ST328 Beška (bridge) - Stari Slankamen

The ST328 Beška (bridge) – Stari Slankamen is an approximately 20 km point-to-point trail in the Vojvodina region of Serbia, gaining around 280 m of elevation across a single full hiking day. Rated expert, it is a riverside stage of the 2,500 km Sultans Trail from Vienna to Istanbul, threading exposed Danube loess cliffs to a historic spa village.

About the ST328 Beška (bridge) – Stari Slankamen

Stage ST328 is a single segment of the Sultans Trail, a 2,500-kilometre long-distance walking route that runs from St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna to the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul. The trail crosses eight countries — Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey — and ST328 sits squarely in its Serbian heartland, on the right bank of the Danube in the Srem district of Vojvodina.

The route is named after Sultan Süleyman Kanuni, known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent, who led Ottoman armies along this corridor in 1529 on the 141-day march that ended at the unsuccessful Siege of Vienna. The modern path, developed by a Netherlands-based foundation, deliberately reframes that military history as a route of peace open to walkers of every faith and culture. ST328 carries that theme: it links Beška, a market town beside the great Beška Bridge that carries the A1 motorway over the Danube, with Stari Slankamen, a thermal-spa village perched where the Tisa River pours into the Danube.

This stage is classified as expert, and the rating is earned not by raw altitude but by exposure and footing. The trail follows the crumbling loess escarpments above the river — near-vertical walls of fine wind-blown sediment up to 40 m high — where the path narrows, the ground can be loose, and there is little shade and almost no water for long stretches. As a recognised part of the International Walking Network (IWN), it is signed within the wider Sultans Trail waymarking scheme, but on-the-ground markers in this section are sparse, so navigation skill is part of the challenge. Hikers tracking their daily load and calorie burn on a full hiking day will find this a demanding stage despite its modest length.

What makes ST328 special is the contrast it packs into a single day. You begin amid the orchards and grain fields of the fertile Srem plain, drop toward one of the largest road bridges on the entire Danube, then spend hours balanced on a geological knife-edge with the second-longest river in Europe sliding past 40 m below. The loess here is the same fine, fertile sediment that makes Vojvodina Serbia's breadbasket, and the cliffs are an open textbook of Pannonian Basin geology. By the time you descend into Stari Slankamen, you have walked through farmland, riverine wilderness and 17th-century battlefield history in well under 20 kilometres.

Route Overview & Stages

ST328 is itself one numbered stage in the Serbian sequence of the Sultans Trail. The table below breaks the day into its natural sub-sections, with approximate distances and elevation gain for planning. Total figures are estimates based on the loess-ridge terrain between the two villages.

Walked end to end, the stage totals roughly 20 km with around 280 m of cumulative ascent — short on paper, but slow going where the cliff-edge track demands constant care. Most of the climbing is delivered in short, repeated pushes as the path drops to gullies cut into the loess and climbs back to the plateau rim, so the elevation profile feels busier than the modest total suggests. There are no refreshment points between the two villages, which is the main reason ST328 is best treated as a committed full-day outing rather than a casual stroll.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Beška Bridge (Most kod Beške) — A 2,205 m-long pair of motorway viaducts carrying the A1 across the Danube; the western tower of the original span rises about 60 m and frames the opening kilometres of the walk.
• Danube loess cliffs — Wind-deposited bluffs up to 40 m high along the right bank, among the most striking loess formations in the Pannonian Basin and a protected geological feature.
• Tisa–Danube confluence — At Stari Slankamen the Tisa, one of Europe's longest tributaries at 966 km, meets the Danube in a broad, slow-moving junction rich in birdlife.
• Battle of Slankamen site (1691) — The ridge above the village saw a decisive Habsburg victory over the Ottomans; interpretive markers recall the engagement directly relevant to the Sultans Trail story.
• Slankamen thermal spa — A long-established health resort using saline mineral water, the namesake of the village ("slani kamen" means "salt stone").
• Church of St. Nicholas, Stari Slankamen — A historic Serbian Orthodox church anchoring the old village core near the trail's end.
• Sand-martin colonies — The soft loess walls are riddled with the nesting burrows of sand martins, especially active from April through July.
• Danube panoramas — Open cliff-top viewpoints look across the river toward the Banat plain, with shipping traffic visible far below.

Best Time to Hike the ST328 Beška (bridge) – Stari Slankamen

Vojvodina has a continental climate: hot, dry summers and cold winters, with the Danube moderating temperatures only slightly. The exposed loess edge makes shade scarce, so timing matters more than on a forested trail.

