What to see in Vrnjačka Banja
As one of the oldest Serbian spas, Vrnjačka Banja has magnificent architectural buildings that are worth visiting and taking pictures while taking a leisurely stroll and exploring its beauties. There are also numerous symbols and attractions in Vrnjačka Banja for which we are world famous.
Bridge of love
The bridge of love is a meeting place for both lovers and all tourists and curious people who visit Vrnjačka Banja. Today, it is
rightfully one of the most visited and most important places in the tourist offer of the spa, although the story that gives it its
charm has almost fallen into oblivion. To prevent this from happening, we owe our gratitude to Desanka Maksimović who, as a frequent
guest of Vrnjačka Banja, learned about the tragic love story from the older residents and, inspired by it, wrote one of her most
beautiful love songs "Prayer for Love" and thus revived the memory of two people in love and contributed to keep the legend alive.
The love story is set in the period immediately before the First World War, when teacher Nada and Serbian officer Relja fell in love.
The great love captured the attention of all the people of Vrnjačka Banja, everyone was talking about them, and the favorite meeting
place of the two young people was precisely the bridge in the park. Their love was interrupted by the war, which took Relja to the
front in Greece, and left Nada waiting for his beloved. However, Relja never returned, all because of the beautiful Greek woman for
whom he broke off the engagement. Nada is left to suffer and, crushed by pain and grief, eventually dies. The story grew into a legend,
and the legend lived on. Shaken by the fate of the young teacher, and wanting to preserve their love, girls today write their names
and the names of their boyfriends on padlocks, tie them to the fence of the bridge, and throw the keys into the river.
Symbolically, the Bridge of love was the inspiration for holding the first Lovefest in Vrnjačka Banja, and today it holds a traditional
competition for the longest kiss and is an unavoidable point for all couples who celebrate their love in this symbolic way.
Vrabac Gočko
One of the symbols of Vrnjačka Banja, Vrabac Gočko (Gočko The Sparrow), is located in the central part of the Vrnjačka promenade, which is an indispensable place for taking photos. The statue is decorated with traditional Serbian "opanak" and "šajkača" (traditional peasant shoes and hat), and it got its name from Goč mountain, at the foot of which Vrnjačka Banja is located. This cute sparrow was actually created as a mascot for the "Games without Borders", a very popular television game show in Europe during the 20th-century, which were held in Vrnjačka Banja in 1990. Placed to wink and greet the participants of the competition, he remained in the same place and since then greets all those who visit spa. The statue is a popular tourist destination for capturing a photo, and it is also the most popular souvenir in Vrnjačka Banja. The mascot can be found in stores and gift shops as, figurines, refrigerator magnets, t-shirts, cups, postcards, and much more.
Promenade
The central place in the life of Vrnjačka Banja belongs to the Promenade, a beautiful spa promenade that stretches its entire length along the Vrnjačka river. On the Promenade there is the famous Vrabac Gočko, a fountain, a cinema, hotels, as well as the "Dr. Dušan Radić" city library, in front of which is Culture Square, which is the site of various cultural and entertainment events. There is also the Museum of Spa Treatment, as well as a magnificent artificial waterfall, which is another symbol of Vrnjačka Banja and a must-see place for photography. Directly above the square, on the church hill, there is an amphitheater, i.e. the popular summer stage "Danilo Bata Stojković". Along the entire promenade along the river, there are linden trees that provide a pleasant refuge during hot days, and the promenade itself is connected to the Vrnjački park by several interesting bridges. Some of the more famous ones are: The Bridge of Love, The Film Bridge named after the movie "Ko to tamo peva" (a kind of tribute to film artists, many of whom were welcome guests of Vrnjačka Banja), The Spomenar Bridge with verses and quotes from our famous writers, The Mathematics Bridge...
Central spa park
The parks of Vrnjačka Banja are the right place for walking, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful greenery, flower arrangements and the pleasant murmur of the Vrnjačka river. The main spa park has been built since 1888, but has been remodeled several times. With over 70 hectares of landscaped park area, Central spa park represents a real oasis of peace and enjoyment in the very core of the spa. It has grown and developed over the years. The central place in the large spa park is occupied by the fountain, a place that attracts the guests of Vrnjačka Banja with its beauty, who often rest on one of the nearby benches and enjoy the view of the beautiful flower beds of the park. The labyrinth with a total of 1 km of park path and 440 conifers forming a green wall is another attraction of the park that is enjoyed by visitors, especially the youngest ones. It was born from the idea to further enrich the unique park of Vrnjačka Banja and has grown into a real work of art. The 2 km long promenade protected by linden trees, a Japanese garden that evokes the vegetation and way of life in Japan, low ornamental plants, but also numerous sculptures by local and foreign authors, make the park a symbol of Vrnjačka Banja.
