Guide

SREMSKA MITROVICA, FROM A METROPOLIS OF AN ANCIENT WORLD TO MODERN MODERNOG REGIONAL CENTRE
Ancient Glory and a New Time
The empire was controlled from there for a long time, the greatest one in history. The city itself gave four emperors. It was admired by famous chroniclers and poets. After barbarian invasions, it was rebuilt under the auspices of Saint Dimitris, whose name it is now proudly wearing. Today, it is an important Serbian commercial, cultural and tourist centre

By: Goran Budimir

It used to be the famous capital in the old world, mentioned at the time of Alexander the Great. The city that has left a recognizable footprint in the history of this civilization. Sirmium. ”Proud and powerful.” ”Magnificent and mysterious.” Historian Amian Marcelin calls it ”the famous and populous mother of cities”.
In the Roman Empire, the biggest in known history, Sirmium is one of four capitals. Already in the 1st century it gained the highest rank, colony of free citizens, and it reached its peak in the 4th century. ”It has an imperial palace, bulwarks, gold coin mint, temples, forums, aqueducts, hippodromes, thermal springs... They glowed and adorned life”, says the chronicler. Sirmium itself gave birth to emperors Trajan Detie, Aurelian, Probe and Maximilian.
In the late 4th century dark times arrived. ”Winds of war brought Eastern Goths, then wild Huns who looted and burnt it”, writes the chronicler. ”After them, in 582, the city surrendered itself to Barbarians.”
In Middle Ages, the city was rebuilt on the ruins of Sirmium and dedicated to Saint Dimitris, whose name it is now proudly wearing.

IN THE EUROPEAN ROAD NETWORK

Sremska Mitrovica is today one of important and more developed cities in Serbia, the center of the District of Srem. With the suburbs of Laćarak and Mačvanska Mitrovica, it has a population of over 60,000. More than 100,000 live there, in the territory of the city, on 730 square kilometers, in 26 settlements.
Mitrovica is excellently connected by road network. It is in the vicinity of ”Corridor 10”, one of the key road and rail arteries of Europe. The capital Belgrade and international airport ”Nikola Tesla” are only 60 kilometers away by highway. They also use sports airport in Veliki Radinci. Above all, the city is on the navigable Sava River, a tributary of the Danube, therefore on the network of great European inland waterways.
Along with great economic potentials, primarily in the field of agriculture and processing industry, Sremska Mitrovica has also been recognized as a tourist destination. Archaeological sites, with remains of buildings of the ancient Sirmium, most notably the Imperial Palace, attract a large number of both curious and learned people. The Srem Museum has an excellent permanent exhibition. Many findings from this site, among other things, are stored and preserved here. In the vicinity of this city there is the Special Nature Reservation ”Zasavica”, National Park ”Fruška gora”, Fruška gora vineyards, as well as exquisite sacral heritage of this mountain.
”These plains of Srem are wealthy, the fruits are abundant”, adds the chronicler. ”The area is known for its gourmet food, it is hospitable and open hearted, it has good knowledge of wine and rakia, songs and jokes, people and time, so do not miss to stop there. The rest will be revealed to you by itself.”

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The City Pulsating with Culture
The tone of the cultural life, identity and spirit of the city today is certainly dictated by the Srem Museum, Historical Archive ”Srem”, Library ”Gligorije Vozarević”, Gallery ”Lazar Vozarević”, Theatre ”Dobrica Milutinović”, Cultural Centre ”Sirmiumart”, Institute for Preservation of Cultural Monuments and the Institute for Preservation of Culture ”Srem”. Some of the names of these institutes keep the memory of famous people from Mitrovica.

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More Valuable than Emperor’s Daughter
Almost one millennium and a half ago, the leader of barbaric conquerors asked from Emperor Tiberius II Constantine, as a peace token, to hand over the famous city on the northern border of the Empire, Sirmium. ”I would rather give him one of my two daughters, than willingly handing over Sirmium to him”, replied the emperor.
Obviously, he loved this city as much as people who live in Mitrovica today.