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The wooden houses of Drvengrad, Emir Kusturica’s village above Mokra Gora

Day trip · About 3 hours west

Šargan Eight & Drvengrad: Our Favourites

Three hours west of Belgrade, in the mountains of Mokra Gora: the Šargan Eight heritage railway, Emir Kusturica’s wooden village of Drvengrad, Užice Fortress, Sirogojno and the Uvac canyon.

Day trip feature

Šargan Eight & Drvengrad: a railway in a figure of eight and a village built for a film

By the ULTIMATE Belgrade Editorial Team

In the green mountains of western Serbia, a little steam train climbs in a figure of eight through tunnels and over bridges, and on the hill above it stands a village of wooden houses built by a film director.

The Šargan Eight narrow-gauge train at Mokra Gora
The Šargan Eight narrow-gauge train at Mokra Gora
The wooden houses of Drvengrad, Emir Kusturica’s village above Mokra Gora
The wooden houses of Drvengrad, Emir Kusturica’s village above Mokra Gora
The tower of the old fortress above Užice
The tower of the old fortress above Užice
Read the full storyClose the story

The Šargan Eight is one of the most beautiful heritage railways in Europe, rescued from closure and rebuilt by people who loved it. Ride it from Mokra Gora, then climb to Drvengrad for lunch among the wooden houses of Emir Kusturica’s village.

Užice and its fortress are on the way, and Zlatibor, Tara and the Uvac canyon are close by, so the area is perfect for two or three days. Read the full back story below, then explore our favourite places.

The back story

  1. The back story

    Šargan Eight & Drvengrad: the back story

    Mokra Gora·In depth: history

    How a railway that once ran from Belgrade to the Adriatic was saved and turned into one of the most beautiful heritage lines in Europe, and how a film director built a wooden village on the mountain above it.

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What to see

  1. A railway in a figure of eight

    Mokra Gora & the Šargan Eight

    Mokra Gora·Heritage railway·€€

    A narrow-gauge heritage railway at Mokra Gora, between Tara and Zlatibor, that climbs 300 metres up the mountainside in a perfect figure of eight, through tunnels and over bridges.

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  2. Kusturica’s wooden town

    Drvengrad (Mećavnik)

    Mokra Gora·Wooden village·€

    The wooden village film director Emir Kusturica built on Mećavnik hill above Mokra Gora, in the local style, with a cinema, restaurants, crafts and the Küstendorf film festival.

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  3. The old Zlatibor village

    Sirogojno Open-Air Museum

    Sirogojno·Open-air museum·€

    An open-air museum of the old Zlatibor village: log houses and farm buildings moved here and furnished as they were, craft workshops in summer, a village inn serving Zlatibor dishes, and the Church of Saints Peter and Paul with an iconostasis from 1764. Open daily, longer hours in summer.

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  4. Above the Đetinja

    Užice Fortress

    Užice·Fortress

    The ruins of a medieval fortress on a rock high above the Đetinja river in Užice, with steps up to the towers and views over the town and the canyon.

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Nature

  1. Meanders and griffon vultures

    Uvac Special Nature Reserve

    Uvac·Nature reserve·€€

    The deep meanders of the Uvac canyon and its colony of griffon vultures. Boat trips leave from the Rastoke dam, with the Ice Cave and a viewpoint over the meanders, about four hours and 32 km there and back.

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Getting there

  1. About 3 hours by car

    Getting to Mokra Gora & Drvengrad

    Mokra Gora·Travel options

    Mokra Gora is about three hours from Belgrade by car. Without a car, take the train to Užice and continue by taxi or with a local tour; organised day trips also run from Belgrade and Zlatibor.

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Share your Šargan Eight & Drvengrad experience

Ridden the Šargan Eight or visited Drvengrad? Share your experience with other visitors: the train, the village, the mountains, and your tips for getting there.

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