I can’t say that I am a spontaneous person. On the contrary, I prefer to plan everything, including our vacation: where to go, what to see, etc. But when I saw Vršac on a map that was given to us by the Tourist information center of Bela Crkva, I got curious and googled it. Main thing that made me want to go there was the medieval Vršac tower (Vršačka kula). If you have been following my Instagram or my blog for some time now, then you know about my love for everything that was built and made in the Medieval Ages. So, I arranged a driver for us, and we hit the road next day.
Our destination and a symbol of Vršac:
Situated on top of the hill, Donjon tower is the only remaining part of the 15th century Vršac Castle (Vršački zamak), which was torn down in the 18th century. In 1991, it was declared a Monument of Culture of Great Importance and it’s protected by the Republic of Serbia.
That’s how it looked before reconstruction (started in 2009):
* photo is taken from Wikipedia
It is possible to get reasonably close to the Tower by car but rest of the way (about 300 meters or so) you’ll have to go on foot. Uphill. And that is quite challenging because of a steep climb. By the time we reached the top of the hill, we both were exhausted and out of breath. But it was worth it! Just look at this incredible view:
The entire city spread before your eyes:
Lowland is covered with vineyards which look like a patchwork carpet made from different shades of green. And there, in the distance you might see the blue peaks of Carpathian Mountains.
Although there is not much to do, I would easily spend there one or two hours. I could explore the tower and surrounding area. Or maybe we could have a picnic nearby. But due to a tight schedule we couldn’t stay here long. We only had time to catch our breath and take a few shots.
After a very well-deserved beer in the city center we began searching for a place to eat. It took us longer than we expected, but eventually we ended up in the bistro (of some sort) called Ćevabdžinica kod Željka. I ordered gurmanska pljeskavica (a ground beef and pork patty with pieces of bacon). Gurmanska (gourmet in Serbian) is more tasty comparing to regular pljeskavica. In my opinion, it has the perfect amount of spices and really good flavor.
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Since we didn’t make any specific plans, we agreed on having a slow and lazy day. So, we drank cold local beer in the main square, enjoyed a great weather and in-between beverages we explored the sights of this lovely town.
And here is the view of Vršac tower from the lowland:
Another sightseeing I wanted to check was an old neogothic Catholic church, constructed in 1860s. It’s dedicated to St. Gerhard Bishop and Martyr.
I just love Gothic architecture! I mean… what’s not to love? It’s so beautiful and atmospheric! A detailed perfection!
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There was one hour left before we had to head back to Bela Crkva, and we decide to spend that time in Max Caffe. I was thinking to order a beer like I always do, but luckily their dessert menu caught my attention. Everything looked so good and delicious! I couldn’t resist and ordered café Affogato; vanilla ice cream, espresso, chocolate sauce and one Plazma (ground biscuit). And it was amazing! So amazing that by the time I remembered about photo-taking, it was already gone.
No can do, I had to take another dessert. This time it was a soft vanilla ice cream with… cherry on top. Well, actually, lots and lots of cherries on top!
Ah, what a great way to finish the day!
I am very happy that we managed to go to Vršac. We had a wonderful day! I only wish we could have more time, because there are so many other places to visit in the area. Like Vladičanski dvor (Bishop’s palace), for example. Or a Serb Orthodox monastery Mesić. It would be nice to see Vršac lake. And I would also love to go hiking in the Vršac mountains. Another interesting thing to do is to have a wine tasting. After all, Vršac is famous for its wine. According to some historical sources, viticulture exists here since the times of ancient Dacia and ancient Rome.
Unfortunately, we didn’t try any Vršac wine during our trip, but I hope to come here again and check out some local wineries. Who knows, maybe it will be even possible to book an excursion. In any case I did not say goodbye to Vršac. Instead I said: “Until we meet again!”
Hope you enjoyed it!
TWVera
Traveling with Vera 