Veliko Selo: Village History and Danube Islands

Veliko Selo brings together several different ways of exploring local history: the construction of a church using reused monastery materials, the Stara Mehana’s former role as a meeting place, vegetable growing for Belgrade markets, and the area’s historical connection to the Danube. These topics offer different starting points for understanding the place before a trip—from architectural and social history to agriculture and river landscapes.

Church construction and local social history

According to some old documents, Veliko Selo was established in 1510. A later landmark building is the Crkva Svetog Stefana: it was built in 1834 using materials from the demolished Sveti Stefan monastery in Slanci. The origin of the materials connects the church’s construction with the history of another religious building. Alongside the early date given for the settlement’s establishment, there is therefore a specific construction year and information about where the building material came from. For travelers interested in historical local connections, the link to Slanci is also part of the church’s story.

The Stara Mehana adds a social dimension to the architectural history. It was established in the first decades of the 19th century and served at the time as a meeting place for merchants, travelers, and local residents. It has been protected as a cultural monument since 2001. This offers different perspectives for understanding the area’s history: for the Crkva Svetog Stefana, the construction year and reused materials are central; for the Stara Mehana, the focus is on its former role as a meeting place and its protected monument status.

According to local tradition, the distant ancestors of Veliko Selo’s residents were fishermen, known as alasi. This tradition adds another aspect of local history to the memories of trade and encounters at the Stara Mehana.

The Danube, fishing, and vegetable growing

Early residents settled at Velikoselski rit; the Danube’s frequent floods made good catches possible there. At the latitude of Veliko Selo, the Danube is home to the river islands of Forkontumac, also called Velika Švab, and Ada Čakljanac. Here, you can discover two different perspectives on the river: the story of Velikoselski rit tells of early settlement and fishing, while the islands locate the river landscape through specific names.

Extensive vegetable-growing areas also shape the place; they are covered with greenhouses and supply Belgrade markets with various kinds of vegetables every day. This adds a different connection to food and supply alongside the historical fishing: one is about vegetable production and daily deliveries to markets, the other about earlier catches during Danube floods. Agriculture and river history thus offer different starting points for getting to know Veliko Selo beyond its individual buildings.

Getting there and choosing where to stay

If you are looking for an apartment for a stay in Veliko Selo, you can use your travel group’s interests as a starting point for choosing where to stay: is the focus on architectural and social history, the historical connection to the river, or vegetable growing and market supplies? These priorities give you a concrete basis for deciding whether Veliko Selo fits your travel plans.

For travel to the area, Belgrade bus line 202 connects Omladinski stadion/ulaz/ with Veliko Selo. The timetable lists 24 stops in each direction and an average journey time of about 30 minutes. The timetable’s last update is listed as September 2, 2026. Check the connection again before departure so that your plans reflect the current timetable.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Mala Ivanča, Beli Potok, Koracica, Ugrinovci, Zuce, Ovča, Sopot, Obrenovac.

For the main travel overview: Belgrade.