Tips for Visiting Sićevo Gorge in East Serbia

Sićevo is sort of an unlikely story. It wasn’t anything that we sought out, but rather where we found the best deal on an Airbnb close to Niš that accepted dogs. It was the last stop on our journey down the eastern Serbian border and it’s turned into one of our favorite places in the country.

Things to Know about Sićevo

Sićevo has a long and untold history on many levels – going as far back as prehistoric times. Recently, it’s been something of a gold mine for archeologists as they found a well-preserved cave with some human remains that are over half a million years old. 

Sićevo’s recent history is more up our alley as it has to do with wine. The elevation and distance from the ocean give Sićevo a climate that’s a mixture of Mediterranean and continental. This unique advantage makes it suitable for grapes that grow in both climates. 

Before the fall of Yugoslavia, a large state-owned wine cooperative existed here. The gorge, which is now a nature preserve, was once covered with vineyards. But, today, that wine-rich history is no longer as obvious, since most of it has been overgrown. There is an old neglected winery right off the main road to Sićevo. There are a few of these neglected cooperatives in the region, but the Malca Winery is, as of now, the only one that has been restored and is privately run. 

Sićevo is a small village about 40 minutes away from the city of Niš, Serbia. For that reason, it can be tough to explore without a local or a guide. We were lucky enough to meet Dušan Smiljanić during our first visit. He was a recommendation from our Airbnb host and in typical Serbian fashion, showed up at our house in his full gear one evening to introduce himself and plan out a tour. Dušan runs a park ranger company called Via Militaris – he’s a park ranger and tour guide rolled into one.  Everything we learned about the people, the history, nature, and wine is a credit to him – and we strongly encourage you to reach out to him if you do plan a visit to this lovely village.

Things to do in Sićevo 

Hiking

Of course, Sićevo is known for its gorge and has some good hiking trails and panoramic viewpoints. The area itself also has some historical monuments like a Nikola Tesla designed dam. However, if you want the full experience you should hire a guide. 

For starters, trails aren’t exactly well marked or easy to find. The drive to some of the trails is also challenging and you’ll need a 4×4 to get through it, so having a guide is essential for this purpose. 

Additionally, trying local wines and rakija was all possible thanks to Dušan’s connections in the village. He has a private park ranger company and he’s passionate about showing guests everything Sićevo has to offer. The best part, his hikes always start with a shot of Rakija and end with a delicious schmorgus board of local cheese, meat, bread, and goulash!

Food and Restaurants

Now, Sićevo is more of a wild off the beaten path destination so don’t expect fine dining. However, we have eaten like kings every time we visit. As mentioned, Dušan also offers a very generous meal with his hikes. If you’re lucky, you’ll get meat from his farm, and local cheese, and if you’re really lucky, he’ll have goulash. It’s still our favorite goulash in all of Serbia. And not just us, he’s won awards.

We stayed at Hotel Konak Ramonda on our second visit and it’s more of a bed and breakfast. They offer breakfast upon request and when you arrive, the owner Darko brings his guests to a restored wine cellar in their basement. This area is filled with wine-making artifacts they uncovered. He then offers a “snack” which of course is a full meal of cheese, dried meats, homemade bread, and tomatoes from their garden. It can also get a little boosey with wine and local rakija.  

However, given the remote location, the restaurant scene is thin. The closest thing to a restaurant experience is probably the town next door at the Malca Winery. Here, they have a full-service restaurant to go along with wine tasting and tours of their facility. 

If you’d like a truly Serbian restaurant experience, then try Mali Vikend. We haven’t visited this spot but looking at the photos, it seems to be a very traditional Serbian experience.  

Wine and Rakija

That brings us to one of our favorite beverages from this region – their rakija. Since this is a grape-growing region, most of the rakija is made from grapes but it has a little twist. The locals here forage the mountains for wild herbs that they add to the liquor. It can be hard to find any for sale since most people in the region only make it for domestic use. So, if you can get your hands on one consider yourself lucky.

The wine is also fantastic. Every trip we’ve made to Sićevo always has a visit to Podrum Kratina. The wine and the experience are great. The operation is bare bones but it’s also charming at the same time. The owner, if he’s not busy, always sits us in his “tasting room” which is really just a table in the middle of old bottles from both his winery and the old Sićevo cooperative. We’ve spent hours in this “cellar” and had some of the most memorable moments.