Bajina Bašta: The places you need to visit in Western Serbia

For the less adventurous there is always the option to go tanning and swimming on the pontan beach or to hunt to see the best panoramic views.

In this article, I’ve gathered my ultimate favourite things to do in and around Bajina Basta.

Banjska Stena and other panorama viewpoints

Bajina Basta and its surroundings have multiple extraordinary panorama points – my favourite one is Banjska Stena. It’s by far the most famous one but the rest are quite dreamy as well.

Take a look at the full list of viewpoints and their coordinates below.

The famous Drina House on the River Drina

One of the main attractions happens to be this small house built on top of a rock – the Drina House.

This spot has made its way into people’s hearts and even National Geographic’s and rightfully so, it has earned its attention. There is a restaurant right above this attraction, overlooking the river. If it is a nice day you should give it a go and sit outside and admire the view.

Every summer, the Drina river holds a music festival Drinska Regata halfway through July. However, this is not your usual festival since people are floating on the river with rubber boats and frankly, on anything that floats. Ever since I heard that this was a thing I wanted to visit it but unfortunately, so far I wasn’t able to, but it’s bucketlisted.

The Google Map coordinates for the destination are HERE.

Tara National Park

Tara National Park is only a 20-minute car ride away from Bajina Bašta and that is the perfect place if you are in need of some relaxation.

Established in 1981, it’s one of five national parks in Serbia. It consists of a mountain peaks and deep picturesque gorges between them. Protected animal species, breathtaking nature, creeks, rivers, lakes and rejuvenating fresh air makes it a perfect gateway from city life.

Read more about National Park Tara below.

Vrelo – The shortest river in the world

Vrelo is said to be one of the shortest rivers in the whole world. There you can find the most beautiful waterfalls and drink water straight from the spring that’s coming from within the mountain.

There is a cute restaurant on top of the biggest waterfall and next to the historic Roman outpost. Often times there is a band playing traditional Serbian music that fits the atmosphere. You should try the trout there because the biggest trout tanks in the whole of Europe are located in the area and thus, it’s very fresh.

All this is only a 20-minute car ride away from the center of Bajina Basta. On your way there you can see the most beautiful raspberry and corn fields, everything is so green.

The Google Map coordinates are HERE.

Monsatery Raca and the Spring Ladjevac

The Monastery Raca is a Serbian Orthodox church just outside the city center of Bajina Basta. It makes a great day trip when combined with a walk to the spring Ladjevac. The latter is a beautiful destination in the middle of nature.

The road leads to several small waterfalls and a spring. This place is particularly beautiful during the fall when you are surrounded by leaves that are in all colours of a rainbow.

UNESCO heritage protected Perucac Lake

This must be my favourite place in the whole area – the area of Perucac. This is my go-to place for a day trip, I even took my parents there during their first time in Serbia and they loved it!

Despite this, it has quite a lot to offer if you enjoy swimming or fishing in the untouched nature.

This lake can be quite packed during the summer months as many are often coming to spend their holidays here or just to have a grill, including my family. We have spent some weekends on our river house which is overlooking the two mountains, left one is on the Serbian side and right one is on the Bosnian side. The sun is setting just in the middle.

If you are interested to spend some time without a Wi-Fi connection, this place might just be your thing. If you are trying to find a good accommodation, take a look at our river house for availabilities, here.

The Google map coordinates for lake Perucac are HERE.

Lake Zaovine

The surroundings of Lake Zaovine are full of green hills, flowers, interesting architecture and beautiful landscapes as well as tiny mountain villages. The Lake is manmade, built after a dam was created nearby. There are multiple species of plants and fish present. Enjoy some free time in nature and opportunities for swimming.

The Google Map coordinates for the destination are HERE.

Ethno Village Drvengard in Mokra Gora

This village has its own unique look! I’ve never seen this type of architecture before. It has been contributed by the Serbian movie director Emil Kusturica also known internationally and from the Cannes Movie Festival.

Google Map coordinates for the destination are HERE.

Šargan Eight Train Ride

Sargan Eight connected Belgrade to Sarajevo from 1925 until 1974. Nowadays it serves as a railway museum making it an interesting part of history open to visitors. The route the train takes is a shape of an eight which makes it hard for passengers to know what it has passed and what is yet to come. The ride is approximately 3 hours long and surrounded by magnificent scenery.

Google Map coordinates for the destination are HERE.

What should you know about Bajina Basta before visiting?

This 9000 or so people town lies next to the river Drina which means that on the other side you are able to see the mountains of Bosnia & Herzegovina, it is so close to the border you could swim there (although a bit over 1km, so you need to be a good swimmer).

The colour of the river is a perfect shade of aqua, so green and dreamy! In addition, there is the most magnificent backdrop of mountains anywhere you happen to lay your eyes on.

It’s all almost overwhelming and unreal, just how my parents described it as from the Jim Carrey movie ‘The Truman Show’, do you know what I’m talking about?

Weather is impacted by the mountains and the river

The climate or the weather in Bajina Basta can be unpredictable, the close river and mountains have their effect on that. Thus, it has clearly defined 4 seasons. It’s really weird to me how you can experience summer and winter pretty much in one day, it all changes so quickly.

Winters can be quite cold and there is plenty of snow which makes it perfect for winter sports. If you have visited Belgrade you know that summers can exceed really high temperatures and that’s when I like to come to Bajina Basta to ‘cool down’ as the weather reminds me of the Scandinavian summers, except in July when it’s also quite hot and swimming in the river becomes a must.

My favourite time of the year is definitely summer but winters in Western Serbia are really dreamy also, there is so much snow, even more than in Finland. We have spent last Christmas there with my boyfriend’s family and this summer I was there with my parents.

Are you planning a trip to Western Serbia?

Please feel free to contact me for any questions or recommendations, I’d love to chat with my fellow travellers!