# Golubac

Golubac (Serbian Cyrillic: Голубац, pronounced; Romanian: Golubăț) is a village and municipality located in the Braničevo District of eastern Serbia. Situated on the right side of the Danube river, it is bordered by Romania to the east, Veliko Gradište to the west and Kučevo to the south. The population of the village is 1,445 and the population of the municipality is 6,599. Due to many nearby archeological sites and the Đerdap national park, the village is a popular tourist, fishing and sailing destination.

## Name

In Serbian, the town is known as Golubac (Голубац), derived from golub ("pigeon" or "dove") and is therefore often translated as "the town of doves." Other names: Romanian: Golubăț (also known as Golumbacu Mare or Columbacu), Hungarian: Galambóc, German: Taubenberg and Turkish: Güvercinlik meaning "dovecote."
Historically, it was known as Columbria in Latin, a contraction of (castrum) Columbaria meaning "city of pigeons" (Latin: Columba, Greek: kòlymbos), and as a city derived from Cuppae during pre-Roman times.

## History

It was a stronghold called Cuppae during Roman and Early Byzantine times (1-6th century) and turned into a city (Columbria) in 554/5 AD.
Archeological sites include the remnants of one of Roman Emperor Trajan's tables near Trajan's Bridge, found along his road through the Danube's Iron Gates; and the Roman fortress Diana. Golubac fortress, 4 km downstream, is from the 14th century and also of interest.
Charles I of Hungary conquered the castle in 1334. Lazar of Serbia besieged it and acquired it, possibly in 1382. The Turks occupied it for the first time following the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, lost it to the Hungarian captain Péter Perényi in 1391, then recaptured it later the same year. King Sigismund of Hungary took over the fortress in 1392. When Lazar's son Stefan Lazarević became a Hungarian vassal in 1403–04, he received large possessions from King Sigismund, including the important fortresses of Belgrade and Golubac. A contract between King Sigismund and Stefan in 1426 stipulated that the king was to receive Golubac back on Stefan's death, but its Serbian captain, Jeremija, sold it to the Turks for twelve thousand golden coins. Sigismund besieged the fortress in spring 1428 in response, but the siege was a failure, and the King himself was almost killed by the advancing troops of the Ottoman sultan Murad II. The Polish knight Zawisza Czarny was captured and executed by the Turks. Golubac remained in Ottoman hands until the Peace of Szeged in 1444, when it was ceded to the Serbian despot Đurađ Branković. In 1458, it was reclaimed by the Turks. King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary tried to recapture it, but the siege was interrupted by Hungarian internal conflicts. When Matthias finally succeeded in taking over the fortress in 1481, he evacuated it soon thereafter. It remained under Ottoman rule until the 19th century, with few interruptions (notably, Habsburg Austrian rule in 1688–1690). By the 18th century, the civilian settlement associated with the fortress was described as a prosperous town.
Modern Serbia definitively acquired Golubac from the Ottoman Empire in 1868. From 1929 to 1941, Golubac was part of the Morava Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

## Demographics

According to the 2011 census results, the municipality of Golubac has a population of 8,331 inhabitants.

### Ethnic groups

The ethnic composition of the municipality:
| Ethnic group | Population | % |
| Serbs | 7,576 | 90.94% |
| Vlachs | 424 | 5.09% |
| Romani | 52 | 0.62% |
| Romanians | 47 | 0.56% |
| Yugoslavs | 13 | 0.16% |
| Montenegrins | 9 | 0.11% |
| Macedonians | 7 | 0.08% |
| Croats | 6 | 0.07% |
| Hungarians | 5 | 0.06% |
| Others | 192 | 2.30% |
| Total | 8,331 | |

## Economy

The following table gives a preview of total number of employed people per their core activity (as of 2017):
| Activity | Total |
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 47 |
| Mining | 45 |
| Processing industry | 183 |
| Distribution of power, gas and water | 1 |
| Distribution of water and water waste management | 36 |
| Construction | 39 |
| Wholesale and retail, repair | 182 |
| Traffic, storage and communication | 30 |
| Hotels and restaurants | 90 |
| Media and telecommunications | 3 |
| Finance and insurance | 5 |
| Property stock and charter | - |
| Professional, scientific, innovative and technical activities | 38 |
| Administrative and other services | 39 |
| Administration and social assurance | 114 |
| Education | 116 |
| Healthcare and social work | 70 |
| Art, leisure and recreation | 25 |
| Other services | 30 |
| Total | 1,091 |

## Tourism

The Iron Gate national park is noted for its natural environment and its hunting grounds, as well as its hiking trails. The village's quay along the Danube river is popular for more relaxed hiking.

### Sailing

Golubac has become a well-known sailing site. The Sailing Center of the Sailing Association of Serbia, which the Serbian National Team uses for ground preparations before major sailing events, is located in Golubac. One of the events is a sailing Regatta, which is traditionally held in August. During the summer, the Center holds an Optimist Class sailing camp, where beginners can learn from the best Serbian sailors and their international guests.