ELEVATE - NOVEMBAR

94 | TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS Asouraim istopromote lesserknown andperhaps forgotten locations in Serbia, aswellasthemajorreturnofweekendtour- ism,we’vesingledoutseveraldestinations fromall regions of Serbia.Weather condi- tions dictate travel options, so on this oc- casionwe’ve selected places that you can also visit during the winter. Above Banja Koviljača rises themoun- tain of Gučevo , where the Memorial os- suarywas erected in remembrance of the battle fought there inWorldWar I that was one of the first trench battles of the Great War. It is important to note that the re- mains of the fallen on both sides of the battle were laid to rest in the ossuary on Gučevo – its construction was launched by the Austrians in 1917, only to be com- pleted 12 years later according to the de- sign of an architect called Todić. Ifyouaskus,it’snotthatdifficulttofind alocationinSerbiathatyoucanvisitdur- ingwinter . Serbia is very rich in caves, and we would ask you when you last visited one of them? If you are heading towards eastern Serbia, you simply must stop by at Rajkova Cave near Majdanpek. The Ra- jko afterwhomthis cavewas namedwas a real highwaymanwho stoleTurkish treas- ure. A serious network of informers, like something out of a film scenario, was en- twined around the activity of intercepting Turks, whichmeant that Rajko and his ha- jduks were a serious thorn in the side of the enemy. There is debate over wheth- er Rajko was the Robin Hood of Majden- pek or whether he kept the treasure for himself, but one thing is certain – youwill see a true treasure around you when you enter this beauty of the Homolje region. A special impression was left on us by ourvisittotheHermitageCellofStSava , which is located just ten kilometres from StudenicaMonastery, on the slopes of Ra- dočeloMountain. Situatedwithin the rock face, it represents a kind of cave complex that is still used by monks today. There aren’t many historical facts relating to the emergence of this unique site. Leg- end has it that it was constructed at the same time that StudenicaMonastery was established. According toone story, it was builtbyaservantofStefanNemanja,while another story has it that St Sava erected the hermitage cell himself uponhis return fromHilandar Monastery. It is traditional- ly believed that it was here that Saint Sa- va found peace and wrote his Studenica Typoikon and the Life of St Simeon. This place is worth visiting at any time of year! Iznad Banje Koviljače uzdiže se planina Gučevo Above Banja Koviljača rises the mountain of Gučevo Neizostavno morate svratiti u Rajkovu pećinu kod Majdanpeka You simply must stop by at Rajkova Cave near Majdanpek 1. 2. 3.