Trail of Great Views
Trail of great views is 179km long and connects three mountains, Gledićke, Goč and Željin, with the stunning peaks of Samar (922m), Ljukten (1219m) and Željin (1785m); five traditional regions: Šumadija, Levač, West Pomoravlje, Župa and Kopaonik area, five counties: Vrnjačka Banja, Kraljevo, Trstenik, Aleksandrovac and Rekovac; three Neolithic archaeological findings: Ladjarište, Blagotin and Stragari; seven monasteries: Ljubostinja, Kalenić, Sveta Petka, Veluće, Drenča, Milentija and Rudenica; three Vineyard areas: Župa, Trstenik and Rekovačko; seven mineral springs and a great number of natural, cultural and historical localities dating from Roman times to recent Serbian history. The trail of great views is circular, with the beginning and end of the trail in Trstenik, though the trail can also be reached from Vrnjačka Banja or Aleksandrovac.
Profile: hiking, cycling (reaching the peaks of Ljukten and Željin by bike is only recommended to individuals in extremely good shape and to those who are into extreme biking and “adrenalin adventures”). Length: 179km Highest point: Željin peak (1785m) Lowest point: Trstenik (172m) Type of surface: gravel road (140km), forest path (29km) and asphalt (10km) Optimum amount of time to complete the trail: 60 hours or 6 days Optimum amount of time to complete the trail by bike: 32 hours or 4 days Longest section of the trail: 8 km, the St. Petka Monastery in Stubal - Zaječevac field in Novo Selo (control point 13 – control point 17) Prime ascending height difference: 660m, Jezero Hotel in Vrnjačka Banja - Linetova fountain (c.p.16 - c.p.17) Prime descending height difference: 559 m, Ljukten top - Mitrovo polje (c.p.20 - c.p.21) The most challenging part of the trail (ascending/descending): Krst peak - Ljukten peak (c.p.19 - c.p.20) General ascending height difference: 5964m General descending height difference: 5964m
Activities: hiking, mountain climbing, cycling, bird watching, hunting, fishing, picking herbs, mushrooms and other forest fruit, taking snap shots, visiting monasteries and museums, trying out home made foods and drinks, walking along Vrnjačka promenade, drinking wine at the fountain and visiting local wine cellars, riding boats down the Morava River, visiting mineral springs in Vrnjačka Banja and Veluće, and, of course, enjoying fantastic views.
You can approach this trail from Trstenik, Vrnjačka Banja, Aleksandrovac, as well as from the village of Stubal (regional Kruševac - Kraljevo road), Novo selo (Pojate -Kraljevo freeway), Veluće village (regional Stopanja - Aleksandrovac road/road to Mount Kopaonik), regional Vrnjačka Banja - Aleksandrovac road (over Mount Goč), etc.