Uzice

Užice is a city in Western Serbia.

It has an attractive setting, in a limestone gorge, with red-roofed houses spreading up the hillsides. However, the central area is largely concrete (1960s?) and quite run down. The high number of Yugos on the roads gives the impression that there isn't much money around.

It might be a bit hard to breathe in the town during winter season because of smog/smoke. Buildings don't have central heating, people heat their homes with wood, and the town is located in a valley.

• 1 Tourist Information center, Димитрија Туцовића 52, ☏ +381 31 500555. (updated Sep 2018)

Get in

By plane

• 1 Uzice-Ponikve airport (UZC  ^IATA). A lot of money was spent repairing the but, as of September 2018, there are still no scheduled flights.  

By train

Four fast and six slow trains pass through on the Belgrade-Bar rail line (3 hours from Belgrade). Train from Belgrade costs RSD 660 (as of 2018) and taken 3.5 hours.

2 Main Railway Station (Железничка станица Ужице), Михајла Пупина. Train and bus stations are adjacent, south of the river, just a few minutes walk to the centre. (updated Sep 2018)

By bus

Buses run from the most major cities, including Belgrade. A bus from Belgrade to Užice costs ca. RSD 1,200 (as of 2018).

There are two buses a day to Mokra Gora, and hourly buses to Zlatibor (trip takes 25-40 mins).

3 Bus station (Аутобуска станица Ужице), Михајла Пупина 1, ☏ +381 31 602630. Terminal is in about five minute walk from the centre. (updated Sep 2018)

Get around

The best way to get around is on foot but taxis are also available.

Taxi ride inside the city costs 100-150 RSD, to Zlatibor town - 800-900 RSD. One of the taxi operators - Taxi Leptir, tel. +381 31 500500.

See and do

Uzice fortress

• 1 Stari Grad (Стари град; meaning old town) (There are several ways to get there, not marked but easy enough to figure out). Old ruins of a castle just out of town. Historians believe it was built between the 12th and 13th centuries. It is positioned on a large steep cliff, and surrounded on three sides by the river Đetinja. Today it consists of several ruined buildings, including the citadel and many of its surrounding walls.  
• 2 St George Serbian Orthodox church. is a must see. (updated Sep 2018)
• 3 St. Mark's Church. It is noted for its appearance, as an old, small, mostly wooden church in the modern urban setting. Originally constructed in 1721, it was rebuilt in 1828 and is the oldest surviving church in the entire Užice region. (updated Sep 2018)

Eat

Besides traditional Serbian food, it is worth trying lepinja since Užice is considered the town where it was invented. The most popular place among locals is Šuljaga Milana Laziča.

Drink

Many types of beer are available, from those brewed in town to the big American brands.

Also if you are between the ages of 13 and 113, you can go to techno clubs; there are many and if you don't know where there is a good one just ask around or ask a taxi driver.

Sleep

Hotel Zlatibor

• 1 Hotel Zlatibor, Dimitrija Tucovića 149 (in front of the train station), ☏ +381(31) 516-188. It is a rather pretentious, brutalist concrete tower right in the centre of town. (updated Sep 2018)
• Eko Hostel Republik, Zele Durica 34 (5 min walk from town centre), ☏ +381 31 510087, reception@republik.rs. Check-out: 12ː00. New (opened in 2013) and modern small hostel with family atmosphere, dormitory, private rooms, a balcony and a patio. Bunk beds €9-12. 

Go next

• Take a day trip out and see the lovely mountains around Uzice (to Tara National park or to Uvac river). For more day trips, see Podrinje.
• Also drive about 1 hour and visit a small village called Mokra Gora which has a tourist train line (Šagranska Osmica).
• There is Zlatibor mountain, which has great ski resorts which are very active during the winter season in December.
• Višegrad or Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina to which a bus, priced at RSD1,200 leaves every day at 11ː00
• Podgorica or Bar in Montenegro to which a bus leaves every day at 12ː00 or 01ː00