Oct 8 - Djerdap National Park

The second part of the morning was a hike through Djerdap National Park which was about a 45-minute drive from the Golubac Fortress. It was a lovely drive along the banks of the Danube, although the many tunnels were a bit sketchy because they had no lighting. Glad it was Dragan at the wheel and not me. We got to see the Scenic Ruby sailing down the river to our pick up point in Donji Milanovac.

Djerdap National Park, one of five national parks in Serbica, stretches along the right bank of the Danube River from the Golubac Fortress to the dam near Novi Sip, Serbia. It was established in 1974 and covers about 300 square miles. In July 2020 the wider area of the national park was designated as the UNESCO global geopark, as the first protected area in Serbia labeled that way.

We zigzagged our way up a narrow road – bus access is strictly controlled by the park authorities because there is no place for two buses to pass. At the top, we began to hike along a dirt path that was quite passable. Nicholai told about the trees, the animals, and the birds found in the park. We were rewarded for our hiking (it was mostly walking on a flat trail) with the fabulous views at the Kovilovo lookout. The Danube is about 2 km wide at this point, with stable water levels and a still surface on this lovely, calm day. We took in the views and heard Nicholai talk about the town directly opposite on the Romanian side – it was purpose built to house people whose towns and villages were wiped out when the big dam was built and the course of the river was changed.

We hiked back down and after a short bus ride were in Donji Milanovac nicely in time for lunch. We will set sail about 2:00 p.m. The afternoon's entertainment is simply watching the river as we sail towards the narrowest part, known as the Iron Gates.Okumaya devam et