Nautical village in Surčin – tourism complex in Boljevci to be opened in mid-May

Belgrade should get the first nautical village in mid-May. The complex comprising 15 houses on water will be situated in Surčin’s village of Boljevci.

The initial plan was that the future tourist oasis be opened on May 1st, but high water level obstructed the works. People from Belgrade’s youngest borough said that the works were close to end, and that the nature lovers would be able to rent the houses on water during the summer months, while the tourist ships would be driving them to the village.

– Each house will comprise a two-bed room, a bathroom and a balcony for sunbathing. We plan to have sports fields built in the vicinity of this complex in the near future and, until then, the tourists will be able to spend time by walking through the nearby forests or by fishing on the Sava – says Nikola Bojić, the Head of the Technical Department of the Public Company for Tourism of the borough of Surčin.

He points out that the borough has provided four boats that will be transporting people from New Belgrade’s Block 45 to Boljevci.

– Every Surčin’s village on the Sava has organized banks, and we have also set up piers in order to make it possible for the people to reach this part of the city by boat –Bojić points out and adds that this part of Belgrade have achieved its goal to expand to the river.

According to the first estimates, the rent for houses in the nautical village, of which construction commenced two years ago, will amount to 2,500 RSD per day.

By the way, the borough of Surčin organized the cruise from New Belgrade to Jakovo and Surčin last year, and the people had the opportunity to visit the sights of this part of the city, such as Fenek monastery, partisans’ dugouts in Bojčinska forest, as well as Slovakian ethno-houses.

The tourism workers in Surčin announce that tourist trips to Belgrade’s youngest borough may be introduced again already in the first days of spring. According to them, Obedska Bara pond should also be included in the nautical project, while the guests from the country and abroad will be invited to stay in the existing bungalows in Jakovo and ethno-complex in Bojčinska forest.

According to the estimates, Surčin has, so far, invested over 100,000 EUR from the municipal budget in development of tourism, while the city authorities pointed out on several occasions that that borough had been the leader in tourism development over the last few years.

– This year we will, once again, help people in Surčin develop the tourist offer – says Jasna Dimitrijević, the Director of the Tourism Organization of Belgrade.

– Our intention is to make it possible for them to present their tourism development projects in the promotional materials in order to make the advertising easier. In that way, the foreigners who come to our city will be able to visit Surčin as a part of Belgrade’s tourist offer.

If everything goes as planned, tourists may soon start coming to Surčin to drink the healing water. Namely, local authorities plan to have a spa complex built in the vicinity of Bojčinska forest. The research that should show if there is a thermal spring in the forest or village of Progar is underway.

– If the researchers discover thermal springs, it will be an excellent reason for construction of a hotel in this part of the city. That hotel should be built in any case because thermal-mineral springs already exist in nearby Obrenovac, and guests had nowhere to stay – people in the borough of Surčin point out and add that, once the golf courses are built in Bečmen, this part of Belgrade will become a special tourist oasis.

(Note: complete text is taken from newspaper "Politika" of April 30, 2009)