Golubac

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Golubac
Голубац
—  Village-Municipality  —
Town Center

Coat of arms
Location of the municipality of Golubac within Serbia
Coordinates: 44°39′N 21°38′E / 44.650°N 21.633°E / 44.650; 21.633
Country  Serbia
District Braničevo
Settlements 24
Government
 • Mayor Nebojša Mijović
Area[1]
 • Municipality 368 km2 (142 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 [ɡǒlubats]) 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.

Contents

Name[edit]

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, in German as Taubenberg 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,as a contraction of Columbaria that means city of pigeons (Latin: Columba, Greek: kòlymbos), and as a city derived from Cuppae during pre-Roman times.

History[edit]

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[edit]

Ethnic groups in the Golubac municipality (2002 census):

Tourism[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Municipalities of Serbia, 2006". Statistical Office of Serbia. Retrieved 2010-11-28. 
  2. ^ "2011 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in The Republic of Serbia: Ethnicity - Data by municipalities and cities". Statistical Office of Republic Of Serbia, Belgrade. 2012. ISBN 978-86-6161-023-3. Retrieved 2012-11-30. 
  3. ^ Notitia Dignitatum, the Synekdêmos and Prokopios’s Buildings IV.v.-vii, x