Loznica | Top 10 in Cities of Serbia

Drina River

It is located about 4 and a half kilometers from the city center and is one of the most significant natural attractions in this part of Serbia. The largest tributary of the Sava River, next to Loznica, flows as a large and relatively slow, almost flat river, although only about three hundred kilometers upstream, in the Šćepan field, it originates from the merging of two distinctly mountainous rivers, Piva and Tara, and itself has the characteristics of a mountainous flow. As such, the Drina is one of the most popular destinations for rafting enthusiasts and recreational boating, but also the host of the famous Drina Regatta, whose final starting point and finish are located precisely in the part of the river that flows next to Loznica. Once marking the border between the Byzantine and Western Roman Empires, today the Drina mostly represents the state border between the Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Clear and transparent, it represents a kind of paradise for fishermen, hikers, swimmers, and nature lovers.

Mount Gučevo

What Avala is to Belgrade and Fruška Gora is to Novi Sad, Gučevo is to Loznica. Although classified as a low mountain due to its 779 meters above sea level, Gučevo is a mountain of great historical and, in recent times, tourist importance for the people of Loznica. In addition to the Memorial Ossuary where the remains of Serbian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers who died during the Battle of the Drina at the beginning of the First World War are buried, there is a viewpoint at the top of the mountain that offers a beautiful view of the city, the meanders of the Drina River, Banja Koviljača, and the Bosnian Podrinje. Well-maintained hiking trails in dense beech forests, which exude absolute peace, make this mountain extremely attractive for mountaineers, hikers, cyclists, explorers, adventurers, hunters, recreationalists, and nature lovers in general.

Koviljača Spa

One of the most famous and visited spa resorts in Serbia is located just 5 kilometers from the center of Loznica. In addition to the spa itself, where various ailments (rheumatism, post-traumatic conditions, gynecological disorders, or skin diseases) are successfully treated with thermal mineral water and healing mud, the spa complex also includes a magnificent park, the second largest in Serbia, adorned with grand buildings such as the Kur-salon (spa hall, a symbol of Banja Koviljaca), the sulfur bathhouse "Kralja Petra," and the spa villas Koviljaca, Hercegovina, Dalmacija, Bosna, and Beograd. In the center of the park, there is a grandiose fountain, and the entire area is adorned with beautiful flowers that make Banja Koviljaca a kind of urban oasis throughout the year. In the immediate vicinity of Banja Koviljaca, on the banks of the Drina River, there is a famous beach known as "Žićina plaza," one of the most beautiful along the entire course of the Drina.

Tršić

About 6 kilometers from the center of Loznica is the village of Tršić, the birthplace of Vuk Karadžić, one of the most important figures in Serbian literature, a reformer and the author of the first Serbian dictionary, as well as a collector of folk songs, proverbs, and sayings. Due to the exceptional and, one could say, revolutionary importance of Vuk's work in the development of modern Serbian language and literature as the basis for further education, Etno park Tršić is an essential stop for all school excursions and one of the most popular tourist destinations in this part of Serbia. In the authentic open-air museum complex, which exudes the spirit of old times, there is the Memorial House of Vuk Karadžić, as well as the Language and Writing Museum, Gallery, the so-called Writer's House, numerous art and craft workshops, the Guest House, and the wooden church of St. Archangel Gabriel. A visit to the museum complex can be complemented by a leisurely walk through the picturesque Tršić countryside along the paths next to the Žeravija River, which leads to its source in about half an hour. After that, refreshment in traditional restaurants and inns will complete the experience and leave a lasting memory of Tršić, perhaps forever.

Tekeriš

Small village at the foot of Mount Cer, on the outskirts of the municipality of Loznica, is known for being home to a cultural monument of exceptional importance to the Serbian people. It is the famous Cer Heroes Memorial Ossuary in Tekeriš, a magnificent monument and memorial complex erected at the site where the mortal remains of the glorious Serbian soldiers who died in the Battle of Cer – one of the greatest battles of the First World War, which took place from August 16th to 20th, 1914 – are laid to rest. At the top of the monolithic monument, over 10 meters high, there is a bronze eagle with a laurel wreath, a symbol of freedom, as well as a large coat of arms of Serbia with the inscription "Your deeds are immortal." In the immediate vicinity of the monument, within the memorial museum of the Battle of Cer, there are also busts of famous Serbian commanders from the Balkan Wars and the First World War.

Monasteries

There are two medieval monasteries in the municipality of Loznica.

