I'm someone who loves to plan and know in advance where I will be and what I will do. And I always have a plan B, C and D, just in case :) Unlike me, my husband mostly makes his decisions in the moment. Problematic yes, but we have been together for too long and know each other pretty good, so we always try to find a compromise. Sometimes unsuccessful, sometimes successful, but it's a marriage. :) Still, we plan summer vacations together. But planning anything for the forthcoming summer this time is impossible. Will the borders open? When will this madness end? How long will the insulation last?😏 Unanswered questions. Fortunately, we traveled a lot last summer and had some really fantastic tours and moments. If we don't travel this summer, at least we will remember last summer. Here is one of them.

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Iron Gates, Danube and regatta

This is a story for those who love water sports, nature and history. Golubac is hardly a visible spot on the world map, visually perhaps not the most beautiful town, but certainly located in one of the most interesting places on Earth. I take you again to the entrance to Europe's largest gorge - the Iron Gate, where the Danube river is widest, where winds are frequant, nature is divine and where turbulent history has left its mark. Interestingly, the widht of the Danube is the largest at this point, about 7 kilometeres, and after a few kilometers it narrows to just 140 meteres. At this point, the Danube is the deepest and the narrowest.

But the topic of this post is entrence to the Iron Gates. The width of the Danube, the frequent winds, and the calmnees of the river in this part of the stream, create excellent condititons for water sports. That's why traditionally sailing regattas are held here every August. In addition, this place is very attractive for tourists becauce of its natural beauty, the famous and lately restored Golubac Fortress, as well as the cyciling route that follows one part of the bank of the Danube.

My son participated in the said regatta. He went there with his sailing club and his friends from the club. The regatta is hosted by the Sailing Club "Golubac", which has very good facilities - a campsite, valley ball coruts and courts for other sports, cuisine, changing rooms and bathrooms,which are part of the camp. Also access to the river for sailboats is very well arranged.

Finally the wind... and the regatta began. My son is a beginner and trains in an optimist class, with kids between the ages of seven and 14. The best results are achieved by the most experienced children, that is, older children. The Danube for beginners can be very daunting. For many of them, this was the first time on the Danube. So we didn't expect a big result, just good fun.

Vuk spent an unforgettable week and had a great time. He loves sports, nature and hanging out with friends. All this gives him sailing.

Of course, there was a lot of fun for the kids! The coaches did their best to organize their time well. They had interesting games, treasure hunts, they played volleyball, they did exercises every morning.

And...

• They were fishing

Of course, they were sorry for every fish they caught, so all the fish survived.

• Went to a rock concert
  They were particularly interested in death metal. 😁 Expressly interesting was the song "Chernobyl Pigs"😀

• They visited the Golubac Fortress
  Golubac Fortress is one of the most beautiful fortresses on the Danube.
  Otherwise, there are many fortresses on the Danube, which is logical because the Danube has been a frontier throughout history. It is not known who built the fort, Serbs or Ugars, but it is first mentioned in the 14th century. The fort was also owned by Serbs and Ugars and Ottomans, depending on who ruled the area. If you are interested in this fortress, learn more here.

• And most interestingly - jumping into the water!!! 😁

The Danube is not the cleanest water in the world, but in this part people swim in the river. Who will resist! :)

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VINCI - paradise in a pine forest

While our son was staying with his companions in Golubac, we were in Vinci with our friends. Vinci is a small village on the Danube, some 10 kilometers away from Golubac.

It is a settlement that has many cottages, houses for rent and guesthouses. The place is beautiful because it is in a pine forest. Pines were planted in the last century to prevent the spread of small sandy terrain. In a place where there was only sand,this beautiful settlement was created.

Vinci has a beach, with showers. In addition to the Danube there are a couple of restaurants that have their own beach. The beaches are concrete. The Danube is gentle in this part of the stream because it is slowed by the narrow entrance to the Iron Gates. So it's more like a lake. On the opposite side is Romania.

We had a great time! We often went to Golubac to see our son. When we did not go to Golubac we mostly swam in the Danube. Our godfather brought a board for stand up paddling, so we had more fun!

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This place has become very interesting for foreign tourists and especially interesting for cyclists, which I have seen from various countries. The fort is particularly interesting, as are the calm waters of the Danube, which wait patiently in front of the Iron Gates.

If you are planning to visit this place, I suggest you find an accommodation in Vinci. You wont regret :)

We hope that the regatta will be held again in August and that it will not be postponed due to the pandemic.

Stay healthy, positive and smiling!

With love
Snežana

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All pictures are mine except the pictures where the kids are having fun
(concert and jumping in the water). These photos were taken by a friend of mine, who had been at camp all the time. She gave me permission to set them up.