Raška & Ibar Valley

The remote southwest of Serbia has two different names used on everyday basis. The first is “Raška”, the name of one of the principal rivers and of the most important Serbian medieval state. The other is “Sandžak”, the Turkish word for a flag and for an administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire. These two names reflect the two characters of this region in which Orthodox and Muslim populations live alongside one another with their different traditions and customs.

This area was the heart of medieval Serbia. There are numerous beautiful examples of churches in existence from the period highlighting the importance of this mountainous region: the old church of St Peter near Novi Pazar, or Mileševa and Sopoćani with their superb frescoes. On the other hand, this is where the Turks remained the longest, almost 500 years, and mosques are also to be found in abundance in both cities and far-flung villages. Novi Pazar, the former capital of the region and still the most important city here, bursts with oriental sights and smells.

Extreme geographic conditions unite the province and its people. Raška lies in the Dinaric Alps mountain range with several peaks rising above 1600 m. The rivers Lim in the north and Raška or Ibar in the south gush their way down through the mountainous landscape cutting the steep sides of several canyons. The smaller Uvac River twists and turns creating a unique snake-like shape. Several of the larger cities in the area made good use of the wider fields and broader parts of the river valleys to be found here. The high plateau of Pešter dominates the central part. Deforested and barren, it is the perfect setting for cattle breeding which was the principle profession of this province for centuries. The sheep and cows from the district are celebrated for the delicious cheeses made from their milk, the best-known cheese being the Sjenički variety. The small town of Sjenica is also known as the coldest spot in Serbia with an impressive record of extreme sub-zero temperatures. With its harsh climate during the long and snowy winters, many roads in the region can remain closed for weeks or even months. Yet the pleasant summer period more than makes up for the cold winters.

As extreme as are the geography and climate, the people are hospitable. In their naively modern or old wooden and stone houses one will be invited and treated to the best of all that the people here have to offer: juniper brandy klekovača, cheeses, thick cream kajmak or delicious hams and pies. For better or for worse, in many of the small hamlets high in the mountains, time appears to have stopped and in so doing many an old custom, ritual or song can still be found here.

The River Ibar begins in Montenegro, passes through the south end of Raška and the north of Kosovo and then continues steadily northwards to Kraljevo. It has always been an important line of communication whilst also being a very beautiful one; these two reasons were ample for the Serbian kings to bestow it with many outstanding churches and monasteries – it is sometimes known as “the Valley Of the Kings”. The mother of all these monasteries is the beautiful Studenica complex, the endowment of Stefan Nemanja, the founder of the Nemanjić dynasty. His son Stefan “the First-Crowned”, built the Žiča monastery near Kraljevo, while queen Jelena from the Anjou family donated the Gradac monastery. There are many more such examples in the region. The rapid waters of the Ibar River are popular for rafting. The journey ends at the “Veseli spust” (“Merrily Down the Ibar”) event in July where hundreds of self-made rafts are sent on their merry journey accompanied by music and singing.

East of Ibar lays Kopaonik, Serbia’s most well-known ski resort. This stunning mountain offers top ranking hotels and good pistes for skiers and boarders. However, Kopaonik is equally beautiful in the summertime when one can fully enjoy the flowery meadows traversed by fresh mountain streams that tumble down into dense woodland.