Drvengrad ή Kustendorf, the ethno-village of Emir Kusturica in Serbia

Europe 17 December 2018 Like

Drvengrad (Ntrvenkgrant) It means "wooden town" is a typical traditional village storyline from another era. Is located 210 km SW. Belgrade, in Mecavnik hill, in the region Mokra Gora Serbia, very close to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The nearest towns are the town Uzice Serbia and the Bosnian town of Visegrad - Herzegovina.

Created by Serbian director Emir Kusturica for the needs of the film «Life is a Miracle» (2004). The Drvengrad called Küstendorf (Kastentorf), from Kust-urica and words dorf (German : village). The village developed around a main road that is dedicated to the Bosnian poet and writer, Ivo Andric (1892-1975), Nobel laureate in Literature (1961), with most important task of the «The Bridge on the Drina».

Along the main road are fitted wooden houses - shacks and a small church made of logs, the standards of Russian churches. The church is dedicated to St. Sava, the founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The small streets of the village are famous celebrity names, as Nikola Tesla (Serbian-American inventor and engineer), Federico Fellini and Ingmar Bergman, Ernesto Che Guevara, Diego Armando Maradona, for whom Kusturica turned here a documentary, Čkalja (Serbian actress), Novak Djokovic (famous tennis player) etc..

The Library has Drvengrad «Mesa Selimovic» (Serbian writer), Gallery, Cinema «Stanly Kubric», with perfect picture and sound, a playground, salon «Angels» and souvenir shop «Aska».

Square Diego Armando Maradona is the Sports Center «Damned Yard», Serbian «Prokleta Avlija», from the homonymous novel by Ivo Andric in gym, indoor pool, sauna, sports hall, pool table.

Dining and coffee Drvengrad has the following :
• «Lotus», the restaurant Kusturica – with local cuisine (working hours: up to 6:00 p.m., tel. : +381 31 800686).
The Kusturica has its own greenhouse to produce organic vegetables and standard farm.

• «Visconti» restaurant – Local and international cuisine with a library and wine cellar, Square Diego Maradona.

«Kod Corkana» or «Corkan's» confectionery – sweet, ice creams, coffee, tea etc hot drinks
«Kapor Bar» jazz bar – a place to enjoy great jazz music
"Mansion" – pizzeria, inside the Sports Center «Damned Yard»

In Serbia the local drink is «Slivovitz», a Plum. The local fruit is raspberries (blackberries). Serbia is the second country worldwide in raspberry production so sweet to taste, creams, cream (whipping cream), yoghurt, liqueur containing blueberries. Try also gibanica (cheese pie), đuveč (kind stews), mućkalica or čvarci (mixture of different types of meat and vegetables in a gravy form), hamburger (burger with pork and ground beef), meatballs (kebab), Karadjordjeva šnicla (pork or beef steak), military cakewalk (beans with smoked pork), prosciutto (prosciutto) etc..

ACCOMMODATION

In Drvengrad there is a hotel, το Mecavnik Hotel Drvengrad ή Mecavnik Wooden Town Hotel, 4*. Each hotel room has a different style and decor.
The hotel belongs to the director Emir Kusturica about it in some of the houses of permanent residence he and his family. The Kusturica was born in 1954 in Sarajevo, in today's Bosnian capital – Herzegovina. He left the city of the 1992, due to war and never came back. Characteristics says "I lost a home and found another".

MECAVNIK HOTEL DRVENGRAD

• The 2008 by Emir Kusturica founded in ethno-village a film school for young filmmakers. Each year (January) organized the International Film Festival «Küstendorf» and Music Festival «Bolsoi», with the support of the Serbian Ministry of Culture.
Film Festival awarded 3 awards, the «Golden Egg», the «Silver Oval» and «Bronze Egg».
• The 2005 the Drvengrad awarded the European Architecture Award, Philippe Rotthier. The price, awarded every 3 years of the Architecture Foundation of Philippe Rotthier, based in Brussels, the most beautiful neighborhoods built in recent 25 years in Europe.
• The Drvengrad also holds the prize «Tourism Flower» by the National Tourism Organization of Serbia (National Tourism Organization of Serbia), which is the highest National Award in the field of tourism.

