Lepenski Vir, an archaeological site with remains of a culture dated to between 6500 and 5500 BCE, is situated on the right bank of the Danube, in the area of the Iron Gate gorge. Dubbed “the cradle of civilisation”, Lepenski Vir boasts some of the oldest known artefacts, tools, weapons and sculptures, as well as traces of one of the oldest settlements in Europe.
Prehistoric humans took advantage of the favourable microclimate and the vicinity of the Danube, a source of plentiful food and water for the local population, to create one of the world’s earliest civilisations.
The trapezoid-shaped remains of houses are testament to the builders of the period’s detailed knowledge of mathematics and geometry. Inside the walls are sculptures made of large pebbles with human figures.
The famous fish-like sculptures with large eyes and lowered lips, as well as deer and fish sculptures carved in stone, are kept at the National Museum in Belgrade. They are engraved with mysterious depictions: symbols resembling a coordinate system, drawings, letters, numbers and landscapes.
When agriculture became the primary economic activity in Lepenski Vir, its inhabitants set out on a quest for new living space and greater swathes of arable land. Around 4,800 BCE, the last families left the settlement.
On site, you will see the remains of as many 136 structures, complete with stone fireplaces and replicas of the most beautiful sculptures found at Lepenski Vir. The site is covered with a modern safety construction and features the Visitors’ Centre / Lepenski Vir Museum.
