Drvengrad Travel Guide: How to Visit Serbia’s Most Charming Traditional Village

When you first travel to Drvengrad, it feels as if you’ve arrived at a traditional Serbian village. With quaint wooden houses, colorful street signs, and a calm atmosphere, Drvengrad is the quintessential selo (village)!

But wait, let’s play a game… 

Take a guess at how old Drvengrad is: 50 years? 75? Maybe even 150 years?

Nope! It’s actually less than 20 years old… and, most likely, younger than you or me. 😊

That’s because Drvengrad isn’t really a traditional Serbian village (or at least not in the typical sense). It was actually created in the early 2000s as a film set for Emir Kusturica’s movie Life Is a Miracle but was so well-liked that it turned into its own tourist attraction.

Thanks to this, Drvengrad is a popular stop on most West Serbia itineraries and is easily reached from Mokra Gora, Zlatibor, and other nearby cities. It’s only a 3-hour drive from Belgrade and makes for a fantastic weekend getaway or a drawn-out day trip. 

If you’re interested in traveling to Drvengrad, look no further than this Drvengrad travel guide. It covers everything you need to know, from how to get to Drvengrad to the history, what to see, where to stay, and much more!

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What is Drvengrad?

Before we go strolling around Drvengrad, let’s take a few paragraphs to appreciate the history behind this famous village… 

… Starting with the name! Drvengrad literally translates to Timber Town (drvo – timber/wood, grad – city) and is a pretty straightforward interpretation of the place. Seriously, no matter where you look, everything — from the sidewalk to the roofs, doors, walls, and everything in between — is made of some kind of wood!

However, that’s not the end of the story. This place actually goes by two other names: Mećavnik (named after the area around the village) and Küstendorf (a German-sounding name that’s made up of Kust, a nickname for Emir Kusturica, and dorf, which means village — literally, Kusturica’s village). 

Now, onto the history. When coming up with the idea for his now-famous film, Emir Kusturica stated that he “wished to build [his] own village,” especially after his birth city, Sarajevo, was badly damaged during the Balkan Wars. 

The village is based on the architecture of traditional Dinaric-style log cabins that were found around Mt. Tara hundreds of years ago, along with a few aesthetic touches from Emir Kusturica himself (like the colorful red-and-yellow limousine!). 

Although Drvengrad isn’t particularly big, it makes up for its size with a warm and friendly atmosphere. 

As the Drvengrad tourist center notes, “There is something in the water and in the air; there is something in the food and the drink, and in the people, too; there is something among the dogs, which stop being strays at Mećavnik, and something in the ambience and the atmosphere.”

The complex has everything a guest could ever need, from the intricate St. Sava church to the cheerful log cabins, cinema, restaurants, a homemade cake shop, and even its own dairy farm, complete with 20 Gatačko cows! 

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How to get to Drvengrad

The easiest way to get to Drvengrad is by renting a car and driving there. It’s extremely convenient because you can also check out other attractions in Western Serbia, especially since many are very close by! 

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BY CAR

We rented a car from Sixt using RentalCars, which I highly recommend. The roads in Serbia are fantastic (even in the mountains!) and everything went very smoothly. 

There is both open air and covered parking at Drvengrad, which can hold almost 100 cars. Parking is free and is right in front of the main entrance. 

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FROM SERBIA

From Belgrade — Drvengrad is located some 200 kilometers (125 mi) from Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, and takes about 3 hours to get there.  

From Nis — The A1 road is the fastest way to get from Nis to Drvengrad, at 300 km (185 mi) and a 4-hour drive. 

Zlatibor — If you’re traveling from the ‘Gateway to West Serbia,’ you’ll have an easy (and picturesque!) ride. Zlatibor to Drvengrad is less than 40 km (25 mi) away and a 40-minute drive.

Mokra Gora — No need for a car if you’re going from Mokra Gora to Drvengrad — it’s only 1.5 km (<1 mi) away and you can go by foot. :) 

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FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

From Sarajevo — Planning to take a day trip from Bosnia? It’ll take you about 2.5 hours and 140 km (87 mi) to get from Sarajevo to Drvengrad. While you’re driving, don’t forget to stop at Andrićgrad, another project by Emir Kusturica that’s located along the way in Visegrad. 

From Dubrovnik — It’s a bit of a stretch to travel from Dubrovnik to Drvengrad, but still doable if you’re on a road trip. The journey takes about 265 km (165 mi) and about 5 hours, not including time spent on border crossings. 

From Kotor — Similar to Dubrovnik, traveling from Kotor will take about 5 hours (without factoring in borders) and almost 300 km. 

BY BUS / TRAIN

Although it’s a bit of a journey, you can get to Drvengrad by taking a mix of bus, train, and taxi.

For example, there’s a train route that goes from Belgrade to Užice, which is considered the ‘gateway to Western Serbia’ and also one of the closest towns to Drvengrad. 

The train journey takes around 3.5 hours and costs 770 RSD (second class) to 1100 RSD (first class). 