Tronoša is a monastery in the vicinity of the village of Korenita, about 17 kilometers away from Loznica, on the way to Krupanj. It dates back to the late 13th century and is considered the endowment of King Dragutin and his wife, Hungarian Princess Katalina. Throughout its long history, the monastery has survived numerous demolitions, burnings, and lootings, but it has been restored several times and stands steadfastly to this day. The monastery church is dedicated to the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God, and nearby is the chapel of St. Panteleimon, with the Jugovića Fountain.

The Čokešina Monastery is located in the village of the same name, about 30 kilometers from Loznica, or about 7 kilometers from Mačvanski Prnjavor. It is considered the endowment of Miloš Obilić, although it was built in the first half of the 15th century. Like Tronoša, it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, and at different periods in history, it housed a school, a hospital, and a shelter for poor children. The monastery church is dedicated to the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God.

Vuk's Assembly

One of the largest and oldest cultural events in Serbia, which has been held continuously in Tršić every September since 1933 (with the exception of war years during World War II), is dedicated to preserving the memory of the life and work of Vuk Karadžić. This great popular festival originated 85 years ago as a purely local event in the Loznica region but grew into one of the most important cultural events in the country within a few years. It has survived and grown despite numerous social and constitutional changes throughout the 20th century. During the 7-day event, a diverse cultural program dedicated to the preservation of the Serbian language and script takes place in Belgrade, Loznica, Tronoša Monastery, but the central events are reserved for Vuk's Tršić, where numerous open-air theatre performances, speeches, and concerts are held in mid-September.

Sunny River (Sunčana Reka) Ethno Village

A unique haven for relaxation and recreation in nature, Sunčana Reka Ethno Village is located on the right bank of the Drina River, about 11 kilometers from the center of Loznica and approximately 4 kilometers from Banja Koviljača, on the way to Mali Zvornik. In the unique ambiance of the ethno complex, visitors can enjoy the perfect synchronization of tourism and recreational activities – from swimming and sunbathing on the so-called "Šotra Beach," to using numerous sports fields and outdoor exercise areas, a fun park for children with a farm of domestic animals, horses for riding, and an artificial rock for climbing, to organizing excursions, team buildings, weddings, and celebrations. And all of this can be experienced while staying in authentic traditional, yet modernly equipped, cottages.

Monument to Momčilo Gavrić – the Youngest Soldier of World War I

In Park Breza, not far from Kadinjača Elementary School, a monument to Momčilo Gavrić, the youngest soldier and non-commissioned officer of World War I, originally from the village of Trbušnica near Loznica, was erected at the end of last year. Momčilo Gavrić was an eight-year-old boy when, at the beginning of the Great War, he lost his father, mother, three sisters, four brothers, and grandmother, who were brutally killed by Austro-Hungarian soldiers, and their house was set on fire. Little Momčilo survived by chance as he was not on the property at the time of the massacre. Left with no one, the boy wandered through Gučevo in search of the Serbian army. Having found it, he testified about the terrible tragedy that befell his closest family. The army wholeheartedly accepted and took care of him, and Major Stevan Tucović appointed him as a corporal, while Duke Živojin Mišić promoted him to sergeant two years later. Momčilo Gavrić participated in the breakthrough of the Salonika Front, which earned him the Albanian Memorial Medal and the Order of Merit for the People. Like most "Salonika soldiers," Momčilo Gavrić was unjustly treated after the establishment of the new government and ideology after World War II. However, he lived to a ripe old age and died in Belgrade in 1993. He was buried at the New Cemetery.

Prominent Figures from Loznica

Vuk Stefanović Karadžić (1787-1864), the reformer of the Cyrillic script and the Serbian language in general, a fighter for the inclusion of the vernacular language and speech in books, and one of the most significant figures in Serbian literature. A collector and chronicler of folk traditions, songs, and customs, and the creator of the first Serbian dictionary.

Anta Bogićević (1758 – 1813), a famous Serbian duke from the First Serbian Uprising.

Jovan Cvijić (1865 – 1927), one of the greatest Serbian scientists and intellectuals, a geographer, geomorphologist, and cartographer, an academician and two-time rector of the University of Belgrade; an honorary doctor of the Sorbonne and Charles University in Prague; the greatest researcher of the Balkan Peninsula and one of the greatest European experts in the field of geosciences.

Miodrag Mića Popović (1923 – 1996), one of the most important Serbian painters of all time; an academician, critic, essayist, and visiting professor at the State University of New York.