Viminacium: the Roman capital on the Danube, off the known routes

There are places in Europe where you can walk on floors trodden two thousand years ago without meeting almost anyone. The plain around Požarevac, in north-eastern Serbia, is one of them. Here stood Viminacium, once capital of the Roman province of Moesia Superior: a city that numbered tens of thousands of inhabitants, with baths, an amphitheatre and necropolises. Today it is an open archaeological park, where the wind sweeps through the remains of mausoleums and villas buried beneath centuries of cultivated fields.

The power of Viminacium lies not only in the stones, but in the silence. The crypts and frescoed tombs, brought back to light by the excavations, retain surprisingly vivid colours. You will find no queues or barriers for selfies: often it is just you, a caretaker and a few archaeologists at work. A short walk away, reproductions and artefacts recount daily life on the edge of the empire, along that Danube which for Rome was both frontier and waterway.

The river is the common thread running through the whole area. Travelling up or down its banks you come across fortresses and citadels that have changed flags countless times, stone sentinels overlooking the water. Walking along their ramparts at sunset, with the broad, slow current beneath you, evokes the feeling of a borderland Europe, layered and little tamed for tourism.

For a visit, aim for the shoulder season, when the light is soft and the heat of the plain does not weigh so heavily. Požarevac is easily reached from Belgrade on a day trip, but staying a night lets you savour the slow rhythm of the Serbian provinces, their taverns and their frank hospitality. It is a journey for those who seek history without the crowds, and prefer ruins that speak in a whisper.

Getting there

The archaeological park lies on the Danube, near Kostolac and Požarevac. The best way to get there is by car: from Belgrade you take the E-75 motorway heading east, exit at Požarevac and follow the signs for Kostolac and Viminacium, with parking at the site. Public transport reaches only as far as Kostolac, from where you need a taxi. The nearest airport is Belgrade.

Practical guides for Roma

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• What to see in Roma in 2 days
• Where to eat in Roma
• How to get to Roma