Bus from RAŠKA to SOKOBANJA

Raška is a town and municipality located in the Raška District of the western Serbia. The municipality has a population of 24,680 people, while the town has a population of 6,574 people. It covers an area of 670 km². The town is situated on the rivers Raška and Ibar.

Citiy of Raška was named  by  Serb medieval state that comprised parts of what is today Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and southern Dalmatia, being centred in the region of Raška (hence its exonym). The state was formed in ca. 1091 out of a vassal principality of Duklja, a Serb state which had itself emerged from the early medieval Serbian Principality that was centred in Raška until 960, when it was left in obscurity in sources after the Byzantine–Bulgarian wars. Its founder, Vukan, took the title of Grand Prince when his uncle and overlord Bodin ended up in Byzantine prison after decades of revolt. While Duklja was struck with civil wars, Raška continued the fight against the Byzantines. It was ruled by the Vukanović dynasty, who managed to put most of the former Serbian state under their rule, as well as expanding to the south and east. Through diplomatic ties with Hungary it managed to retain its independence past the mid-12th century. After a dynastic civil war in 1166, Stefan Nemanja emerged victorious. Nemanja's son Stefan was crowned king in 1217, while his younger son Rastko (monk Sava) was ordinated the first Archbishop of Serbs in 1219.

The town and municipality bears the name of the historical Raška region. From 1929 to 1941, Raška was part of the Zeta Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

Raska as a settlement was first mentioned in 1835, and the town of Raska was proclaimed at the session of the State Council of the Principality of Serbia on September 6, 1845, at the proposal of politicians and statesman Ilija Garašanin. Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević, by his decision of 17 September 1845, proclaimed the establishment of Raska.

The first urban plan of Raska dates from 1844, which was done by Nikola Alković, which is considered one of the oldest urban plans.

The wars between 1912 and 1918 did not miss Raska. Development in the post-war period was slow. In one period, during the First World War, from October 31 to November 15, 1915, Raska was in some way the capital of Serbia because it was hosted by the King and the then Serbian government. Raska was acquitted on November 27, 1944.

 Today's Raska municipality, as a distinct functional-spatial unit, was formed in 1960

Sokobanja is located in southeastern Serbia, at an altitude of 400 meters in the basin between the Rtanja Mountains (1560m) and Ozren (1174m).

Sokobanja (9000 inhabitants) is the economic, health, cultural and tourist center of the municipality that covers an area of ​​525 km2, in which 25 inhabited places live about 20,000 inhabitants.

The basic branch of the economy is tourism with agriculture and mining. Thanks to the good traffic connections in Sokobanja, it arrives asphalt, quickly and easily from every direction.

Since ancient times known as a tourist destination, Sokobanja has the basic elements for the formation of a diverse tourist offer: thermomineral waters, ideal altitude of 400m, favorable climate, unspoiled nature that surrounds, rich cultural heritage ....

Sokobanja to its visitors throughout the year and a variety of cultural and entertainment contents and events. The days spent in Sokobanja remain permanently in an unforgettable memory, so the tourists visit, revealing always new interesting details in it. Today Sokobanja is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Serbia.

Treatment in Sokobanja is carried out, based on the indicated indications, by bathing in warm, slightly radioactive water and inhalation, according to the instructions and under the supervision of a physician. Sokobanja air is itself a cure for asthma sufferers.

Thermal sources Sokobanja are among the most active in this part of Europe. In total, there are six major, whose water temperature ranges from 28-45 degrees Celsius. Since the outbreak of radioactive gases in the entire territory of Banja is large, each visitor is exposed to mild inhalation, which very usefully affects the respiratory organs and the whole organism.

The area of ​​Sokobanja is rich in valuable cultural and historical monuments, churches and monasteries: the medieval town of Sokograd, the remains of Vrmdanski grad, the Turkish Amam (XV century), the restaurant "Milošev konak", the building of the administration of the Principality of Serbia (XIX century) Church of the Mother of God in the center of Sokobanja, the Church of the Birth of the Virgin on Lepterija, the monastery Jermenčić (XIV century) at Ozren, the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Jošanica (XI century), the church of the Fire of Mary in Gradašnica, the church of St. Eli in Istoces (XIX century ), the memorial fountains of Prince Miloš Obrenović, Hajduk Veljko Petrović and Ljube Didić.

Hunting grounds in the Sokobanja area are the right place for the most interesting adventure! In accordance with the prescribed law and according to the hunting calendar for game in the protection regime, that is, the pricelist brought by the Board of the Hunting Association of Serbia, you can try hunting in these terrains: rabbit, field partridge, wild boar, forest snail, pheasant, wild duck , fox, pigeon mug, quail, thistle, gututku, then roe deer and deer. No less attractive is hunting game outside the protection regime: wolf, wild cat, cancer and foxes.