A famous house on a river in Serbia.

More and more men and women are looking for ways to live away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and homes are springing up everywhere. But is there ever a more remote place than on a homeless rock in the middle of a river? This is the story of the House on the Drina in Serbia.

A vacation spot The house on the Drina was not always there, of course. It was once just a rock in the middle of the most symbolic river in the Balkans, a body of water depicted in the works of writers such as Ivo Andrić and others. The turbulent waterway had always been a popular place to swim, and it was fatigue from battling the waves that led to the building of the house. The year was 1968, and a group of young Yugoslavs enjoyed a long vacation on the Drina near Baha Bašta. They swam and swam and swam, and then stopped to rest and sunbathe on a rock protruding from the heart of the river. The rock was not very conducive to resting, as it was so rough and rough, so they decided to bring planks from the shore to create a more comfortable resting environment.

Building a house, over and over again

Regatta on Drina The house attracted even more local attention after the founding of the Regatta on Drina in 1994, an annual event that has become the largest in Western Serbia. The five-day festival is undoubtedly a major event in the local calendar. Retail sales in Peručača are said to be higher during this week than for the rest of the year.

International fame

The House on the Drina could not remain a local secret forever, and international fame came into the 21st century. A photo of the structure was featured in National Geographic's Photo of the Day section, and suddenly the whole world knew about the most enchanting place in the Balkans. Irene Becker's photo contributed the most to tourism in the region.

Meet like-minded people on our reward trips

Since you're here, we'd like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction of the Culture Trip movement. Culture Trip was launched in 2011 with a simple and passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their borders and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful - and that's still at our core today. We're proud that for more than a decade, millions of people like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations; they were created by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

More meaningful travel for responsible travelers

Increasingly, we're convinced that the world needs more meaningful, real connections between curious travelers who want to explore the world in a more responsible way. That's why we've carefully selected a collection of premium small-group trips that offer meeting and connecting with new, like-minded people for unique experiences in three categories: Cultural Travel, Train Travel and Private Travel. Our trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples, and friends who want to explore the world together.

Cultural Travel

Cultural trips are deeply immersive itineraries lasting from 5 to 16 days, combining authentic local experiences, exciting activities, and accommodation in 4-5 star hotels at the end of each day.

Train trips

Our train journeys are the most eco-friendly routes that invite you to travel through picturesque landscapes, relax, and gain a deeper understanding of the culture of each place.

Private trips

Our private trips are fully customizable and commented on by our travel experts specifically for you, your friends, or family.

We know that many of you are concerned about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways to broaden your horizons without harming the planet - or perhaps even benefiting it. We have made the decision to take maximum care of the Earth by selecting our trips with special attention to ecology. Therefore, all our trips do not require flights, fully offset carbon emissions, and we have ambitious plans to be virtually net neutral in the near future.