This ancient wind has witnessed many periods in history, brought to life through a new interpretive walk.
Ram Fortress, located in Eastern Serbia, attracts many visitors with its rich history and stunning view of the Danube River. Constructed in the late 15th century by Ottoman sultan Bayezid II as one of first artillery strongholds, architecturally it represents a combination of Roman and Oriental ways of building. Nearby were found remains of Serbian, Austrian, Hungarian, Roman, Celtic and other settlements proving the importance of this location right back to prehistoric times. The fortress was completely restored, with protection of its own authenticity, in 2019, and since then it has been open for guests.
Since 2024, Ram Fortress offers a new experience with a 45-minute interpretive walk: the Košava wind time machine. Košava is a south-east wind typical for this part of Europe. It is present during most of the year, and has been witness to many important events in Ram.
The interpretive walk was organised once a week, or by special request, from May until November, and has so far been enjoyed by more than 1,000 guests.
The walk includes interpretation in the first person by five guides dressed in authentic costumes from different periods of history. These guides are positioned at five locations in the fortress and meet the guests as they walk through the gates. With these interactions, guests are becoming participants, finding interesting stories about important historical figures. But people can also see that all of the historical figures faced similar challenges to what we are facing today.
Participants meet Roman bannerman Gaius at the start of their voyage, and during the walk they have opportunity to speak with Ottoman sultan Bayezid II, Austrian hero of Ram Baron Lo Presti, Vuk Karadžić Serbian philologist, anthropologist and linguist.
Guest feedback emphasised the interaction with the guides, saying that learning this way was fun, but also emotional because you are being pulled into the life of a historical figure. They also liked the feeling of anticipation because they are not aware whom they will meet next around the corner and what new stories will be revealed.
This walk was organised by Certified Interpretive Guides from the Tourist Organisation Veliko Gradište, Serbia. This came about due to the knowledge and passion passed on by IE trainers on an IE Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) course organised with support of the German Development Cooperation Agency GIZ during 2023. These guides were really delighted to be able to produce new and unique experiences for the guests of Ram Fortress and look forward to developing more exciting and engaging offers in the future.
Ilija Jacanović arrived in Ram in 2017 as a legal advisor for a Turkish company that conducted work on the restoration of the Ram Fortress, and this was life-changing. After the restoration of the fortress, Ilija changed profession, became a licensed tourist guide, and started a family in Ram. In 2023, the IE CIG course raised the level of Ilija’s interpretation. Now, Ilija owns a small tourist boat and welcomes visitors from all around the world, showcasing the cultural and natural heritage of Serbia. Ilija can be contacted at: jacanovicilija@gmail.com.
To cite this article: Tomljanović, Ileana (2024) ‘A heritage with moustaches‘ in Interpret Europe Newsletter 4-2024, pg.13-14.
Available online: https://interpret-europe.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Newsletter-2024_4.pdf
