Discover Negotin: Culture, Wine and Nature

Negotin combines historic buildings, museums, musical tradition, wine and experiences in nature. Anyone planning a trip with cultural discoveries and excursions in the surrounding area will find various options for planning each day. A holiday apartment or holiday home in Negotin can serve as a base if you would like to combine the town’s history, regional collections and the landscape around Mokranje.

Churches, Houses and Traces of History

A striking example of the town’s architectural history is the Church of the Holy Trinity. Construction began on 8 May 1872 and was completed in 1874. The building was constructed in the neoclassical style with elements of the Neo-Renaissance. The interior paintings were created in 1901 by the academic painter Stevan Todorović and his wife Poleksija, as well as by Milisav Marković and Pavle Čortanović.

The Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God, known as the Old Church of Negotin, was built in 1803. It contains a memorial plaque for Hajduk Veljko dating from 1844. In the centre of Negotin, Hajduk Veljko’s powder magazine is also located in the churchyard of the new Church of the Holy Trinity. It is considered the only surviving remnant of the Baba Finka fortifications. The residence of Oberknez Todorče is one of the oldest houses in Negotin and complements this historic part of the town experience.

The history of the region is also worth exploring. During the defence of Negotin in the First Serbian Uprising, a church was used as a hospital for wounded soldiers. The Krajina Museum is located in its central building near the centre of Negotin. Its permanent exhibition traces the historical development of Negotinska Krajina from its earliest origins to the 20th century. The archaeological exhibition features artefacts ranging from the Palaeolithic to the late Middle Ages. The ethnological exhibition covers topics such as crafts, professions, weaving, carpets, domestic culture, customs and traditional costumes.

Museums, Music and Regional Culture

The Mokranjac House near the centre is a monument to bourgeois domestic culture from the first half of the 19th century. An ethnological exhibition there displays original objects, photographs and documents from the life and work of Stevan Mokranjac. The Hajduk Veljko Museum features historical, ethnological and art-historical collections. These also include ethnographic artefacts relating to traditional viticulture and wine production.

A special date in the cultural calendar is Mokranjčevi dani. It takes place every September in Negotin and has been held since 1966. The programme includes a choral singing competition. Art exhibitions, book presentations, literary evenings and excursions to tourist destinations in Negotinska Krajina complement the supporting programme. If you would like to experience this focus, you should take September into account when planning your trip.

Nature and Wine in the Surrounding Area

In the immediate surroundings of Negotin, near the village of Mokranje, the Mokranjske Rocks form a waterfall and a small lake. People from Negotin and the surrounding villages, as well as tourists, use the site for picnicking and swimming. This allows you to complement a day of cultural exploration with an activity in nature without removing the town’s history from your itinerary.

Wine is also part of the regional experience. The Rajačke pivnice are located 25 km south of Negotin and offer wine tastings, wine sales and demonstrations of traditional production methods. The Matalj Winery in Negotin is based on a family tradition of winemaking passed down through generations. It offers cellar tours and tastings of three wines. Depending on your personal interests, you can therefore choose between historical collections, wine offerings in Negotin and an excursion to the Rajačke pivnice.

Arrival and Other Places to Include in Your Plans

Two 290 km routes from Belgrade to Negotin are cited: one via the international E-75 road through Paraćin and Zaječar, and one via Smederevo, Požarevac and Majdanpek. The nearest airports are in Niš, 150 km away, and in Belgrade and Sofia, each 300 km away. This information helps you assess your journey and the appropriate trip length before choosing your accommodation.

For further orientation, you can also include Kladusnica, Golubinje, Zlot, Kostol, Majdanpek, Kladovo, Mala Vrbica and Rajac in your travel considerations. This makes it possible to decide whether to focus on Negotin’s museums and churches, wine traditions or excursions in the wider surrounding area.

For the broader travel overview: Bor District.