Private Royal Heritage Tour to Oplenac With a Winery Visit

(0)
from/per person 0.00
  • Day trips out of Belgrade
  • Educational Tours
  • Private Tours
  • Hotel Pickup
  • Licensed Guide

Description

A deep insight into Serbian royal heritage, opportunity to admire a church-mausoleum with one of the finest mosaics in the world and sample wines with royal pedigree!

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Learn about Serbian Braveheart who brought Liberation to the people
  • Understand the creation of modern Serbia and Yugoslavia
  • Admire the beauty of stunning mosaics in St.George’s Church
  • See the final resting place of Serbian and Yugoslav Royalty
  • Sample Serbian Royal wines, now revived again

Dreams that came true: the legacy of Supreme Leader Karageorge and his grandson king Peter I

This is one of the most popular tours to the south of Belgrade and the ‘heart of Serbia’ – pleasant region of Sumadija,

For five centuries, Serbs dreamed of Liberty from the Ottomans. One brave man, Karageorge (‘George the Black’) led them to fulfill this dream in 1804. One century later his grandson became king of Serbia – a visionary who built one of the most impressive Royal Mausoleum – beautiful Church of Saint George.with its must-see mosaics.

This program is designed to be the insight into Serbian royal heritage and the Dynasty of Karageorgevich.

 

What’s included?

A Private, Full-day trip to Avala Mt. and the Royal Complex at Oplenac Hill

Service of a licensed, experienced, professional local guide

Chauffeur-driven comfortable transport (no driver-guides!)

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Exclusions

Traditional lunch with drinks (10-15 EUR per person approx.)

Gratuities to driver and guide (optional, at clients’ discretion)

Please note

Confirmation will be received at the time of booking

A maximum of 6 people per booking

The tour is not wheelchair accessible

Live commentary is provided in English language by default. Other languages can be arranged upon request.

What do I need to bring?

Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

A dress code is required to enter places of worship. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements

Pick-up from the hotel is organized 10 minutes before the tour start time

Itinerary

This program begins with a short drive to Mt. Avala for a visit to the Mausoleum of the Unknown Hero, well- known work of Ivan Meštrović, famous Yugoslav sculptor. It is built on the mountain top (511 m), and offers excellent views of the rolling hills of Šumadija. Photo stop by one of the landmarks of Belgrade - Avala TV tower, with 204 meters it is the tallest structure of all the Balkans.
Drive to Topola. Upon arrival visit to the Church of Our Lady from 1813, Karageorge's endowment, and to his Residence, which is today a museum of the First Serbian Uprising and it's leader who established the Royal House of Karadjordjević.
Short drive to the top of Oplenac hill (337m) where one very special and unique church is situated. Built after WWI by king Peter I Karadjordjević, Church of St. George was envisioned to be the Royal Family mausoleum for both his ancestors and descendants. Out of the 22 tombs of the Karadjordjević Dynasty, seven of them belong to rulers: Supreme Leader Karadjordje (Karageorge), Prince Alexander, King Peter I, King Aleksandar I, Queen Mother Maria, Queen Alexandra, and King Peter II.

 

Church design follows the best tradition of famous Serbian medieval architecture. Marble for its columns came from Carrara in Italy. But the absolute highlight is the must-see mosaics: 725 painted compositions (513 in the temple and 212 in the crypt), on which there are 1500 figures. The entire area of the mosaic is 3,500 square meters (!) (38,000 sq ft); with 40 million various colored pieces of glass which have 15 thousand of different varieties of color, making the artistic impression most vivid and detailed.

Optional:

  • Visit to the Royal Oplenac Winery, or fifteen minutes drive to the wine cellar of the Aleksandrovic family. They are keepers of the Royal wine-making tradition as some of their wines are made according to royal recipes. Wine tasting and demonstration.
  • After the visit, a lunch can be arranged in the nearby town of Arandjelovac in a restaurant with interior decoration fully devoted to the Royal House of Karageorgevich. Lunch cost is approx. 10-15 Euro per person