Serbia

Today, on the right side of the ship it is Eastern European (Romania) time and the left side of the ship (Serbia) is Central time.

The morning was spent “lock watching”. The largest lock on the Danube is Iron Gate 1. Alongside the gate is one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in Europe. It was a joint effort between Romania and Yugoslavia. It was finished in 1972 by Tito and Ceausescu.

A whole town was sacrificed when the dam was put in place. The entire town is buried under water and it’s citizens were all relocated. The effect was the river rose 130 feet and it calmed the water going through the narrow portion of the Danube, which had been difficult to maneuver before the dam. The name “Iron Gate” came from the fact that the rapids and shallow waters made it difficult to pass this area of the Danube.

The cost for ships to go through all locks on the Danube is free. I think we figured out a way that they could make some improvements to their communist dorms.

On the Serbian side are the Balkans and the right side the Carpathian mountain ranges.

Tabula Traiana marker laid by the Roman emperor 2000 years ago.

Later in the day we took a tour of the smallest town in Serbia, Donji Milanovac. The close community of 2,000, was relocated here when the town was intentionally flooded due to the construction of the dam in 1964. The Serbian Orthodox church welcomed us and hosted a Serbian choir that was beautiful to hear. We then went to a local elementary school where students told us that they went there through 8th grade then are tested and placed at a high school. The high schools are in another city so they go and stay in a dorm for the week coming home on the weekend. Going to the university level is out of reach for the majority of kids in Serbia, because of cost.

After the city tour, we went on an excursion to the nearby Djerdap National Park. This park stretches over 157,000 acres along the south bank of the Danube. In July, 2020 this park was designated a UNESCO global geopark. The excursion included a 3/4 mile hike to a lookout perched 1300 feet above the Danube with breathtaking views.