Bezdan Serbia
Serbia

Here, three countries regard one another across the water. Bezdan occupies the north-western angle of Serbian Voïvodina, where the Danube traces the border with Croatia while Hungary begins a few fields beyond. River boats moor on the bank, and the village sits a little back, in the midst of a tangle of canals and dead arms. It is a port-call without a celebrated monument, but with something rarer: a living art that all of Europe envies.

A Village Between Two Languages

Mentioned as early as 1305 in medieval charters, destroyed in Ottoman invasions then resettled, Bezdan counts today about five thousand residents, mostly of Hungarian origin. You hear Serbian and Hungarian answer each other from pavement to pavement, and the parish church, raised in 1846, watches over low streets lined with Pannonian houses in pastel façades. Life flows at the pace of bicycles, kitchen gardens and threshold conversations.

Silk Damask: A Unique Craft

The village's pride lies in a workshop: silk damask is woven at Bezdan according to a tradition established in 1801, on eighteen wooden hand-looms some of which date from 1871. The weavers cross the threads at the slow rhythm of the pedals, producing damask tablecloths and fabrics whose patterns appear only when you play with the light. To witness this work, to hear the regular clack of the wooden frames, is to see one of the continent's last manufactories of this type in operation; the workshop allows itself to be viewed during organised visits, with demonstration included.

The Memory of the Battle of Batina

Facing the village, on the Croatian bank, a 27-metre column crowns the Batina hill. It commemorates one of the fiercest battles fought on the Danube in the autumn of 1944, when the river was crossed under fire. On the Serbian side, a house-museum at Bezdan gathers documents and objects from the engagement. From the bank, the monument stands out against the sky, and the river, so calm today, suddenly regains a thickness of history.

Waters From Every Side

The locality is ringed by swift and still waters: the Bajski Canal, the Danube-Tisa-Danube network, fishponds, not to mention a small thermal station whose iodised waters attract spa guests from the region. Stretching nearby is the Gornje Podunavlje nature reserve, a world of flooded forests, herons and deer sometimes called the "Amazon of Europe." Depending on available time, a sortie by boat or kayak on the canals offers the finest way to enter this amphibious landscape, where every turn reveals a curtain of willows.

The Fishers' Table

Impossible to leave without mentioning the csárdas, those fishers' inns where fish soup in paprika simmers away, served with country bread and an assumed slowness. You eat what the river has given, in a décor of nets and chequered tablecloths, surrounded by regulars who take their time. A glass of local white wine readily accompanies the meal, and no one wonders that a table lingers all afternoon. It is perhaps there, spoon in hand, that you best understand this corner of Voïvodina.

Depart on the River's Flow

When the boat casts off, the 1846 bell tower glides behind the poplars and the canals close their reflections. The port-call will have shown neither palace nor fortress, only weaving looms, a column on a hill and boats on brown water. It happens that it is precisely this kind of port-call, discreet and authentic, that remains longest in memory.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the northwestern corner of Serbian Vojvodina, where the Danube marks the border with Croatia and Hungary begins a few fields away. Boats moor on the bank; the village sits slightly back, amid a web of canals.
No, and it is better said plainly. Bezdan has no great monument, but something rarer: a living weaving workshop the rest of Europe envies.
A weave produced according to a tradition established in 1801, on eighteen wooden hand looms, some dating from 1871. The weavers make damask tablecloths and fabrics whose patterns only appear when the light plays across them.
Yes, on organized visits, with a demonstration. Hearing the steady clack of the wooden frames means watching one of the last manufactories of its kind on the continent at work.
About five thousand people, mostly of Hungarian origin. Serbian and Hungarian answer each other from one sidewalk to the next, and the parish church, built in 1846, watches over low streets lined with pastel Pannonian houses.
The village is mentioned as early as 1305 in medieval charters, was destroyed during the Ottoman invasions, then resettled. Life now runs at the pace of bicycles, vegetable gardens and doorstep conversations.
A 27-metre column standing on Batina hill, on the Croatian bank opposite the village. It commemorates one of the harshest battles fought on the Danube in autumn 1944, when the river was crossed under fire.
Depending on available time, yes. The village is ringed by moving and still water: the Baja Canal, the Danube-Tisa-Danube network, well-stocked ponds. An outing on the canals pairs well with the workshop visit.
A world of flooded forests, herons and deer sometimes nicknamed the Amazon of Europe, right beside Bezdan. It is one of the great wetlands of the middle Danube and the natural draw of the call.
The Serbian dinar. Despite the proximity of Croatia and Hungary, the village is in Serbia: bring dinars in cash, as cards are little accepted in a town this size.