You can check the train’s timetable on the official Rail Serbia website — just type in from ‘​​BEOGRAD CENTAR’ and to ‘UŽICE’ (make sure to pay careful attention, as there are other cities with a very similar name!) 

From Užice, you’ll need to take a 45-minute taxi ride to Drvengrad. 

Alternatively, you can take a train to Zlatibor and take a 40-minute taxi to Drvengrad. Either Užice or Zlatibor are excellent starting points if you plan to stay in the area overnight (or for a few days).

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What to do in Drvengrad 

While strolling around Drvengrad, I overheard another guest say something like, “Wow, this is like the Serbian version of Disneyland!”

However, I don’t think that’s telling the whole story. 😅 While Disneyland might have a bunch of attractions and things to do, the beauty of Drvengrad is quite the opposite. 

It’s a place where you go to chill out, explore the side streets, enjoy a traditional Serbian meal (or pizza, both are great 😉), and feel inspired by Kusturica’s vision for the entire village. It almost feels like an open-air museum! 

While there’s no right or wrong way of doing Drvengrad, here are a few ideas to get you started:

Marvel at the architecture and cute log cabins 

Did you know that Drvengrad’s layout was inspired by Ephesus, the ancient town in western Turkey? It’s true: Kusturica wanted to have a ‘self sustaining city’ that had a neat rectangular shape. Who knew that Turkey and Serbia had so much in common!
You could spend hours walking around and admiring the cute details, such as the colorful doors, heart-shaped fence, and curious (painted) cats peeking out of the windows…

In the middle of Drvengrad is a small church dedicated to Saint Sava (you can see his portrait in the mosaic above the entrance). Although he’s the patron saint of Serbia, you might recognize his name from another place — the Church of Saint Sava is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the capital, Belgrade!

Finally, don’t forget to snap a photo or two near the village’s biggest attractions: the colorful red-and-yellow car cheerfully parked near the front.

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Try to see how many ‘celebrities’ you can spot

While real celebrities tend to visit Drvengrad once in a while (especially if it’s during the annual Küstendorf Film Festival!), you can see dozens of stars any time you visit Drvengrad. How, you might ask? It’s very simple! 

Remember how I mentioned that Kusturica liked to plant ‘Easter eggs’ and references all over Drvengrad? Besides the buildings, each street in Drvengrad is named after  individuals that Kusturica is inspired by. 

For example, one street is dedicated to Nikola Tesla, the famous inventor, while another is named after Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. You might also see Diego Maradona street (whom Kusturica made a documentary about!), and another famous sports celebrity, tennis player Novak Djokovic. 

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Buy souvenirs 

Last but certainly not least, don’t leave Drvengrad without taking a souvenir home! 

At the far end of Drvengrad — behind the church and a few stairs down — you’ll notice a few colorful wooden kiosks (photo above) with tons of goodies on display. These are souvenir shops that sell everything from magnets to traditional shirts, dishes, wooden ornaments, hand-painted crafts, and much more. 

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Where to Stay Near Drvengrad

Planning to visit on an overnight trip? Great choice — there are plenty of amazing places to stay near Drvengrad! Here are some top picks:

Mecavnik
If you fell in love with Drvengrad’s charming village life, why not stay there a little longer? That’s right: you can chill in your own little traditional wooden hut! Besides its charm, this Drvengrad accommodation includes breakfast, a pool, sauna, gym, and the chance to explore the village all by yourself after it closes. ;)
WHERE TO BOOK: Booking.com | Agoda 

Vacation Home Nana
1.5 km from Drvengrad (3 min drive | 18 min walk) — A rustic, 150-year old cabin (!) that’s perfect for groups. You can choose from one of two holiday homes, which can hold up to 4 guests each (for a total of 8 guests).
WHERE TO BOOK: Booking.com | Agoda 

Apartments DM
1.5 km from Drvengrad (3 min drive | 18 min walk) — Is there anything cuter than this adorable and rustic cabin? The spacious apartments offer a huge balcony with a view, all the amenities you could ever want (AC, WiFi, kitchen) and even walking trails around the area.
WHERE TO BOOK: Booking.com | Agoda 

Apartment Mateja
2.7 km from Drvengrad (5 to 8 min drive | 30 min walk) —  Inspired by Drvengrad’s cute wooden cabins? Apartment Mateja has just the thing! These charming cabins take inspiration from the region’s architecture and are run by friendly hosts.
WHERE TO BOOK: Booking.com | Agoda 

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Where to go After Drvengrad

Did you know that Drvengrad is just one of the many interesting tourist attractions that you can find in Western Serbia? It’s true! 

This region has so many things to do, such as taking a ride on a charming vintage train through lush forests and antique bridges; hiking on trails that lead to epic views; traipsing through caves; or just chilling out in a cozy log cabin (there are plenty!).

If any of these ideas piqued your interest, then I highly recommend checking out my West Serbia Travel Guide, which has everything you need to know about the region. 

Happy travels!