Camp Dunav

No trip to Serbia would be complete without a stop at a monastery or two, and there are far more than two hereabouts. Vojlovica Monastery is 40 minutes’ drive away, the Monastery of the Holy Archbishop Stefan is 50 minutes from base, and there are 16 more in Fruška Gora National Park just over an hour from the site. Fruška Gora is Serbia’s oldest national park, so it’s worth sticking around here for hikes through pretty orchards and scenic fields, keeping eyes peeled for animals, and making pitstops at the vineyards for a few sips of vino. The Romans first planted grapes here in the third century, so they should be just about ready to drink now… Stick to fresh air with a lengthier jaunt to Deliblato Sands (the ‘European Sahara’), an hour and 20 minutes away, or return to the banks of the Danube for some more populated days. It’s 45 minutes from the site to Sremski Karlovci and its eco centre, museums, four wineries – five actually, as the Museum of Beekeeping has a nifty wine cellar attached – and spectacular Patriarchate Court palace. It’s another five minutes along the river from there to Novi Sad (50 minutes), the second-largest city in the country. The Petrovaradin Fortress (nicknamed ‘Gibraltar on the Danube’) is a must-visit, and fans of sandy beach days ought to be keen to come to a halt on Štrand, a popular sandy beach on the river.