We visited Hunyadi Castle, also known as Corvin Castle on Wednesday the 21st of August, 2024. My interest in going here is that its the wonder of the Magyar civilization in the game Age of Empires II. Since the wonder is in Hunedoara in Transylvania and not connected by rail, we did it as a day trip from the city of Deva Getting to Hunedoara from Deva We arrived in Deva from Bucharest the evening before. It was a long train ride. With three nights booked in Deva for two full days, I wanted to frontload the visit to CorvinContinue reading
Author: Iris Veldwijk
Kayak Trip Day 63: Svinița to Dubova – Entering Romania + Great Kazan Gorge
We paddled this stretch on Saturday the 18th of May, 2024. In the morning, we departed Golubac and took the ferry from Usije in Serbia to Moldova Veche in Romania, going through immigration. From there, we made a quick stop in Moldova Nouă and Berzasca before we started paddling from Svinița to Dubova. That stretch has a lot of things to sightsee: the Tri Kule ruined fortress, the Great Kazan Gorge, and several caves. Contents1 Ferry from Usije to Moldova Veche: Border Crossing Horror2 Paddling Out of Svinița: Cetatea Tricule3 Before Dubova: Zucchini Has a New Leak4 Kayaking the GreatContinue reading
Accommodation in Serbia: From Apatin to Novi Sad, Belgrade, and Golubac
What to expect of accommodation in Serbia as a digital nomad and/or comfortable kayaker? We stayed in Serbia from roughly the 28th of March till the18th of May, 2024. These are the places we booked to both work online from and rest on our off days during the Danube Kayak trip. Contents1 Apatin: Pegasus Apartments2 Novi Sad: Central Apartment3 Stari Slankamen: Acumincum⭐4 Novi Banovci: Prenociste Dunav5 Belgrade: For the Book Lovers6 Grocka na Dunavu: Apostolović’s House ⭐7 Smederevo: Apartment Centar Exclusive8 Ram: Rajski Horizonti Rooms Ram9 Golubac: Aleksandar Apartments & Rooms10 Unlock the Prices of Accommodation in Serbia11 Share thisContinue reading
How to Get a Serbian SIM Card in a Small Town + Balkan Roaming Tips
We entered Serbia on Thursday the 28th of March, 2024 via kayak on the Danube. The small town we bought a Serbian SIM card in is called Apatin. Here’s our recommendation for a Serbian SIM card, how we got it, and how it works in neighboring non-EU countries. Contents1 Which Serbian SIM Card is Best?2 How We Bought a Serbian SIM Card in Apatin3 Which Yettel Data Packages to Buy as a Digital Nomad?4 Other things to know about the Serbian Yettel SIM card5 Serbian SIM Card FAQ + Internet Freedom5.1 Should I buy a Serbian SIM card at theContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 62: Golubac to Donji Milanovac – Entering the Iron Gate + Breaking Fifty
We kayaked from Golubac to Donji Milanovac in Serbia on the Danube on the 11th of May, 2024. This is in the border area between Romania and Serbia through the Iron Gate canyon. It’s the first time we paddled over 50 kilometers in one day. Contents1 Seeking a Sailor’s Advice on Đerdap Lake2 Paddling Out to Golubac Fortress + Golubac Gorge3 Canyon Kayaking in the Iron Gate to Dobra4 Theory Will Only Take You So Far5 Tailwind Squalls, Jet Stream Speeds6 1000 Kilometers to Go to the Black Sea7 Arriving in Donji Milanovac8 Miracles: Making the Bus from Donji MilanovacContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 61: Ram to Golubac Vinci – Giving Up!
We tried to paddle from Ram to Golubac on the 9th of May, 2024. Because of a powerful mountain jet wind called Košava, we didn’t make it all the way to Golubac and eventually settled for a village called Vinci. Contents1 Kayaking into the Romanian Border Area2 Meeting the Košava Wind3 Lunch in Veliko Gradište + Comparing to the TID4 Nutria + Nesting Swans + Romanian Time5 Veni, Vidi, (and Settling Down for) Vinci6 8 Kilometers from Golubac7 Five Nights One Week Nine Days in Golubac8 Informative post? Please consider buying me a cappuccino!9 Thanks for reading! Feel free toContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 60: Smederevo to Ram – Fortresses + Sunken Barges
We paddled from Smederevo to Ram in Serbia on the 7th of May, 2024. This was our 60th day of kayaking the Danube. We are now entering the border area between Serbia and Romania. Contents1 Leaving Smederevo for Ram2 Sunken Barge + Great Morava Confluence3 Paddling Past Kostolac + Weirdly-Shaped Islands4 Arriving in Ram5 Stara Palanka + Ram Fortress6 Informative post? Consider buying me a sparkling water!7 Wish to share? That’s really great of you! Leaving Smederevo for Ram We left the apartment in Smederevo and walked to the rowing club. Once there, we started unpacking Zucchini and inflating her.Continue reading
Kayak Trip Day 59: Grocka to Smederevo – Headwind + Switching Places
We paddled from Grocka na Dunavu to Smederevo in Serbia on the 2nd of May, 2024. This was our 59th day of kayaking the Danube. For a change, we swapped places in Zucchini the kayak. Contents1 Grocka to Smederevo: Just 17 kilometers2 1127 Kilometers to the Black Sea + MarineTraffic3 Iris the Captain4 Arriving in Smederevo5 The Easter Weekend in Smederevo6 Want to support my trip? Consider making a donation!7 Feel free to share this article! Grocka to Smederevo: Just 17 kilometers A bit of a filler day, as we intended it all along. We’re going to paddle just 17Continue reading
Kayak Trip Day 58: Belgrade to Grocka na Dunavu – The Worst Paddle Day… Yet!
Our 58th kayak day on the Danube was on Monday, the 29th of April, 2024. Somehow, we managed to paddle from Belgrade to Grocka na Dunavu in Serbia. Contents1 Arriving in Grocka2 Optimism3 Doubt4 Pessimism5 Total Defeat6 A Sparkle of Hope7 Motorboat Man + Arriving in Grocka na Dunavu8 Our Stay in Grocka na Dunavu9 Informative? Consider buying me a sparkling water!10 Good read? Feel free to share! Arriving in Grocka It was 17:31 and we had one last break at the latest Y-shaped stick we moored at. We had a six-minute break to let the pump leave our arms.Continue reading