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roady-gravel

comfort tour in Serbia

3 to 13 October 2024
start and finish in Belgrade
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A support car will carry the bags between the hotels. And we’ll just ride. You can leave your cycling case in Belgrade.
DAY 1, Thursday
Belgrade — Vršac
83 km ↑ 200 m (road route)
Oktobar is October in Serbian. Not the Octoberfest, but we’ll nevertheless start in a beer garden. We’ll have a lunch with burgers and wings in our favourite place in Belgrade — while the Serbian laws also allow for a little bit of beer — and will ride tarmac to Vršac town not far from the Romanian border.

Photo 1: the place, typical weather and us, 21 Oct 2023
Photo 2: the Church of St Gerhard de Sangredo, Vršac
Photo 3: our hotel room in Vršac
One person — one room. The tour cost includes a welcome lunch, as well as breakfasts and dinners on half of the days.
DAY 2, Friday
Vršac Mountains
40 km ↑ 780 m (gravel route)
Right next to the town of Vršac are Vršac Mountains — those are not high, but still protrude from the very flat landscape of the northern half of Serbia. We’ll ride a circle route through the top of the mountain and get back to town. The route is relatively technical, and thus, not mandatory — your can ride a different route instead, with an option of pure tarmac.

Photo 1: similar gravel mountain closer to Belgrade, 8 Oct 2022
Photo 2: view from Vršac mountains to the town outskirts
Photo 3: our hotel bathroom in Vršac
You could skip all the gravel sections in the tour — it’s possible to take part on a road bike (but a gravel bike will still be better).
DAY 3, Saturday
Deliblato Desert
94 km ↑ 500 m (gravel)
or 1st rest day
Not far from Vršac there’s a real desert, which they call the “European Sahara”. Of course, we’ll ride there. The route is fully scouted, but it can be demanding depending on the moistness of the sand. If you’re not ready for an adventure — spend the day in the town, we’ll be back by the evening.

Photo 1: our hotel view in Vršac, 3 Sep 2022
Photo 2: Deliblato Desert — verdurous sands
Photo 3: our Vršac hotel spa zone
We’ll ride 70 km per day on average — rather flat at that. Every third day there’s an option to take a rest day if you’re not feeling like riding.
DAY 4, Sunday
Vršac — Veliko Gradište
68 km ↑ 310 m (gravel/road)
We leave Vršac and go to Veliko Gradište — first via a farry crossing and then through an island. Part of this may be routed on gravel: we’ll decide there and then if we’d like to ride full tarmac instead — or even split into two groups for a short time.

Photo 1: Deliblato Desert (from the previous day), 23 Apr 2023
Photo 2: interior of our hotel in Veliko Gradište
Photo 3: view from our hotel to the Silver lake
Well, you could book already :) Although it gets even more interesting further on.
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DAY 5, Monday
V. Gradište — Donji Milanovac
80 km ↑ 380 m (road)
We’ll travel the beautiful road along the mountainous Danube with the views to Romania. All the way — practically perfect tarmac and, by experience, very light traffic. That’s one of the best routes in my 20+ thousand kilometers in Serbia. We’re passing by all the attractions for now — we’ll get back here again.

Photo 1: close to Donji Milanovac, 22 Oct 2022
Photo 2: our apartments and the chalet in D. M.
Photo 3: private dinner vibes in the chalet
If you cannot spend more than a week for the journey, you could pass the first 4 days and start as late as on 7th October from Veliko Gradište.
DAY 6, Tuesday
Donji Milanovac — Kladovo
61 km ↑ 430 m (road)
or 2nd rest day
We continue our way on the scenic mountainous road with perfect tarmac along Danube. Among the views onto the Romanian side, we’ll see the 55-meters-big stone carving of the face of Decebalus — the last Dacian ruler who fought with the Roman Empire in I century a.d.

Or, you could stay and chill in Donji Milanovac — e.g. go to the Decebalus on a boat or visit a large paleontological museum close by.

Photo 1: similar nature in a different part of Serbia, 29 Sep 2023
Photo 2: view onto Decebalus from the water
Photo 3: interior of our apartments in Kladovo
There are plenty of direct flights to Belgrade from the EU and other countries. Most of foreigners do not need visa to visit Serbia.
DAY 7, Wednesday
Miroc Mountain — Donji Milanovac
83 km ↑ 1260 m (gravel/road)
or a different route
From Kladovo, we’ll continue on the mountain route with gravel sections that, however, can be skipped via tarmac which would also decrease the route length and elevation gain to 56 ↑ 780. (The gain can also be slightly decreased while on gravel.)

Those who decided to stay in Donji Milanovac on the previous day, can go up the Miroc Mountain from the other side to get back together with the rest.

Photo 1: view from a similar altitude onto Belgrade, 12 Oct 2023
Photo 2: view from the Miroc Mountain onto Danube
Photo 3: interior of our apartments in Donji Milanovac
How to get from the airport — and not only that — in the tour chat. We’re adding all who’ve made a booking so that everyone could follow the discussion.
DAY 8, Thursday
Donji Milanovac — Golubac
59 km ↑ 320 m (road)
We begin our way back on the same ideal mountainous road along the river. This day we’ll reach Golubac, a tourist town not far from a notable widening of Danube, where we have already passed by. We’ll pass the “Iron Gates” through the Džerdap Gorge — and will leave the national park where will have been for the previous four days.

Photo 1: view onto the Golubac fortress, 22 Oct 2023
Photo 2: interior of one of our apartments in Golubac
Photo 3: interior of our other apartments in Golubac
So, are you ready to book yet? Great, because we have a rest day ahead anyway.
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DAY 9, Friday
Golubac and surroundings
rest day for all
We’ll recuperate before heading towards Belgrade. Those who don’t need the rest, could try and climb the wall of the Golubac fortress via the hiking route — where it’s surprising that they allow untrained people to do that — you’ll need to use a rope to get there. For the rest there are castle towers, museum, crossbow shooting, etc.

Photo 1: view to the Golubac fortress from the internet
Photo 2: view to our main apartments in Golubac
Photo 3: bathroom of our main apartments in Golubac
Also in the chat, we’ll remind you what to take with you, advise how to travel by plane with the bike — and everything else you need to know.
DAY 10, Saturday
Golubac — Smederevo
79 km ↑ 360 m (road)
From one town with a medieval fortress we’re getting to another one — with even bigger fortification. Semderevo is the old capital of Serbia and in the past — its largest city. On our way there we’ll also visit Požarevac — another pleasant town with a wealth of history (even if without a fortress).

Photo 1: bikes of our other camp participants in Serbia, 29 Sep 2023
Photo 2: Smederevo fortress and the town of Smederevo itself
Photo 3: one of our apartments in Smederevo
All the details: what is included in the cost, terms of booking and payment, and other formalities — are under the orange button.
DAY 11, Sunday
Smederevo — Belgrade
76 km ↑ 140 m (gravel/road)
We’re meeting DBB people who are having a Sunday ride through Smederevo, and all together get back to Belgrade via a nice and flat gravel road. Likely, someone will want to go back on tarmac — no problem to join them, the road will turn out even shorter (if only not as exciting :)

Photo: our weekly ride, 7 Oct 2023
Have any questions? Make sure to have read the fine print by pressing the button below — and ping me in Viber group, WhatsApp, Telegram or a@dbb.rs

Alex
tour organiser
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