R I TAM SRBI JE / RHYTHM OF SERBIA Danube » Dunav | 85 between the 13th and 14th centuries, while the lower part was constructed in the early 15th century. The Ottomans later added a tower that is distinct from the rest, as it is the lowest and was erected to cater for cannons that only began being used in the second half of the 15th century. Replicas of those very cannons can also now be found there. Following the tour of the fortress and tales of heroes, of the fact that it was never conquered despite being assaulted 120 times (power over it always shifted through “diplomatic” means), we board a boat andpass throughthe IronGates, and straight into a new enchantment that requires no human beautification. Here the green, calm waters of the Danube flow beneath dramatically carvedmountainmassifs, with the odd house peaking over the lush vegetation of the flanks. At one point, the captain shows me that we are at the deepest spot along the entire course of the Danube, where the depth gauges manage to record a distance of around 96 metres to the riverbed, though it is believed that it is at least 20 metres deeper in this section. The captain says that all sorts of things have been spotted emerging from those depths, but no one dare talk about it... We journey on to Donji Milanovac, a tourist centre of theĐerdap area thatwasnamedafterPrinceMiloš’s son Milan. The Danube turns northhere, flowing beside the steep faces ofMiročMountainbeforenarrowing to formthe Small andGreat cazans.Hereyoucansee the remains of a former Roman road that was carvedout of the rock. Emperor Trajan achieved a genuine feat of constructionevenfor today’s conditions here, completing the road and erecting a bridge over the Danube that is known as Trajan’s Bridge and which stood as the longest bridge for a thousand years after it was built. It is no longer standing, but there is the famous Tabula Traiana, Trajan’s Plaque, which is inscribed with Latin text testifying that Emperor Trajan ordered the work on the completionof the road toDacia. The deepwaters ofĐerdapLake are tranquil beneathTrajan’sPlaque, and from there you can quickly reach the hydropower plant. Two kilometres downstream, beside the Danube and the road to Kladovo, the remains of Diana Fortress – one of the best-preserved Roman military fortifications – were discovered. Our final destination is the town of Kladovo, where we leave behind the boat, but not the magic of this journey, as we continue to follow the course of the Danube for a few kilometresmore, with the great river reflecting the rays of the setting sun and shifting colours until we finally part ways with it again at Golubac. Lepenski Vir Đerdapska klisura je i mesto začetkamoderne civilizacije jer se na oko 36 kilometara nizvodno od Golupca nalazi Lepenski Vir, arheološko nalazište čiji je značaj nemerljiv, jer je kultura ovog lokaliteta trajala od oko 8.000. do 4.500. godine pre naše ere i predstavlja jednu od prvih ljudskih naseobina, temelj moderne civilizacije… The IronGates Gorge alsomarks the origins of modern civilisation, with the archaeological site of Lepinski Vir located approximately 36 kilometres downstream fromGolubac. The importance of this site is immeasurable, given that the culture of this locality endured fromaround 8000 to 4500BCand represents one of mankind’s earliest group settlements and the foundations of modern civilisation... nobody having managed to confirm with certainty who was responsible. The Hungarians say that it was built byHuns, while Serbianhistorians suggest that it was erected by King Dragutin. And certain facts support the claim that it is the legacy of Serbia – primarily the remains of anOrthodox chapel in tower number four. The architecture itself also testifies to Golubac’s possible Serbian origins, firstly because it was built in the same way as other medieval Serbian fortresses. Serbian towers were built in such a way that each one represented a fortification in its own right, so taking just one didn’t mean conquering anything, as the attackers had to wrest control of all of them. The fortress town’s upper part is older, built FOTO: Depositphotos / Vladislav Gajić
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