Yesterday's beautiful day brought me out of the house and towards the Avala mountain. It is located just outside the city of Belgrade so it's easy to reach even with public transport. Once I got to the foothill I decided to stay away from the walking serpentine path that goes around the mountain and head straight uphill through the woods.
It's a beautiful sight - spring is almost here and nature is waking up. You can see flowers, heralds of spring on the way to the top. Recently I've been inspired to learn more about foraging wild plants so this short hike was a lot of fun. With a quick tempo it doesn't take more than half an hour to break out at the top and I even met this wild black cat in the middle of the forest.
You see the tall Avala tower first - it is visible from a lot of city spots. Destroyed during NATO bombing in 1999 and rebuilt, it is popular tourist attraction with a 360 degrees viewpoint at the top that presents the beautiful panorama of the city.
The new church of St. Stefan Lazarevic was built in 2017 and it has a beautiful design and the look of log cabin. It is dedicated to 14th century Serbian prince. You can sit in the backyard of the church, rest and get a homemade juice. Around the church is forest and a path that leads to the monument of the unknown soldier.
The monument sits at the highest spot in the city and is dedicated to fallen warriors of world war I. It is built in black granite and has a form of mausoleum, a must see destination for anyone visiting the city. I was there early in the morning with barely any people walking around - best way to enjoy and take in all the beauty of the place. I was able to get a nice street shot of a stray dog climbing towards the monument which is probably my favorite capture of the day. Minimalistic yet strong composition.
After a Tai Chi practice at the top, I headed back to the forest and was on my way home. Beautiful way to spend the morning. Hope you enjoy the walkthrough. :)
