Serbia, Told By You – The Day a Whole Village Waited for Me

by Pieter Janssens (53), Ghent, Belgium

It was my last day in Užice, and I had to catch the bus to Belgrade. I had miscalculated the time, and by the time I reached a small village on the way, I realized I had only minutes before the bus passed by. With my backpack heavy and my legs tired, I was sure I would miss it.

Then, something unexpected happened. A man in his fifties, seeing me run along the road, asked where I was going. When I said, “Belgrade, bus!” he smiled, waved to his neighbor, and shouted something in Serbian. Within seconds, two men were putting my backpack into the trunk of their old red Yugo. They told me to hop in, and before I knew it, we were racing down the winding road.

When we finally caught up, the driver was already at the village bus stop, engine running. But instead of driving away, he waited. The men waved, and the driver nodded, smiling as if this wasn’t unusual at all. I climbed into the bus, breathless and grateful. Out of instinct, I offered money to the men who had helped me, but they laughed, shook their heads, and one of them simply said, “Guest never pays.”

The bus pulled away, and as I looked through the window, I saw them waving until the village disappeared behind the trees.

Why visit Užice and its surroundings?
Because here, people don’t just point you in the right direction—they make sure you get there. In Western Serbia, you’ll find breathtaking nature, bridges over the Đetinja river, the famous Kadinjača Memorial, and Tara National Park nearby. But what you’ll remember most are the people, their warmth, and the way they make you feel at home—even when you’re just passing through.

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