Rajacke Pimnice: A small stone village with a big winemaking tradition

Rajacke Pimnice is a small stone village located at the very East of Serbia, close to the border between Serbia and Bulgaria. This village gets all the popularity from its vineyards, some of which are dating back even to the old Roman times. It's all about the wine here! Some houses don't have windows – they ended up as permanent wine cellars instead of places to live. The village follows a centuries-long viticulture tradition, and most of the owners of the cellars live in the nearby village of Rajac. A day trip to Rajacke Pimnice will reveal the traditional spirit embodied in the tiny streets and houses of the small stone village that successfully maintains a big winemaking tradition to this day.

Rajacke Pimnice

Unnamed Rd, Rajac,, Rajac, Serbia

How was the traditional stone village of winemakers created?

The 19th century brought many troubles and incurable diseases. The vine was struck by “a plague” of its own. A parasitic insect called phylloxera that fed on the vine traveled to Europe and destroyed the vine all along the way. This disease caused the enormous wine drought throughout Europe, and people had to look for alternative places of supply. This was when the viticulture in Eastern Serbia flourished. The vineyards of this area grew on the rocky and sandy soil which has made them resistant to the phylloxera parasite. That is how Rajacke Pimnice grew in popularity and started a long winemaking tradition, making this small stone village one of the biggest wine producers in the country.

An aromatic walk through a historical place

A fertile land and perfect climate have encouraged local people to make wine here from a long time back. The stone village Rajacke Pimnice is a place that should be on every traveler's list, who finds his way to Serbia or enjoys the wine. The village hardly has any permanent resident but it serves as a living museum during the touristic season. The wine produced in Rajacke Pimnice is of supreme quality and comes in many flavors and explicit scent that wine lovers cannot resist.

As you tread the labyrinth of streets in Rajacke Pimnice, you will notice that many houses don't have chimneys or even windows. There may be a slightly nostalgic feel to it, especially when the clouds of aroma coming from the stone facades and wine cellars, charm you into walking in. The wine from the vineyards of Rajacke Pimnice has found a place in the heart of wine lovers around the world.

How to get there and where to stay

Rajacke Pimnice stone village is located some 290 km from Belgrade, and it is quite easy to reach. The first stop would be in the town of Negotin or Zajecar, where the well-marked smaller roads take you to Rajacke Pimnice within 30 minutes of driving. Both roads go through the wonderful natural scenery, giving a sneak peek of beautiful landmarks in Eastern Serbia. There are some accommodation options available at the exotic villas in the Rajac village. They also offer tours where you can walk the wine cellars, learn more about the process of winemaking, and village's history.

A day in Rajacke Pimnice will open the doors for exploring some of the exciting natural sights like the hidden gates of Vratna Canyon or the Djerdap National Park, that serves as an important cultural and natural monument of Europe.

Djerdap National Park

GXJH+P7 Boljetin, Serbia

The delightful scent coming straight from the vineyards will intoxicate you with joy and tickle your senses for good. Additionally, do visit Rajacke Pimnice small stone village in September, to discover various exhibitions, best of its big winemaking tradition, and local folklore, organized in the memory of Stevan Mokranjac, one of Serbia’s most prominent composers who lived in the area.

Canyon of Vratna

99M4+JC Vratna, Serbia

Photos by Zoran Cvetkovic