B92 - Travel - Comments - Avala: A break from the city

Mt. Avala offers both natural beauty and unusual historical relicts marking Serbia’s unique modern history.Located just 16 km southeast of Belgrade, this forest-covered mountain is just a bus ride away from the city and well worth the trip.

From the main entrance at the base of Mt. Avala, the road to the right will lead you to Avala’s peak, and to the left, to the north-facing side and eventually to Beli Potok (map is provided at the main entrance, but only in Cyrillic). To reach the peak you can either continue along the road (little traffic on weekdays) or take the walking path through the woods that cuts off to the left.

The path is poorly marked so keep an eye out for benches lining a worn out trail and marking its start. The road will lead you past the Memorial for the Soviet War Veterans while the path provides a quieter route through deciduous forest.

The road and path both end at the parking lot for Hotel Avala. Behind the hotel flow paths leading up to the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier. The steps of the memorial offer a beautiful, 360 degree view of the surrounding villages and countryside.

From the hotel parking lot follow the road to that leading down the other side of the mountain to reach the site of Avala Tower, bombed by NATO in 1999, and the mountaineering hostel Čarapićev Brest. If you follow the road to the bottom you’ll eventually find yourself in Beli Potok, a small quiet village.

Built top Avala’s peak, this monument honors soldiers who lost their lives in the Balkan Wars and World War I. King Aleksandar I of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (the name first given to what later became “the Kingdom of Yugoslavia” then just “Yugoslavia”) ordered the construction of the monument.

It was designed by Yugoslavia’s most famous sculptor Ivan Mestrović. Today the area surrounding the monument is rundown—broken, unused torches appear to have remained unlit for years but framed by scrawling graffiti—but the monument itself remains an impressive site with beautiful views of the surrounding area.

The smaller of the two monuments on Avala, the Monument to Soviet War Veterans recognizes the loss of Soviet Soldiers who died in a plane crash on October 19, 1964 during a celebration marking the twentieth anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade from the Nazi Germans. Belgrade was occupied for over three years during World War II until the Yugoslav Partisan Army and the Soviet Red Army pushed out Nazi forces in October 1944.

Though there is little to see at the site where the Avala TV Tower once stood, the site of this former symbol of Belgrade illustrates certain realities of Serbia’s recent past. The tower, a place frequented by local visitors and complete with a restaurant at its top, was bombed in April 1999 as a part of NATO’s eleven week bombing campaign launched in response to the Kosovo crisis. Today the space has been cleared, but the only indicator of future reconstruction on this abandoned field is a sign announcing May 24, 2005 as the start date for rebuilding.

Near by:

Beli Potok: (reached by bus 402)

This small, village suburb of Belgrade is small and quiet. Though there is not much to see, it offers a much different feel from Belgrade’s city life and can be used as an alternative entrance to Avala. From this side the entrance is poorly marked so you may need to ask someone to point you in the right direction.

Memorial Park (401, 402, 404)

The Memorial Park honoring those killed in World War II is situated just off the main road leading to the mountain (on your left as you approach, Avala). Though small, it is worth including in a trip to the mountain.

Getting there:

Take the 9, 10, or 14 away town to the last stop (Banjica). From there take the 401, 403, 404, 405, or 407, all of which pass the main entrance to Mt. Avala. The entrance is marked with only a small green sign (on the left photo?) so ask the driver or a fellow passenger to tell you where to get off. All together the trip should take about an hour.

Places to stay:

Hotel Avala is located just below the monument. Though open for overnight stays, the hotel with a large open patio is a better place for an afternoon coffee before returning to the city. + 381 (0)11 / 649 252; 649 280

The Čarapićev Brest mountaineering hostel offers a more rugged overnight option. For more information call +381 011 390-7678, 011-390-81-47. For information in Serbian see: http://www.backpackers.org.yu/pl_avala_s.htm.