Banstolka Rural Tourist Household Indjija

Agricultural estate and traditional Farm House of „Banstolka House to rent – rural tourist household” is located in Indjija Municipality, on the gentle slopes of Fruška Gora Mountain-National Park, at the Banstolka point. This lovely tourist household is set in the own vast and green yard with orchard full of plums, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, wine,… on the “old” road between Belgrade and Novi Sad, more precisely some 20 km away from Novi Sad and 70 km from Belgrade center and only few km from Sremski Karlovci. Indjija is the most developed municipality in Serbia whose huge advantage comes from the fact that the town is surrounded with fertile land of superior quality and traditionally known as the wonderfully rich agricultural area, famous also for crafts and industrial expertise and excellent working labour. The Banstolka traditional farm house is original rural tourist household which provides tourist services, fully surrounded with vineyards, orchards, greenery, herbs and flowers, at the elevation of 375 meters, on the regular M-22 road, between Inđija and Sremski Karlovci, Iriški Venac peak and Čortanovci resort on the Danube River.

Banstolka rural tourist household is run by perfectly dedicated and friendly Mrs Mirjana who wonderfully cares about her guests and does everything to make them feel comfortable and happy. This rural tourist household in Fruska Gora Mt contains the large house for rent with three nicely appointed bedrooms /2 beds each/, a shared bathroom, fully equipped kitchen, a living room, and the separate apartment with 4 beds that is suitable for family vacations/couples…. This comfortable rural tourist household in Fruska Gora also includes a traditional tavern which best represents authentic Vojvodina kitchen and accommodates up to 60 visitors. This kitchen is nicely appointed and arranged with numerous items and elements of a typical House of Vojvodina with few stoves where delicious food is prepared by the highly dynamic and hospitable lady owner – Mrs Mirjana. Since Mrs Mirjana is excellent cook, but also a President of the local Banstolka Women Association, here numerous members-ladies prepare fantastic food to serve to thier guests – gibanitsa /cheese pie/, proja /corn bread/, various soups and sauces, chicken paprikash and beef and pork goulashes, roaested or grilled meat, sarma /unbeatable Balkan food/, beans in various options, salads /fresh and pickled/, ayvar, desserts, noodles…. The wonderful green garden in the authentic and spacious courtyard provides the best spot to soak up the sun or the stars, that along with delicious food, drinks and friends makes the best place to rest or stay while you are traveling along the Fruska Gora National Park.
During their stay at the Banstolka House – Rural Tourist Household in Fruska Gora visitors have excellent opportunity to explore numerous nearby cultural sites, natural features and famous wineries of the Fruska Gora National Park-Mountain. Banstolka is situated 6 km  from Sremski Karlovci – the picturesque city at the foot of the Fruska Gora Mt, renown for extraordinary cultural heritage and the beautiful excursion spot of the Stražilovo site with the grave of the famous poet Branko Radičević. The Medieval Monasteries of Krušedol, Velika Remeta, Grgeteg, Hopovo, Jazak, Vrdnik – Ravanica are located in close proximity – 8 to 25 km from the Banstolka Rural Tourist Household – Farm House. The Vrdnik Banja Spa is 26 km away, and the Stari Slankamen Banja Spa is 30 km away. In the vicinity are famous tourist attractions of Vojvodina – the Petrovaradin Fortress and Novi Sad ./our home town/, with numerous tourist attractions and typical urban features. Only 7 km away from the Banstol pass /this is the place where this Farm house is set/ flows the Danube River, which provides large opportunities to fishermen and nautical lovers.
During their visit to the Banstolka Rural tourist household – Farm House which provides tourist services, visitors specially enjoy in pleasant and picturesque atmosphere of the Fruska Gora Mountain/National Park, and variety of interactive workshops and activities to observe or take part. Among the most enjoyable and exciting are culinary courses, conducted by experienced lady owner Mirjana and her associates – which are cooking workshops and preparation of authentic dishes, pastries and food specialties of Vojvodina region along the old and well-preserved recipes, without any artificial additives. But first – you need to go into the vast garden-orchard and pick up fresh fruits and other products from own production – cherries, plums, some vegetables….and then you cook under supervision of Mrs Mirjana, and have great fun….

Banstolka Rural tourist household – Farm House in Fruska Gora rent is one of the leading rural tourist households in Serbia and the first rural tourist household in Sebia with the Halal Certificate! To learn how to organize supplies and to cook food in a proper Halal way in her household was one of the main aims of Mrs Mirjana which she recently accomplished in order to please her guests. We are proud to say that we closely cooperate with this attractive rural tourist household, bringing our guests who truly enjoy every moment of their visit here !

