Golubac

Not to be confused with Golubac fortress.

For other uses, see Golubac (disambiguation).

Golubac Голубац
—  Village-Municipality  —
Town Center
Location of the municipality of Golubac within Serbia
Coordinates: 44°39′N 21°38′E / 44.65°N 21.633°E / 44.65; 21.633
Country	Serbia
District	Braničevo
Settlements	24
Government
– Mayor	Nebojša Mijović
Area[1]
– Municipality	368 km2 (142.1 sq mi)
Population (2011 census)[2]
– Town	1,655
– Municipality	8,161
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	12223
Area code	+381 12
Car plates	PO
Website	www.golubac.org.rs

Golubac (Serbian Cyrillic: Голубац, pronounced [gɔ̌lubats], Hungarian: Galambóc, German: Taubenberg, Turkish: Güvercinlik) 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.

Name

View of Golubac fortress from Danube

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.

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.^[3]

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.

Demographics

Ethnic groups in the Golubac municipality (2002 census):

• Serbs: 8,629
• Vlachs: 870
• Other

Tourism

The Iron Gate 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.

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 Regatta, 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.

See also

• List of places in Serbia

References

1. ^ "Municipalities of Serbia, 2006". Statistical Office of Serbia. http://webrzs.stat.gov.rs/axd/en/Zip/OG2006webE.zip. Retrieved 2010-11-28. 
2. ^ "2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Serbia – FIRST RESULTS". Bulletin (Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia) 540. 2011. ISSN 0354-3641. http://media.popis2011.stat.rs/2011/prvi_rezultati.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-21. 
3. ^ Notitia Dignitatum, the Synekdêmos and Prokopios’s Buildings IV.v.-vii, x