Discover Trstenik: Trails, Culture and Morava Experiences

Trstenik combines active days, culture and special experiences around the Morava. Anyone planning a trip with varied interests will find long hiking and cycling routes, historic sites in the centre, summer water activities and regional wine traditions here. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, it is therefore worth deciding on your preferred travel rhythm in advance: should the focus be on tours, the town’s history, summer activities or excursions in the surrounding area?

Hiking and cycling tours with different focuses

The Trail of Princess Milica begins in Trstenik and connects several monuments and historic sites in the surrounding area. The route is 15 km long; on foot, the tour takes about five hours, and by bicycle about two hours. The trail is suitable for walking, mountaineering, cycling, walking dogs and fishing. Collecting herbs, mushrooms and forest fruits, as well as cultural and history-related activities, are also associated with this trail. This allows the route to be planned according to personal interests, either as an active or discovery-oriented experience.

A longer alternative is the Old Crafts Trail. The hiking and cycling trail is 25 km long; on foot, it takes about eight hours, and by bicycle about four hours. It leads through the valleys of the Popina and Bršljanica rivers and conveys stories about watermills, the art of sandstone working, authentic lime kilns and handmade shawls.

Water, summer activities and Morava traditions

Trstenik’s sports centre is located near the Morava and includes a sports hall, sports grounds and an outdoor swimming pool complex. It has an Olympic-size swimming pool, three children’s pools and several water slides. In summer, the sports centre also organises a swimming school, water games, concerts and events for children. This combination complements longer tours with a stay focused on water and leisure activities.

The event “Trstenik on the Morava” traditionally includes a Morava swimming marathon and fishing competitions. The activities described also include jumping from the bridge into the water and cooking fish soup on the beach. This tradition gives the town a distinctive connection to the river, sport and regional community.

Historic centre and cultural discoveries

In the centre stands a four-metre-high monument to Princess Milica, featuring a bronze statue on a pedestal. The Church of the Holy Trinity is also located in the centre. It was not built in the Morava style and served as a model for builders at the beginning of the 20th century. The House of Petar Katić is a merchant’s house in the historic centre. The old town centre has been partially preserved and dates largely from the period after the First World War.

Trstenik’s bridges also tell a story: the first iron bridge over the Zapadna Morava was built in 1899. After the former bridge was destroyed, a new iron bridge was built in 2000. A monument to the soldiers who fell in the Second World War stands in a park near the Old Bridge on the right bank of the Zapadna Morava. Trstenik Theatre has been on stage for almost a century and complements the historic sights with a lively cultural institution.

Excursions in the surrounding area and regional character

In the vicinity of Trstenik, Jefimijini Dani takes place at Ljubostinja Monastery. The programme includes poetry, a women’s art colony and a music programme. Also in the surrounding area, the tourist sports airfield and the “Trstenik” Aeroclub organise sightseeing flights over the town and its surroundings. The tourist sports airfield also offers parachuting, powered flight, gliding and model aircraft flying among its listed aviation activities.

In the wider region, Trstenik holds an important place on Serbia’s wine route because of its centuries-old winemaking history, its extensive vineyards and fruit-growing areas, and its local wineries. This regional character also makes it interesting for travellers who want to combine culture, landscape and culinary discoveries.

Getting there and choosing where to stay

Trstenik is located next to the Morava Corridor motorway. From Belgrade, the town can be reached via the Belgrade–Niš motorway (E-75), followed by the Morava Corridor motorway (A5) to the Trstenik exit. When searching for a holiday apartment in Trstenik, you can therefore first decide whether you primarily want to use your stay for the trails, the sights in the centre, the summer activities or excursions in the surrounding area.

Discover more destinations

For further travel planning, you can also view Brzeće, Jablanica, Aleksandrovac, Brus, Ribarska Banja and Kruševac.

Back to the main travel overview: Rasina District.