Besides the Halal food and various culinary workshops, next advantage of this hospitable rural tourist household is exciting operation of other types of workshops in which our guests enjoy – embroidery course, Cyrillic Calligraphy course /conducted by icon painters and artist/, decoupage workshop, music and folklore courses.… under supervision and conduct of local professionals who we gladly hire to welcome our guests and have great time.

Preparation of the pickled vegetables and preserves for the long winter days was important customs in the past, which has been well preserved until the present days in the Banstolka Household – Farm House, thanks to abundance of organically-ecologically grown fruits and vegetables, available throughout the year. Here are grown strawberries, cherries, sour and white cherries, plums, peaches, apricots, apples, quinces and other fruits and plants of which diligent Mirjana prepares variety of tasty conserves, fruit jellies, preserves, natural juices, jams, marmelades and tincts. Vegetables and fruits are kept and used as fresh, dried, cooked and pickled in traditional food preparation processes, adding special local spices and herbs. Conserves mostly include the pickled gherkins, peppers, green tomatoes, cauliflower and carrots, mixed vegetables and the fantastic ayvar /pepper relish/. Few years ago Mirjana roasted and processed 1170 kg of peppers in order to produce delicious ayvar which is the most favorite specialty ordered by numerous customers, neighbors and nearby restaurants. Of sweet products there are peach, apricot, plum, pear, plum, quince jams and marmelades, and the slatko – preserves of white cherries, strawberries and figs…. Here come natural juices prepared from tomato, apricot, raspberry, peach, mint, elder flower, and beet …
Since the Roman times, the Sauerkraut – Cabbage Casserole has a special role in the Gastronomy of Vojvodina while nowadays it is regarded as one of the most important dishes in Germany, but also in winter time in Serbia. The Cabbage Casserole is prepared in almost every household in Vojvodina, and is served along with plenty of smoked meat and sausages. The common feature of Vojvodina is large consumption of smoked meat, so here at the Banstolka Rural tourist household are served delicious smoked ham, sausage, bacon, hot sausage, cracklings, and other meat processed and smoked delicacies.
Rakia – homemade brandy is unavoidable drink in all life cycles and almost every day routine in Vojvodina, whose preparation has long tradition and great respect. The quince is the most aromatic fruit out of which wonderful rakia of specific smell and aroma is prepared. The only problem with quince is that it has a very thick and hard offspring, even when it is ready for harvesting, which demands fragmentation before it is put for fermentation. Honey Rakia is the true brandy of honey, whose preparation also deserves skills and traditional secrets. At the Banstolka Tourist rural household thus we strongly recommend rakias – brandies of apricot, plum, pear, apple and quince, along with gentle tones of tambouritsa played by grand-sons of the diligent lady-host. It is extremely interesting to visit the Banstolka rural household in winter – the period of making rakija in traditional way, which is performed by the diligent host Mirjana and members of the Banstolka Women Association, and to learn the rare methods or maintaining and unique way of operations when rakija is made by  women ! The unique certified product of “Fruškogorski skočko” prepared regularly by diligent and skilled lady owner Mirjana was awarded on several occassions in Food fairs and national and regional competitions. The Fruskogorski skocko is regarded by visitors as the original local product to defend the body against infection and to raise birth-rate, making the Banstolka rural tourist household widely recognized and famous. This entirely natural specialty includes 18 sorts of seeds of nuts, berries and dried fruits which are soaked in the beneficial acacia honey.

Here are feedback of our colleagues who visited the Banstolka traditional farm house in summer and autumn 2014 : “Sremski Karlovci was amazing – really something special for me as I had never been there. The children loved helping mix the cakes and we all loved eating them ! The Bermet wine is really one of the best secrets I have ever tasted and we took 2 bottles to the UK and found many of our friends and family completely agreed …. so the secret is out ! As for Mirjana, she really is an incredible inspiration to women, to entrepreneurs and to anyone who is faced with sadness and needs to find the inspiration to be strong again – what a lady ! I am full of admiration for her energy and her smile, her warmth and her determination. I am sure it cannot have been easy for her to find such strength but she is really someone I was honored to meet and I will be very proud to include her rural tourism in the offer.”

Dear Ivanka, Thanks a lot for sending so much information so quick! It was a real pleasure to spent some days in your country and I got a lot of information and impressions to start planning. Please tell Marjana that I got her honey through the airport control, it is very nice, been taking a spoon every morning 🙂 Kind regards, Katrien