ROMAN SITE OF VIMINACIUM

Viminacium is a beautiful site on the outskirts of the village of Kostolac, at the confluence of the Mlava and the Danube, 13 km north of Požarevec. It is one of the most important Roman cities in Serbia and a major site of the Roman world still preserved today. Originally a stronghold built by the Romans as early as 86 AD, it was granted the status of a municiple under Emperor Hadrian and then, in 128, became a Roman colony in its own right under Emperor Gordian in 240. Viminacium became an important commercial center and was even authorized to mint its own currency. At that time, it was the metropolis of the Roman province of Moesia, and many emperors passed through here.

Unfortunately, the great history of the city ends here. It was destroyed in the^5th century by a barbarian incursion, then it was buried by the floods of the Danube, the city disappeared permanently for many centuries under the cultivated land, which earned it the nickname during its rediscovery of "Pompeii of the Balkans". The site is now quite small, although it is estimated that in the second century it occupied an extraordinary area of 450 ha. What has been revealed has, thanks to the funds of the Ministry of Culture and international donations, been magnificently enhanced. Today you can visit the remains of the urban enclosure and the castrum; you can also see the foundations of the beautiful Roman houses of the 3rd century, with red brick chimneys, the baths, the mausoleum and an aqueduct. Most interestingly, a necropolis with a frescoed vault was unearthed in the village of Drmno.

There are also three large wooden and half-moon structures, covered with white canvas, which protect the three main excavation sites. The entrance ticket includes a guide who starts the visits every hour (10:00, 11:00, etc.) and who is indispensable to fully enjoy the available explanations. The guides speak Serbian and English very well. The site now has a bar-tavern, souvenirs, etc. It is also accessible to disabled people.

The Mammoth Viminacijumu site, with its "open pit" geology, is a protected treasure of geological heritage. It is estimated that the entire skeleton found there belongs to a female, about 60 years old, whose height was at least 4.5 meters, whose length was over 5 meters, and whose weight was over 10 tons.