike, with no pressure on his knee, and could have kept riding all day long! However, it was bliss to be out in the serene, green countryside, riding through the gorge and surrounded by the cliffs and forests. Although there weren't many bird sounds, there were insects galore, and Rich did spot an otter along the river. The trip back was by far the most fun part, with the slight downhill slope allowing us to freewheel for the most part.

Raring to go at the start of the day!

Out of the depths, Uzice, Serbia

Beautiful dam on the way (spot the Sal), Uzice, Serbia

Looking for the best route through, Uzice, Serbia

A little video of some of the fantastic route along the transformed old train track, Uzice

The other highlight of Uzice was a day trip (by train, of course!), to see a massive cave nearby. The entrance to Potpece is the biggest in the Balkans, and it was a good thing we got to see that, as the rest of the complex seemed to be closed. It didn't matter one bit, though, as the round walk to and from the station to the cave was the wonderful highlight. The bucolic scenes of small farms and cottages in the hills was a breath of fresh air. Birds twittered away, and butterflies followed us through the small paths alternating sun and shade. Gardens were spilling over with flowers, and apple, plum, walnut and pear trees abounded as well as the last of the raspberry canes. Most properties had several old buildings on the land, some of which which looked ancient, and some sort of warehouse or shed for either fruit processing, or pottery making. The new houses built were mostly enormous and often quite grand, leading us to think either there is a lot of money in orchards here, or it is very cheap to build a house! As trains returning to Uzice were few and far between, we used the opportunity to while away a couple of hours with several beers at a small shop near the station. A pleasurable end to the day.

Looking through the web, Potpece, Serbia

Lovely little old village house, Potpece, Serbia

Plums galore, Potpece, Serbia

Typical little old house, Potpece, Serbia

Loving the shady walk, Potpece, Serbia

Old shed, Potpece, Serbia

Sal walking towards the cave opening, Potpece, Serbia

We very much enjoyed exploring a different town, and we looked forward to .......the next part of our trip in Serbia, in Kraljevo and Nis..........