Bus from THESSALONIKI to DONJI MILANOVAC

Thessaloniki is called the second capital by the Greeks, since it is not only the second largest city of Greece after Athens, but also the capital of Northern Greece and Macedonia. It is beautifully situated by the sea, and there are also many interesting places in the city and its surrounding areas that you can visit. Thessaloniki is home also of some of the most famous sport unions and football clubs like PAOK, Aris and Heracles. The university of Thessaloniki is the second largest of Greece therefore the city is has a large number of students from all over Greece. Every year during the International Thessaloniki Expo is held the festival of Greek music and the film festival of Thessaloniki. The city has many industries that most of them located at the area of Sindos. 

Thessaloniki is a great place to spend some time in all year around, and even though it is a very big city, it is not as polluted as Athens. The fresh sea breeze is almost always there, and taking a walk in its harbour you get a nice view of the town and the sea.

Thessaloniki was the sister of Alexander the Great. She was married to a man named Kassandros, and it was also he who founded the city in 315BC. Before that, there was a much older settlement here called Therme.

Although largely rebuilt in modern style, Thessaloníki still retains its famous white Byzantine walls, the 15th-century White Tower, and a Venetian citadel. The city is famous for its many fine churches, notably those of St. Sophia (modeled after its namesake in İstanbul and including fine mosaics), of St. George, and of St. Demetrius. The ruins of the triumphal arch of Emperor Constantine are there, in addition to Aristotle Univ. 


 

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.