Araca Cathedral
The ruins of a colossal romanesque cathedral, believed to have been built in the 13th century, are surrounded by nothing but endless fields. Although the cathedral is pretty dilapidated, a huge part has been preserved as a building with massive pillars, arches, windows and one tall tower.
The greatest structure in the region, erected in the Vojvodinian plain, Araca Cathedral immediately grasps all your attention from the moment you see it on the horizon. It was built out of stone and reddish brick; the interior of the cathedral is very spacious, with a number of interesting architectural details. The surrounding area is also very interesting and convenient for hiking and exploring, with herds of roes wandering about.
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History of Araca
Araca was first mentioned in written documents in 13th century, when it functioned like a Benedictine monastery, but it is unknown when exactly it was built. It was robbed and devastated in 1280, to be reconstructed in 1370, during the reign of Queen Jelisaveta Anzujska. The tower was most probably built in that period of restoration.In the year 1417 it came into possession of despot Stefan Lazarevic. Later it belonged to despot Djuradj Brankovic who gave it, as a present, to Pavle Birinji.
In 1551, Turks burned the cathedral down, after which it has never been restored.
Today, Araca Cathedral is a picturesque ruin surrounded by fields. In medieval times there was a little settlement just next to the cathedral, but there are no visible traces of it today.
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Getting to Araca Cathedral
Take the road from Novi Becej to Novo Milosevo and, on 12th km from Novi Becej, on the right side, you will see a country road crossing the railway, passing by the crumbled train station ”Crna Bara”. The road then passes by a little farm house (on your right) and leads further into an orchard. Walk for about 6 km after the trees, through the fields, and you'll find the cathedral. It should appear on the horizon just after the orchard.
There is a train operating on this line, but it does not stop at Crna Bara. The best option would be to take a bus from Novi Bacej to Novo Milesevo and ask the driver to drop you off at the 12th kilometer. The distance between Novi Becej and Novo Milosevo is 20 km in total.
You can reach Novi Becej using a direct bus line from Novi Sad (four buses a day), or take a bus from Novi Sad to Becej (more frequent line) and there, in Becej, get on a bus to Novi Becej, which is only 10 km away.
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What to see in Araca?
Araca is a ruin of an old, impressive cathedral, which dominates the plain. From the times when it was Benedictine abbey, only basilica with three apsides remains, of which the middle one is higher and bigger with massive walls made of red brick. On the west side, the portal of red marble and big rosette are preserved.Grey sandstone columns can be seen inside the church, with capitals decorated with romanesque floral ornaments shaped like acacia leaves. The capital itself is in the shape of Adam picking an apple. In the northwest corner, a great head-shaped console can be seen.
The church is placed in a very vivid area, surrounded by endless fields, with herds of does and roebucks roaming about, with an occasional rabbit. Up, in the tower, hawks, grouse or some other birds are nesting. In front of the cathedral there are two big wooden crosses, surrounded by low underbush and some rocks.
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Accommodation in Araca
Because the Araca Cathedral is not close to any larger place, there is no possibility of paid accommodation. The closest village is Novo Milosevo (8 km) and a little bit closer is an old farm, on the turning from the road Novi Becej - Novo Milosevo, when you cross the railway. On the farm you can ask the owners to let you sleep in one of the few additional buildings.If this doesn’t work , there is a crumbled, deserted train station ”Crna Bara”, in a pretty bad condition, but it has walls and a roof, so you can use that as well, especially if you bring a sleeping bag.
The small forest surrounding the place is pretty convenient for camping. The only problem could be the lack of a nearby source of drinking water, so make sure to bring plenty.
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Misc
A travelogue from a short winter hitchhiking trip to Araca can be seen here.
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