Golubac
Encyclopedia
Golubac is a village and municipality in north-eastern Serbia
, on the right side of the Danube
river. It is bordered by Romania
to the east, Veliko Gradište
to the west and Kučevo
to the south. The population of the village is 1,655 and the population of the municipality is 8,161.
In Serbian
, the town is known as Golubac (Голубац), in Romanian
as Golumbei or Columbaci, in Hungarian
as Galambóc and in Turkish
as Güvercinlik which means "pigeon house". The name Golubac is derived from golub, which is Serbian for "pigeon" or "dove", and is therefore often translated as "the town of doves".
Its historical names were Columbria, in Latin
, derived from Cuppae during pre-Roman times.
Due to many nearby archeological sites and the Đerdap national park
, the village is a popular tourist, fishing and sailing destination.
The archeological sites include the remnants of one of Roman
Emperor
Trajan
's tables near Trajan's Bridge
, found along his road through the Danube's Iron Gates; and the Roman
fortress Diana. Golubac fortress
, 4 km downstream, is from the 14th century and also of interest. The fortress was the scene of a battle against the Turks in 1428, where the Polish knight Zawisza Czarny
was captured and executed by the Turks
.
national park is noted for its natural beauty and its hunting grounds, as well as many trails for more experienced hiking. The village's quay along the Danube
river is popular for more relaxed hiking.
, which is traditionally held in August. During the summer, the Center holds an Optimist Class sailing camp, where beginners can learn from the best Serbian sailors and their international guests.
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, on the right side of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
river. It is bordered by Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
to the east, Veliko Gradište
Veliko Gradište
Veliko Gradište is a town and municipality located in Serbia, in north-east Serbia , on the right bank of the Danube river and left bank of the Pek river...
to the west and Kučevo
Kucevo
Kučevo is a town and municipality located in the Braničevo District of Serbia. In 2011, the population of the town is 3,950, while population of the municipality is 15,490....
to the south. The population of the village is 1,655 and the population of the municipality is 8,161.
Name
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....
, the town is known as Golubac (Голубац), in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
as Golumbei or Columbaci, in Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
as Galambóc and in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
as Güvercinlik which means "pigeon house". The name Golubac is derived from golub, which is Serbian for "pigeon" or "dove", and is therefore often translated as "the town of doves".
Its historical names were Columbria, in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, derived from Cuppae during pre-Roman times.
History
It was a stronghold called Cuppae during Roman and Early Byzantine times (1-6th century) and turned into a city (Columbria) in 554/5 AD.Due to many nearby archeological sites and the Đerdap national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, the village is a popular tourist, fishing and sailing destination.
The archeological sites include the remnants of one of Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
's tables near Trajan's Bridge
Trajan's bridge
Trajan's Bridge or Bridge of Apollodorus over the Danube was a Roman segmental arch bridge, the first to be built over the lower Danube. For more than a thousand years, it was the longest arch bridge in the world, in terms of both total and span length...
, found along his road through the Danube's Iron Gates; and the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
fortress Diana. Golubac fortress
Golubac fortress
Golubac Fortress was a medieval fortified town on the right side of the Danube River, 4 kilometers downstream from the modern-day town of Golubac, Serbia. The fortress, which was most likely built during the 14th century, is split into three compounds which were built in stages...
, 4 km downstream, is from the 14th century and also of interest. The fortress was the scene of a battle against the Turks in 1428, where the Polish knight Zawisza Czarny
Zawisza Czarny
Zawisza Czarny z Garbowa , Sulima Coat of Arms, was a Polish knight and nobleman. He served as a soldier and diplomat under the Polish king Władysław II and Hungarian-Bohemian king Sigismund of Luxembourg...
was captured and executed by the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Demographics
Ethnic groups in the Golubac municipality (2002 census):- SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
: 8,629 - VlachsVlachsVlach is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. English variations on the name include: Walla, Wlachs, Wallachs, Vlahs, Olahs or Ulahs...
: 870 - Other
Tourism
The Iron GateIron Gate (Danube)
The Iron Gates The gorge lies between Romania in the north and Serbia in the south. At this point, the river separates the southern Carpathian Mountains from the northwestern foothills of the Balkan Mountains. The Romanian, Hungarian, Slovakian, Turkish, German and Bulgarian names literally mean...
national park is noted for its natural beauty and its hunting grounds, as well as many trails for more experienced hiking. The village's quay along the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
river is popular for more relaxed hiking.
Sailing
Golubac has become a famous sailing site. The Sailing Center of the Sailing Association of Serbia, which the Serbian National Team uses for ground preparations before every big sailing event, is located in Golubac. One of the events is a sailing RegattaRegatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
, which is traditionally held in August. During the summer, the Center holds an Optimist Class sailing camp, where beginners can learn from the best Serbian sailors and their international guests.