Last year I went on an excursion in Serbia. It lasted two days and we visited many interesting places. Today I am writing this post about it because I want you all to know what it was like to eat the finest food and drink the finest wine while sleeping in the most beautiful place and visiting all those beautiful destinations. I hope that after reading this text you will feel the urge to visit Serbia so you could experience the same amazing experiences I did!
The trip started with a gathering at the bus station because we traveled by bus. It was early in the morning, at that time I still didn’t have my first cup of coffee but I remember that it was chilly outside. Once we boarded the bus, the atmosphere was amazing. Our trip companions were really friendly and amazing. My family, who traveled with me had the same thoughts. We made some friends along the way and the time flew by really fast, we were sitting in the vehicle cca. two and a half hours, to be fair we had to stop a couple of times so the smokers could have the morning cigarette. We arrived at the grange (Flower Grange – CvetniSalaš) near Palić around 10 o’clock and the people were really nice and helpful. They showed us all to our rooms, which were really clean and big, they looked really comfortable. Each room had nice and comfortable beds, a wardrobe, nightstands and night lamps and a private bathroom. The decoration was simple but really nice.
(Flower Grange – CvetniSalaš) || Photo credit: Salaši.info
Once we settled in, we went to have lunch (for your information, it was all inclusive so we didn’t have to pay for the drinks or the food). I must admit that the food was extremely good, it was really tasty and there was a lot of it. The cook at the grange did a great job and I must highlight the fact that the waiters were really pleasant and professional.
Once we finished eating, we boarded the bus and we set off to the famous singer’s, Zvonko Bogdan’s Winery. It’s only a 15 min drive from the grange to the winery, so it’s really close and you can get there by foot too (it will take double the time but it’s really worth it because Palić is a nice place and you will see more if you go by foot). The winery itself is an amazing place. It looks like a huge mansion and it has a big yard and at that time it was surrounded by great fields that had all sorts of grapes. The whole scene was simply breathtaking. Our group was greeted by a friendly hostess. She showed us around the mansion and then we entered the basement where the magic happens. They showed us all the technical equipment they use for winemaking and they explained to us how is wine actually made. We also had the opportunity to taste their wine and I would recommend Mr. Bogdan’s wine for any and every occasion. No matter if you like red, white or rose, every type is simply amazing. Friendly tip: if you’re sensitive to alcohol, make sure you have some snacks in your bag. It will help you a great deal once you start feeling a bit dizzy. After the hostess showed us around, we went back up and we had some time to check out the amazing rooms of the mansion and also to visit the gift shop.
(ZvonkoBogdan Winery) || Photo credit: Park Palić
Our next destination after the winery was the Palić Nature Park. It’s a huge park next to the Palić Lake. It’s a truly beautiful place which will remain in your memories as one of the most amazing natural beauties you’ve ever seen in your whole life. This location is full of restaurants and coffee shops you can check out. They all offer really tasty local dishes and it would be a shame not to try the local food!
(Palić Nature Park) || Photo credit: Nick Savchenko via Foter.com / CC BY-SA
We also visited Vila Lujza, a really famous building in Palić which has a great history but the most important thing about it is its special and really pretty design. From Palić Nature Park we walked over to the Palić Zoo, it took us about 10 minutes to get there by foot but the walk was really nice and pleasant. This zoo is really big, so it will take you an hour or two to see everything. They have many beautiful animals from all around the world. They also have a café and a restaurant. The zoo is really clean and well preserved and the workers there seemed nice and helpful. I would definitely recommend this combination of the park and the zoo for families with kids because the young and the older will enjoy this equally. Also, the Zoo has some wickedly good ice cream so you should definitely check that out too!
(Palić Zoo) || Photo credit: d.cabrilo via Foter.com / CC BY
After this long day of visiting all those amazing places, we finally returned to the grange to have dinner. Our hosts didn’t fail us, they cooked us some really tasty homemade meals and we could also enjoy live music while sitting there, eating and talking to our friends. The whole experience was a pleasant one.
The next day after breakfast (it was an open buffet so we had many different choices) we once again boarded the bus and set off to Subotica. It took us cca. half an hour to get there from Palić and we had two hours to discover the city. Subotica is one of those places which have much to offer so two hours wasn’t really enough to see everything, but we still managed to see most of it. This city has an amazing building and really nice monuments and landmarks. If you’re visiting Serbia, you should definitely check it out.
(One of the amazing buildings in Subotica) || Photo credit: DávidSterbik Photography via Foter.com / CC BY
We also visited the city’s flea market. It sounds weird, I know, but it is simply part of the experience and the items they offer there are of high quality. We spent a couple of hours there too, enjoying the pleasant company of the locals. I must mention that there won’t be any unpleasant experiences anywhere, everyone’s really friendly and helpful! Once we were sure that we saw everything checked out everything we could on the market, we returned to the bus and headed home.
All in all, this whole experience was absolutely amazing. This two-day excursion offers a lot of fun and interesting things to do and you can be sure that you’ll learn a lot and you’ll also have fond memories of these places. I was more than satisfied with the grange and the employees there, I’ve never seen such kind and helpful people in my whole life and the food experience was worth it too! If you want to check out not only Palić but Subotica too, make sure to take an extra day so you’d have enough time to check out everything. Also, don’t be shy to check out the flea market, you’ll have a chance to buy authentic local souvenirs without spending a lot of money. I would recommend this excursion to anyone who likes food, wine or having a good time in general!
Updated: September 16, 2017
