RAJAC (Waterfall Crkvine and cave Purina church)

This is an easy tourist-hiking tour for all ages! Those who do not like to walk a lot, will find a way to fulfill their day in the nature, in the description that follows.

The distance between Belgrade and Rajac is 100 km (2 hours by car). When, from the direction of Belgrade, you pass the turn for Rajac, after 3-4 km you will come to the church and necropolis from 13th-14th century, in the village of Dići. The church and the cemetery are right next to the highway, on the left side of the road. There is a signpost “Church of St. John the Baptist”. Over 100 graves from the Middle Ages have been found at this site. This is the oldest necropolis in Serbia.

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When you return to the turnoff for Rajac and head towards Rajac, follow the signpost to the monastery Vavedenje, in the village of Slavkovica. The monastery is a 15 minutes far from the village of Dići. Monastery Vavedenje also dates from 13th-14th century. Until 1972, the monastery was in ruins and buried in the ground. Today it is almost completely renovated. During the excavation of the church, stone sarcophagi were found, with whole bones in them. There is a high probability that the remains of the last Serbian ruler, despot Djuradj Brankovic, his wife Irina (Jerina) Kantakuzin and their son Lazar, are in the sarcophagi. A tombstone from the 9th century was also found in the monastery.

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After visiting these sites, we headed toward Rajac and waterfall Crkvine. The waterfall can also be reached from the Vavedenje monastery, but it takes an hour of walking (3-4 km). When you drive toward Rajac, pay attention on the wide macadam road on the left, with the signpost next to it. From there you can reach Crkvine waterfall in 15 minutes. The trail is well marked and not difficult to walk, although it descends to the waterfall. The waterfall is 7-8 meters high.

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Leave the car at the beginning of the waterfall trail and continue on foot along the asphalt, uphill. On the first or second bend, on the sidewalk on the right, you will see the abbreviated inscription “Purina Church”. The markings takes you to a meadow (the markings are on the right) and then into the woods. The goal is a cave called “Purina Church”.

From the sidewalk to the cave, there is about 20 minutes of walk (1 km). The trail is marked well, but it is narrow, so you should have good shoes. The cave is more than interesting 🙂

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From the cave, a marked path leads down, towards a place called Provalija (Abyss), and then to the top of Rajac. The distance between the cave and the top of Rajac is 4 km (75 minutes of walk). From the top of Rajac to the mountain lodge, distance is about 2 km, plus another 1 km to the place where you parked your car. So you can hike a little, if you are in shape. Near the lodge is the cave Bezdan.

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If you left the car at the monastery Vavedenje and hike to the waterfall, the cave and the top of Rajac, and return to the monastery, you would surely cross about 14-15 km. It would be a nice and fulfilled hiking 🙂

April 2022.