Eco Lodge in Serbia

 

We all talk about saving the planet but how many of us really do something? We occasionally recycle. Only because our councils imposes such a huge fines that we have to. We still curse supermarkets for such a waste of wrapping and packaging on food but we still drive to the supermarkets to get the same food. We still fly out of convenience and pay for our “sins” by signing away a certain amount of money on the booking form to ‘offset’ our flight. And still feeling guilty we try hard to get an ‘eco-friendly’ five star hotel in the middle of nowhere.

My last holiday, just in between the BA strikes and the volcano eruption, was spent in a National Park in Serbia. Yes, they do have national parks. We looked for ‘eco’, comfort, nature, history, a spa and we came across “Ranch Platan” which is located on one hectare of the Fruska Gora National Park at 280 m above sea level. We booked our apartments by email as the option of taking payment over the internet in Serbia is not possible yet. The very friendly email “voice” was happy for us to pay on arrival. Now how many of you booked a hotel without paying at least a deposit not to mention the full amount four weeks before arrival ? Here at Ranch Platan they go to basic hospitality rule – trust!

The friendly voice behind the whole idea of an ‘eco ranch’ in Serbia belongs to a lady called Vesna who greeted us personally on arrival and even then she wasn’t bothered about money as her first and utmost motivation is her guest! Nothing exists on that ranch except YOU and YOUR HOLIDAY!

She took us to our well-decorated cottage, one of six, each with its own entrance, balcony, fireplace, kitchen, bathroom, and loft with double bed. But something they don’t  advertise and it is included as free of charge is fresh air, peace, tranquillity, views. Yes you do have WiFi as well if you are that desperate on your holiday.

The ranch doesn’t include breakfast but your cottage does have cooking facilities. You do get basic ingredients like coffee, tea, sugar, salt, oil, sweets and a bottle of local wine. You can bring a bag of pasta and some eggs. You don’t need more as most days you spend sightseeing around the 17 nearby monasteries, and there are big maps of the region on display at the Ranch. The owners, very friendly city couple who decided to change way of life and bought a land few years ago, are on standby in the house which is located at the Ranch itself for any information regarding area.

If you are tired and just want to chill out go and see Vesna’s husband, a pleasant, quiet man with a huge movie collection. Once you are in the lodge you can light a fire in the kamin  and enjoy tranquillity of the place.  Or just walk above your lodge to nearby view point for amazing country side views and ozone saturated fresh air. Also  there is a spa in  the village of Vrdnik and the treatments are cheap – a basic massage is around £15 per person and the spa is only 600m from Ranch Platan.  You can also play basketball, volleyball, table tennis or badminton on a little court on the edge of the ranch, or simply walk to the Tower of Vrdnik, a Roman castle about 4km away – the doctors at the Spa recommend it!

After few days in this amazing place you will come back invigorated and wishing you could stay longer.

Please check their website at http://rancplatan.com/smestajen.htm even you are not planning to go there. This is a new breed of hotels, new “Eco” Serbia which you need to learn about.

 

The Chapel of Peace, Sremski Karlovci, Serbia

The Chapel of Peace

Around 50 miles north of the capital city of Serbia, Belgrade, on the slopes of the Fruska Gora National Park and on the right bank of the Danube River, is one of Serbia’s most important spiritual and cultural towns, Sremski Karlovci. Since 1713, this place has been the seat of the Serbian Archbishops so don’t be surprised if among the sea of tourists from different countries you come across a group of black-robed Orthodox priests come to visit the ornate 19th century Archbishop’s Residence. Especially famous for its good wines and honey (which both you can taste at various establishments around the town), its local dessert kuglof (a fruity, spiced cake), its beautiful baroque architecture and very nice inhabitants, Sremski Karlovci is also well known for its contribution to history books since it was here that the term ‘round table’ was first used when describing the signing of a peace agreement. The first peace agreement to be so described was signed here in 1699 between the Turkish, Polish, Venetians and Austrians, and it was thrashed out around a round table on a site a little way out of the town which is commemorated by a circular building, the Chapel of Peace, that has four doors, one for each party to the treaty. 

According to the caretaker of the Chapel of Peace, a well-informed and talkative chap, this unusual building is beginning to be popular with visitors again since the EC decided to invest in its reconstruction on the condition that it opened its fourth door behind the altar, the so-called Turkish Door. When we came to visit the Chapel of Peace there was no one to greet us except strong winds and closed doors. We, like history-hungry peeping toms, looked through the windows and keyholes trying to catch a glimpse of the past. Suddenly a tall guy appeared in front of us telling us to go to the opposite side of building and he would open the door for us. It seemed strange that he did not tell us to enter the building with him, but later he explained that he only carries the key for the Turkish door as most visitors are from Turkey – as we were Christian we could only enter the building by one of the other doors. Inside there is an altar which covers the Turkish door (the chapel was built by the Catholics of the town), and there used to be an organ but it was damaged by the rather careless builders who restored the building recently. The windows are distinctive – on the first floor they are made in the shape of the Dutch flag and on the ground floor they represent the Union Jack – both England and Holland were the ‘international peacekeepers’ overseeing the peace agreement of 1699. The whole building is painted yellow inside and out, the staircase to the first floor is original but covered in paint stains and refurbishment is ongoing.

The Chapel of Peace is a witness to a significant historic event, but nowadays is sadly underused – it would make a wonderful space for concerts and exhibitions, and is definitely well worth the stroll from the town centre along the quiet residential streets.

For more information please email Tara@ReadyClickAndGo.com or check our websoye at www.ReadyClickAndGo.com

Tara