Learning in Donji Milanovac

March 25, 2026

Donji Milanovac, Serbia

This statue commemorates the 1996 discovery of prehistoric mammoth remains in this area.

Fun Facts About Donji Milanovac

• It is said to have around 90,000 roses—about six for each inhabitant.      

• One of the main attractions of Donji Milanovac is its proximity to the Djerdap National Park, known for its breathtaking landscapes and diverse flora and fauna.

• The city lies on remains of an 8000-year-old Mesolithic settlement. 

• The town tends to get really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter; so cold the river sometimes freezes. Nevertheless, a winter swim event is a town tradition.

For Karen and for me, traveling is all about learning. Learning about new places, different cultures, new birds and wildlife, local history and local food and drink. So we are really looking forward to learning about learning in this small town.

Donji Milanovac is known for being next to the Djerdap National Park, and near a Mesolithic archeological site which was discovered in 1960.

The town is a small town of 1,000 people in the winter and grows to about 2,000 in the summer. It is a charming town, currently undergoing some road improvements and reconstruction due to a large flood last year that knocked out the bridge and other structures.

Local homes and road construction.

The town is across the Danube river from Romania.

Romania

Local School - While this is a small town, they take the education of their children very seriously. We appreciated that we were able to learn about the educational structure by visiting the elementary school and talking to some of the students. And, as former educators, we were excited to actually experience their school system.

This is the school. It serves students from 6-7 years old, to those 13-14 years. It is sort of like a combined elementary and middle school.

Student art in the hallway.

This school has approximately 300 students, and teachers are paid according to the number of students in their class. The school does have computers, but not lots of modern technology. The students take language, math, history/geography, science, and art. Music is also available, as are karate classes, and Folklore Dance. Students learn to write in three different languages (English, Latin, and Cyrillic) starting in the 1st grade.

Our group met in the art room:

Students came to talk to us and answered questions. Overall they like school, but are bored living in such a small town, where they know everybody. Mostly they watch movies in English, play video games, or participate in sports such as football (soccer) and volleyball.

Private schools are available in Serbia, but there are none in this area, so students would have to live at the school in another location. Transportation is free for everyone (right now, they have an election soon and that may change). Some students ride 1 1/2 hours to attend this school in Donji Milanovac.

Our next stop is the town's main church. On the walk to the church we went by the town's two restaurants and a Western Union store. We have seen Western Union in a few other stops on this trip. Not sure if they exist in the US anymore???

Local Church

The local church is located close to the middle of town and is an Eastern Orthodox church. We were fortunate that Viking had arranged for their guests to hear a performance by the church's acapella choir. The singers were amazing!

Walking to the Church

Inside the church.

Church choir.

This is a view of the town taken from the ship's top deck:

Iron Gates

The Iron Gates are rock cliffs along the Danube river. The Iron Gate gorge is an incredible natural wonder which divides the Balkan and Carpathian mountains. We sat up on the top deck of the ship, all bundled up, to listen to the narration and see the highlights of the gorge. Viking provided blankets, and hot chocolate with rum, to keep us warm.

Sailing toward the gorge.

Keeping warm!!

Pictures from the trip to the gorge include: a perspective with the front of the ship included (on left); plastic bottles floating in the water, connected to fishing nets (on right). We originally thought the bottles were trash thrown in the river, but actually it is a beneficial way to reuse the old bottles.

Famous statue of Dacian King Decebalus, sculpted between 1994 and 2004, and it is the tallest rock relief in Europe.

A Grey Heron spotted along the river.

Also seen along the gorge: The Tabula Traiana, a tribute to mark the construction of a Roman military road. The building on the right is an ancient monastery.

One of the best things about cruising with Viking is the amazing staff and the wonderful events and celebrations they include onboard during the trip. From wonderful snacks that sometimes greet us as we return from an excursion, to the theme dinners, and the local performers they bring on board, it all contributes to the excellent environment on the ship.

Tonight was the Taste of Balkan. The staff wore Balkan style clothing and the menu was Balkan dishes. Staff from all departments participated, and tours of the galley were available. The food was good and the atmosphere was fun.

Here are some photos of staff and the Taste of Balkan:

Leadership Team

Our servers in the dining Room - Pamela and Mihai

Bar Chef Bogdan and his sidekick Cristian

Our Room Steward Maggie:

Jelena (Guest Services), Dima (Executive Chef), and Natalie (Cruise Director)

The Food!

Donji Milanovac Dogs:

Thank you to Viking for organizing such an enjoyable and educational day.

Tomorrow, it's on to Bulgaria! We can't believe it! We have learned so much about world history on this trip, due to the fabulous guides and the excursions! We encourage you all to visit to this part of Europe. You won't be disappointed!