The Iron Gates: Golubac, Lepenski Vir and the Danube gorge

Why go

The gorge stretches for around one hundred kilometres along the Romanian border, and the road along it is one of the most scenic drives in the Balkans. The history is extraordinary, from Mesolithic fishermen to Roman engineers to medieval castles, and it is still far from crowded.

Top things to do

• **Golubac Fortress**: a restored fourteenth century fortress with nine towers climbing a cliff at the entrance to the gorge. Inside there are exhibitions and steep walkways with views down the river.
• **Lepenski Vir**: a Mesolithic and Neolithic settlement around nine thousand years old, with trapezoid house floors and fish faced stone sculptures, shown under a glass roof by the river.
• **Veliki Štrbac and Kazan**: the gorge narrows dramatically at the Kazan, the Cauldron. Hike or drive up to Veliki Štrbac viewpoint for the best panorama, or take a boat trip from Donji Milanovac to see the rock carving of the Dacian king Decebalus on the Romanian bank and Trajan's Tablet, a Roman inscription on the Serbian side.
• **Djerdap National Park**: forests, viewpoints and walking trails above the river, with a visitor centre in Donji Milanovac.
• **Smederevo Fortress**: on the way from Belgrade, one of the largest lowland fortresses in Europe, built by Despot Đurađ Branković in the fifteenth century.
• **Viminacium**: a Roman legionary camp and city near Kostolac, with an amphitheatre, baths and finds, a short detour off the route.

Getting there and around

This is a road trip region. Public buses run to Golubac and Donji Milanovac but are slow and infrequent, so most visitors drive or join a day tour from Belgrade. A long day can cover Smederevo, Viminacium, Golubac and Lepenski Vir, but staying a night lets you enjoy the river at sunset and take a boat trip. Some people continue south to the Roman palace of Felix Romuliana near Zaječar and on to Niš.

Where to stay

Golubac and Donji Milanovac have small hotels, guesthouses and riverside apartments. Book ahead for summer weekends. Kladovo, further downstream near the Iron Gates dam, is another base.

Food

Riverside restaurants serve fish soup, carp, catfish and grilled river fish, with local wines from the Negotin area to the south, where you can also see the old stone wine cellars called pivnice.

Tips

Bring cash for small restaurants and boat trips. The road through the gorge is narrow and passes through unlit tunnels, so drive carefully. Check opening hours for Golubac and Lepenski Vir before setting out, especially outside summer.

A sample two days

Day one: leave Belgrade early, stop at Smederevo Fortress, then Viminacium, and reach Golubac Fortress for the afternoon. Sleep in Golubac. Day two: drive the gorge road, visit Lepenski Vir in the morning, take a boat trip from Donji Milanovac to the Kazan, then hike or drive to Veliki Štrbac for the view. Return to Belgrade in the evening or continue south.

Good to know

Summer weekends bring Serbian families to the river, so book rooms ahead. Bring a hat and water, as the fortress climbs are steep and exposed. The Romanian bank across the water is in another country, and crossing requires the official border at the Iron Gates dam.

Plan it

Find viewpoints, boat trips and riverside stays in our places to visit list and plan the route with the free trip planner.