bridge over the DTD canal near the village of Bac
We are heading south. There are hardly any motorways in Serbia, so we are back on the country roads, this time with better weather. As I suspected earlier, even in the sun the landscape is not very exciting, lots of flat, agricultural land. Around Subotica there are also a couple of wineries, but no trace of grapes, at least not where we are driving. It is a little too early to check out this enigma through a tasting.
I am wondering if Serbian drivers are just very disciplined and obedient, or are they scared of the police? Almost everybody sticks religiously to the maximum speed, of 80 km/hr, or 50 in the towns, and even 30, near schools. The police, I reckon: a little further we spot the first mobile speed camera, and police officers happily stopping oncoming drivers. (I understand that, on the few motorways this country has, you take your ticket at a toll booth, and when you pay at the other end, your average speed is also calculated; if you have been driving too fast, you’ll get fined on the spot!)
it is flat land, in this part of Serbia
farm building on the way to Sombor
Along the way we come across several calvaries, which in general are places where the suffering of Christ, and in particular the crucifixion, is being commemorated. They often feature outdoor shrines and crosses, but most significantly, here in Vojvodina they are enjoyed by both faiths, Christian and Orthodox, together. In other words, it is possible…
the three crosses, same village calvary
shrines and a beheaded sculpture on a village calvary
another calvary, better maintained, near Bac
a rural railway station near Sombor
the pedestrian centre of Sombor
the city hall of Sombor, just a little more classical than the one in Subotica
Sombor
We stop in Sombor, for an ice cream, a stroll through the attractive 19th Century town, and for the Milan Konjovic Gallery. Konjovic was an accomplished Serbian painter, well known, who lived almost entirely in the 20th C: he was born in Sombor, in the Austrian Empire in 1898, and died in Sombor, in Serbia, in 1993. His work is mostly expressionistic, colourful – clearly influenced by his time in Paris in the 1920s -, and quite attractive.
an almost derelicts water tower, probably still in use
the impressive Bac fortress
largely in ruins, but the tower restored
the other fortifications not
but some of the inside vaulting strong enough to hold out against the destruction attempts
Bac
Bac, one of the oldest towns in Vojvodina, is best known for its fortress, a 14th C construction that became one of the most important defences against the Ottomans in the 16th C. To no avail, because after the lost Battle of Mohacs in 1526, the Ottomans took over the fort. In 1704 it was mined and destroyed, and abandoned, and what is left now is probably not much different from 300 years ago, although since 2006 some restoration has been carried out, most visible in the 20 m high central tower. Which apparently can be visited, but was closed when we got there. As for the castle, hmm, once obviously quite impressive, but I have seen better castles.
Turkish hamam, or what remains, in the village of Bac
with the original pipes still in place
And the other attraction in Bac? The remains of a Turkish hamam, a bath house apparently built shortly after the Ottomans had won at Mohacs, which sealed their occupation over the area. Hmm, very few remains, although the pipes in the walls are still the original ones. You know, I have seen better hamams, too. But not in Vojvodina: this is the only Turkish building of its kind in Vojvodina. Right!
attractive picnic spots along the canal, if you are not fishing
We enjoy our picnic along the DTD canal, the Dunav-Tisa-Dunav canal. This is actually a system of canals, of some 930 km length, between the Donau and the Tisa Rivers, designed to manage water levels, especially alleviating floods, and for irrigation. Quite smart, and on a day as today, quite idyllic.
next: Novi Sad
the DTD, Dunav-Tisa-Dunav canal