Little train of Vrnjci
Parks are the right place for walking and relaxing. Enjoying the beautiful greenery, flower arrangements and the pleasant murmur of the Vrnjačka river can be experienced in an unusual way. The park can be toured, apart from by cab, also by small train. This is another point of interest and attraction of Vrnjačka Banja, especially popular among children. The little train will take you through the incredible Vrnjački park, where French, English and Japanese styles alternate, as well as a multitude of different plant species and sculptures by Serbian artists.
Belimarković Castle
On the hill above the "Topla Voda" mineral spring, there is one of the oldest buildings in Vrnjačka Banja, Belimarković Castle. It was built at the end of the 19th century as the summer house of the influential general Jovan Belimarković, according to the idea of his cousin, the construction engineer Pavlo Denić. The castle was modeled after those from northern Italy and Poland. The project was led by the Austrian civil engineer Franz Winter, and the works lasted from 1888 to 1894. Until the seventies of the last century, the heirs of General Belimarković lived in it, when it was purchased and, according to the law on the protection of cultural monuments, declared a cultural property under the protection of the state. Today, it houses the Native Museum of a complex type with an archaeological, ethnographic, historical, artistic and natural history collection. The museum gallery contains original objects of use from the legacy of the Belimarković family and offers an extraordinary opportunity to learn about life in Serbia, from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, while the display of the art collection presents a rich fund of sculptures, Serbian graphics and paintings from the second half of the 20th century. The castle, in addition to the museum headquarters, is also a place where serious music concerts, dramatic collages, lectures and summer schools and academies are held.
Church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God
The first church in Vrnjačka Banja, the Church of the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God, was built in 1834 by the archpriest of Vrnjačka Banja, Hadži Jefitimije Popović, just in the period when Miloš Obrenović hired Baron Herder to examine the composition and quality of water in Serbia. Some legends attribute the discovery of the healing properties of the waters of Vrnjačka Banja to Jeftimije. The church is the oldest building in the spa preserved to this day, and Hadži Jeftimije served in it for 47 years. The mosaic that decorates the space above the entrance door represents the scene of the event to which it is dedicated, the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1875, an iconostasis was installed, a gift from Jovan Kujundžić, a merchant from Belgrade. The church was extended twice, in 1936 and 1973, when it finally got its present appearance.
Japanese garden
The Japanese garden, created as a project to bring two cultures together, will bring you the spirit of Japan in Serbia for a moment. It is located in the continuation of the central spa park and decorated according to the Japanese concept. It was opened in 2011 and is the largest park of this type in our country. Conceived as a combination of living and non-living nature and their complementary elements, the garden demonstrates maximum use of space with minimal disruption of the natural environment. A series of cascading waterfalls brings water into the pond where you can relax, and there is also a wooden bridge that leads you to the teahouse. With the first darkness, characteristic lamps are lit, which give the garden a special charm.
Panoramic wheel
The panoramic wheel is another in a series of new tourist attractions in Vrnjačka Banja. It is located in the park next to the spring of mineral water "Jezero". It is as high as 50 meters, with thematic night lighting and contains 32 air-conditioned cabins that will offer visitors a view of the entire panorama of Vrnjačka Banja.
Glass observation deck
On Church Hill, in addition to the existing park area and 3 kilometers of new trails named after Patriarchs Pavle and Boško Ruđičanin, a glass observation deck was installed, another in a series of novelties that Vrnjačka Banja offers. At 24 meters above the Promenade, located directly above the Muse with the phoenix, the viewpoint offers a wonderful view of the plateau in front of the library, Culture Square, as well as mineral spring "Topla voda", the Vrnjačka River and the Central Spa Park.
Aqua park "Raj"
Aqua park "Raj", as the largest and most attractive water park in this part of Serbia, provides unforgettable summer fun for the youngest and unprecedented relaxation for adults. Conceived as a place to enjoy water attractions for all generations, the park in Vrnjačka Banja covers an area of 3.5 hectares with pools for children and adults. An unforgettable adventure for the youngest is on a pirate ship, a platform with sprinklers and in the company of animators, while a lazy river ride is a delight for all visitors. A real adventure is the wave pool, which gives visitors the feeling of vacationing in one of the world's exotic destinations. Lovers of adrenaline activities have at their disposal top slides, the largest of which is as high as 30 meters, and there are also shallow pools with water cannons, a hydromassage pool, bars and a restaurant. Vrnjačka Banja got one of the most modern and beautiful aqua parks in Serbia, thus the content of the tourist offer has reached a level that allows meeting all the needs of the "modern" guest.
Vrnjci ZOO
Vrnjci ZOO is located just a few kilometers from the center of Vrnjačka Banja. Since its opening in 2019 until today, Vrnjci ZOO has been working with the aim of preserving biodiversity. It covers an area of 3.5 hectares and has over 120 species of animals from almost all parts of the world. We actively work on educating visitors through a specially designed program, various events such as workshops, art colonies, children's birthday parties, etc. are organized. The entire garden is landscaped, has a souvenir shop, a children's playground, benches, two lakes, walking paths and a playroom with an entertainment center.