Minoli, Shutterstock “When it’s hot, look for water,” our reader Anna T. was guided by this principle when she found herself in the middle of a scorching Serbian capital in July 2023. “We did not expect Belgrade to be so stuffy in summer, so we decided to wait out Europe African heat somewhere near the water, in the mountains. As a result, we found the perfect place: just an hour away, with a water park, good rooms and in the national park. Jackpot!” says the tourist. There are a lot of thermal resorts in Serbia, and there are enough hotels with swimming pools, in a word, the choice is rich. We trusted the brand: we have been to the Mövenpick hotels several times already, and always “top ten”: the room, food, service, staff, there really is nothing to complain about. Mövenpick Resort and Spa Fruske Terme 4 * is no exception, in my opinion, it deserves all 5 stars. A night in a double room is about 100–120 EUR with breakfast, depending on the date. We were with children, so we took two “doubles” connected by a door. But the main thing… and here everyone who has children will understand me: the water park is included in the price. A full-fledged, large, with a bunch of pools and a spa center aqua park. In short, paradise. I will say just a few words about the location of the hotel: it is located on the outskirts of the Vrdnik resort, it is more convenient to come by car, but there are also buses from Novi Sad and even from Belgrade (twice a day). Near a pizzeria, a restaurant of national cuisine, a couple of playgrounds – and nature. All around is a national park, and it's amazingly picturesque, pastoral, cool … if you are a child of the urban jungle, then you will understand me. At the same time, you can get to the center of Vrdnik in 10-15 minutes, where there are shops and other cafes. 1/1
How the hotel was chosen
About the hotel
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Rooms and food
The rooms are spacious, bright, the furniture is new, everything is fine. Cosmetics of their own, with a pleasant unobtrusive aroma and quality. There are bathrobes and slippers, a free mini-bar with soft drinks. Breakfasts are super: hot, pastries, desserts, a lot of fruits, healthy lifestyle shots with ginger and other useful muck, local cheeses are very tasty. You can pay extra for dinner, we took it: convenient and varied, the children were delighted with ice cream (of course, Mövenpick). In addition, there is a bar on site where you can drink coffee and have a snack, and where the traditional “chocolate hour” for the hotel chain is held every day. Free. Unlimited. Chocolate. Of course, the kids were out. 1/1
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About the water park
Strictly speaking, this is not just a water park, it is a huge water complex with a spa that (hooray-hooray!) does not allow children under 18 years old. To Caesar – Caesar's, and let the little ones frolic on the slides and in the pools. I have been to the spa several times: very large, modern, with Finnish and Russian saunas, a steam room.
One of the saunas has a panoramic view of the pool. It's so unusual when the sauna is not just a dark, hot room in which the best view is on your knees.
There is also a large nude spa area, where the entrance is strictly without swimwear. I'm not so liberated, but I think Europeans respect such leisure.
Slides – oh, my kids can write poetry about them, I'll just say that the five-year-old freely rode 4 out of 8, while they are long enough, twisted and twisted, that it was fun to do it for 5 hours a day. Adults are also happy to taste the delights of skiing, there are a couple of steep slopes – and no queues! Non-hotel guests can also get into the water park for a fee, but standing for 5–15 minutes waiting for their turn is not the case here.
I calmly relaxed by the pool under an umbrella, and it was wonderful. Oh yes! In all pools and even in the taps in the rooms, the water is mineral. Vrdnik, where the hotel is located, the thermal spa, the water here with a slight sweetish aftertaste, heals, heals, etc. I personally felt that the skin became smoother and more even – a nice bonus. 1/1
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Cons
They are also there, although someone (I, for example) will call them pluses. Firstly, no animation and in the evening you are simply left to yourself. But we splashed so desperately that we fell asleep, it seems, until 10:00 pm, right after dinner and a lazy walk around the territory.
Secondly, I heard that some guests were embarrassed by swallows. The hotel is located at the foot of a mountain, a national park, so there are strict rules regarding nature. And you can’t touch the swallows – this is their home. And the birds, actively flying in the late afternoon, left their traces on the balconies of tourists. We had a sign in the room that it was not necessary to drive the birds, it was enough not to be shy about calling the cleaning once again. To me, these rural landscapes with fluffy green hills and swallows soaring against the sunset seemed touching enough.
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What to see
In general, we were too lazy and did not go anywhere. But I love to read, so I found out that there are several active monasteries scattered around in the national park, a dozen wineries with tastings, a 30–40 minute drive to the city of Sremski Karlovtsy, the center of Russian emigration after the 1917 revolution. Well, Novi Sad is also some 40 minutes away, but we have already been there and were not eager. The children asked a couple of times for quad bikes and the local Panda Park, but the water park overpowered all their Wishlist.
Summarizing: in Serbia there is a great service for a moderate fee, there are excellent hotels, amazing nature and very friendly people. We spent three wonderful days in nature and will definitely return again.
What else to read on the topic
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- For us, the cost did not matter: a review of a hotel in Bodrum, where there is no Russians