Lies in the hearth of Serbia where, in early 19th century, Đorđe Petrović (1768-1817) built his own stronghold. He was the leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Turks, who dubbed him Karađorđe - Black Đorđe. He was a cattle merchant who fought against the Ottoman Empire, initially as an outlaw and then serving in the Austrian army during the Austro-Turkish war (he was decorated with a gold medal for courage). In early 1804, he was chosen to lead the first Serbian uprising against the Turks. He was the commander at the battle of Mišar (analysed at military academies worldwide) where Serbs won a crushing victory, and he liberated Belgrade in 1806. After the failure of the uprising in 1813, he left for Austria and Russia. On his return to Serbia in 1817, he was killed upon the orders of Serbian Prince Miloš Obrenović. He was the founder of the Karađorđević dynasty.

The church of St. George is perched on top of Mali Oplenac hill. It is the endowment of King Petar I Karađorđević, who was grandson to Karađorđe. He completed the Military Academy in Saint-Cyr and was decorated with the Order of the Legion of Honour for his merits in the Foreign Legion. He became King in 1903, at the age of sixty. He was victorious in the Balkan wars against Turkey in 1912 and Bulgaria in 1913. The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1904, but it was not completed until 1930, due to the Balkan Wars and the World War I, when Austrian army removed the bells and the copper cover from the dome and the roof and then desecrated the graves of the Royal Family in the crypt. It is one of the loveliest churches in Serbia, known for its exquisite frescoes and mosaics. The church is the resting place of Karađorđe (the founder of the dynasty) and King Petar I Karađorđević, and its crypt contains the tombs of 19 more members of the Royal Family.

The Oplenac complex includes Peter’s House, where the King lived while he was overseeing the building of the church, Winegrower’s House built in the style of traditional Serbian houses (which nowadays hosts a permanent exhibition - The Legacy of Nikola Graovac, a distinguished Serbian painter), King’s and Queen’s villas and replanted Royal Vineyards.

King Petar I Karađorđević had the vineyards planted intending them to serve as a role model for Serbian vineyards and a nursery of carefully selected European grapevines. Following the World War II, the new communist authorities took over the management of the complex, and allowed the vineyards to fall to ruin or wilfully destroyed them. Several years ago, the vineyards were replanted. During the tour of the complex you will hear an engaging story of how the King was buying the land for the vineyards from the villagers (who called him Uncle Pierre) and one of them would not let him have the land for any sum of money the King repeatedly offered. He even sued the King in court for putting pressure on him. The villager won the case and then he gave the disputed land to the King as a present (a fine example of the unpredictability of Serbian behaviour). The royal vintner tradition has nowadays been revived by Aleksandrović Cellar. The Royal Cellar Master (who emigrated to the Canada) when communists came to power), revealed, before he died, the secret recipe for Triumph, the best wine from the King's cellar, to the owner of the Aleksandrović Cellar.
The Oplenac Grape Harvest, an event visited by more than 200,000 people, takes place every October.

Excursions from Belgrade:
Glob Metropoliten Tours, Dositejeva 26, tel. 262 26 20, www.metropoliten.com.