Bus from DONJI MILANOVAC to TARA

Donji Milanovac is a town in eastern Serbia, situated in the Majdanpek municipality, in the Bor District, located on the right bank of Lake Đerdap on the Danube. The management office of Đerdap national park is located in the town.

Donji Milanovac lies on remains of an 8000-year-old Mesolithic settlement of the Lepenski Vir, and of the Roman town of Taliata. Since the founding of the first settlement, Donji Milanovac was moved three times. It was originally established as a settlement called Banja which was moved some 10 km upstream, on the island of Poreč during the 17th century.

In 1830, due to frequent flooding, Prince Miloš ordered the town be moved to the nearest, right bank, so it was resettled 2 km downstream, at the mouth of river Oreškovica into the Danube. It became the first town in Serbia built by architectural planning. After construction of the "Đerdap I" hydroelectric power station in 1970, the town was moved again to its present location, another 6 km downstream, and the old site was completely flooded by the Lake Đerdap in 1971.

Lepenski Vir is an important Mesolithic archaeological site located 15 kilometers from Donji Milanovac. The latest radiocarbon and AMS data suggests that the chronology of Lepenski Vir is compressed between 9500/7200-6000 BC. There is some disagreement about the early start of the settlement and culture of Lepenskir Vir. But the latest data suggest 9500-7200 to be the start.

The Church of St. Nicholas is located in the centre of Donji Milanovac. It was built in 1840 thanks to captain Miša Anastasijević. Captain Miša's konak and Tenka's house have been proclaimed cultural heritage of Serbia. There is a monument to the 1912-1918 wars (Balkan Wars, First World War), and a mammoth sculpture. Another noted monument is the Roman Tabula Traiana.

In 1972 a hotel "Lepenski Vir" was built and the town beach was arranged. The area became a popular camping location as, due to the climate, there are no mosquitos. Donji Milanovac and the gorge are situated on the European bicycle corridor and the Đerdap highway, the shortest connection between Belgrade and Bucharest, Romania, and further with the Black Sea. The town also has a pier, which is today mostly used by the foreign river cruisers.

The Tara National Park covers the largest part of the Tara Mountain massif, which belongs to the part of the Old Mountains. The mass of the Tara consists of the following parts of the whole: Kaluđerske bare, Tara, Aluške planine, Crni Vrh and Zvijezda. Its surface is 183 km² and length is 50 km and width is 22 km. The average altitude is 1,200 m, and the highest peak Kozji rid reaches 1.591 m.

The main tourist attraction of the Tara is Kaluđerska Bara in the north, near Bajina Bašta and Mitrovac in the south. Hotels Beli Bor and Omorika, as well as other smaller ones, are located at Kaluđerski Barama, while Mitrovac is located the same name as a recreational hotel for children.

The National Park can be reached by direct route Bajina Bašta - Kaluđerska Bara, via Perućac - Mitrovac and via Kremna - Kaluđerska Bara. The Drina gorge, which is part of the park, can be reached by boat. Local craft workshops make various handicrafts from wool, dairy products, kneeling, plum and especially pine honey.