DRVENGRAD – NEARBY ESCAPES
• SARGAN EIGHT

Το «Sargan Eight», Serbian «Sarganska Osmica ', is the old railway line «Cira» (1920) reconstructed (1999-2003) and emerged in the film Kusturica , «Life is a Miracle».
The line «Šarganska Mokra Gora – Šargan Vitasi», length 15 km, connects areas Mokra Gora and Sargan, within the Natural Park «Sargan – Mokra Gora ", on Zlatibor mountain region.

Named "Sargan Eight" Mount Sargan and the number '8',because of the route followed by the train to cover the large height difference between the two regions (450 m.) and passes 22 tunnels and 5 bridges.
The railway line is closer Europe (gauge 0,76 m.) and the train engine works with steam (course about trip 40 minutes).

The line is managed jointly by the Ministry of Tourism of Serbia and Serbian Railways. The Drvengrad and Railway Line «Sargan Eight» is one of the most famous tourist attractions of Serbia.

• SKI CENTER IVER SKI REPORT

Within walking distance from Drvengrad, about 7 km, there is the ski resort Iver Ski Resort, with artificial snow throughout the year.
The Iver is the second highest peak of Mount Tara, with altitude 1.490 m. The Iver Ski Resort belongs to the business of Kusturica and includes, besides the ski Iver center and a hotel «Mladost». You can arrive with small buses covering the route Drvengrad – Iver Ski Resort.

• ANDRICGRAD or KAMENGRAD

O Emir Kusturica built and second ethno-village located in Bosnia-Herzegovina near Visegrad which is only 30 km from Drvengrad.
The village Andricgrad or Kamengrad built for the needs of the film «Na Drini čuprija» based on the novel «The Bridge on the Drina», of Ivo Andric.
It overlooks the «Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic Bridge" (15th -19th), known as «Visegrad Bridge» or «Drina Bridge".
The "Bridge Mehmed Pasa Sokolovic» is Bosnia and Herzegovina and the UNESCO World Heritage Monument National Monument.

DRVENGRAD – ACCESS

In Drvengrad can be reached from three different directions, from Belgrade, from Visegrad and the Zlatibor.
If you have your own transport there are the following routes:
• From Belgrade the most common route is to follow the National Road 22 to Rreljina. Continue to E-761 Serbia, that ends at the national border with Bosnia - Herzegovina, through the towns Cacak, Pozega and Uzice. From Uzice and the E-761 drive to Kremna where the 10th km of the Kremna, the sign, turn right to the Mecavnik hill, the Drvengrad.
• From Belgrade via Valjevo, of Bajina Basta and Kremna and then proceed as above.
• From the Belgrade bus station, There are several daily departures to Visegrad. You should tell the driver to stop at the railway station Mokra Gora, as there is a scheduled stop.
• If you come by train to get up the Uzice then you should take the bus to Drvengrad.
• If coming from the city Nis, to get to Mokra Gora will take the road that leads to the cities Krusevac, Cacak, Pozega, Uzice and Zlatibor. When you get to Zlatibor is crossing to Nova Varos and Visegrad. You turn to Visegrad and after 23 km would get to Mokra Gora. The Drvengrad is from Nis 290 km.
• The Natural Park «Sargan – Mokra Gora »is from the Serbian town of Uzice about 51 km, from Belgrade 255 km from the town of Visegrad in Bosnia - Herzegovina 23 km. The regional road Uzice – Visegrad passes through the protected area.
• The Visegrad is located on the national road linking Serbia to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia - Herzegovina.

USEFUL ADDRESSES

• Tourist resort «Drvengrad Lotika doo», tel. :+381 31800686, +381 648830213, It includes MECAVNIK HOTEL DRVENGRAD and «Lotica» restaurant.
• Natural Park «Sargan – Mokra Gora ", tel.: +381 (0) 313152227, www.parkprirodemokragora.org
• Airport Belgrade «Nikola Tesla», tel. : +381 11 209 4000 (general information), +381 11 209 4444 (flight information), www.beg.aero
• Airport Ponikve, 18 km NW of the city Uzice, tel: +381 31 592 420, www.aerodromponikve.rs
• Serbian Railways, information : www.zeleznicesrbije.com

useful information

• The Drvengrad has free parking.
• To enter there is a symbolic ticket, about 2 euro.
• The film «Life is a Miracle» was screened at the Cannes Film Festival (2004) and received the National Education Award (National Education Award) given by the French Ministry of National Education and Stage.