Spring (April–May) is the sweet spot. Daytime temperatures sit comfortably between 15 °C and 23 °C, the loess track is firm rather than dusty, wildflowers line the field margins and sand martins wheel along the cliffs. May is the single best month to hike ST328: the ground has dried after winter, biting insects are not yet at their summer peak, and daylight runs to roughly 15 hours, giving a generous window for the full stage.

Early autumn (mid-September to mid-October) is the strong second choice, with stable weather, vineyard colour and temperatures around 18 °C. Summer (June–August) regularly tops 32 °C with full sun on the cliffs and a real heat-exhaustion risk on the waterless central section. Winter is walkable in principle — the Serbian lowlands rarely hold deep snow — but the loess turns to slick, dangerous mud after rain, and the cliff edge becomes hazardous. As of 2026, the Sultans Trail Foundation continues to recommend the spring and autumn shoulder seasons for the Serbian Danube stages, and that guidance holds firmly for ST328.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Stari Slankamen, as a spa village, offers the most reliable beds at the trail's end. Expect guesthouses (privatni smeštaj) and small pensions from around €25–€40 per double room, and rooms at the spa complex from roughly €35–€50 with half board. In Beška at the start, family-run rooms and apartments run about €20–€30 per night. There is no formal mountain hut on this stage. Wild camping is not officially sanctioned in Serbia, but discreet tenting is tolerated in rural areas away from settlements; budget €0 for that or €8–€12 at the nearest organised campsites near Novi Sad. Carry cash in Serbian dinar, as many small hosts do not take cards.

Getting There & Back

The gateway city is Novi Sad, about 35 km west, served by frequent buses and trains from Belgrade (roughly 1 hour by fast train). From Novi Sad, regional buses reach Beška in around 40 minutes via the Inđija line. At the finish, Stari Slankamen is connected by local bus to Inđija and Novi Sad, with several departures daily; check timetables in advance as rural services thin out at weekends. The nearest international airport is Belgrade Nikola Tesla (BEG), around 75 km and 75–90 minutes away by road or by combining the airport shuttle with an onward train.

Permits & Fees

No permit or entry fee is required to walk ST328 — the Sultans Trail is free and open year-round in Serbia. The only costs are optional: the Slankamen thermal spa charges a modest day-use fee (around €5–€8), and local buses cost a few euros per leg. EU and many other nationals enter Serbia visa-free for up to 90 days; confirm your own status before travelling.

Gear & Packing List

ST328 is a long, exposed day rather than a multi-day expedition, so a light, well-ventilated pack is ideal. Because shade and water are both scarce on the cliff section, prioritise sun protection and carrying capacity for at least 2–3 litres of water. A 35–55 litre pack covers a self-supported day with spare layers, lunch and an emergency shell.

• A trail-running vest such as the ADV Skin 12 suits fast-and-light hikers who plan to refuel in the villages.
• For a fuller load with water, layers and camera kit, the Abisko Hike 35 is a comfortable, durable choice.
• If you are stringing several Sultans Trail stages together with camping gear, an ultralight workhorse like the 2400 Windrider keeps weight down on the long days.

Add sturdy trail shoes with good grip — the loess is slippery when damp — plus a wide-brim hat, high-SPF sun cream, electrolyte tablets and trekking poles for the cliff-edge sections. For choosing the right pack overall, our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 compares seven tested models head to head.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If ST328 whets your appetite for Serbia's long-distance network, several neighbouring routes pair naturally with it. The Sultans Trail continues north along the Danube through Bačka, while the European long-distance E4 and E7 paths cross the country's hills and gorges further south. Consider these related stages and trails:

• ST317 Bezdan - Sombor — an easy northern Sultans Trail stage to ease into the route.
• ST318 Sombor - Apatin — another expert-rated Danube-side stage.
• ST319 Apatin - Bogojevo — riverside walking through Bačka wetlands.
• E4: Jalovik izvor – Gradina — a 123 km section of the European E4 in eastern Serbia.
• E7-12a: Бријач – Увац – Сопотница — dramatic canyon and plateau scenery on the E7.

For a complete change of terrain, our guide on how to hike the Theth to Valbona trail in Albania covers one of the Balkans' finest mountain crossings.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike ST328?
May is the best single month. Spring temperatures of 15–23 °C, firm loess footing, long daylight and active birdlife combine ideally. Early autumn from mid-September to mid-October is a close second. Avoid mid-summer, when the shadeless cliffs exceed 32 °C, and avoid wet winter spells, when the loess becomes dangerously slippery along the exposed edge.

How difficult is the ST328 stage?
It is rated expert. The difficulty comes from exposure rather than altitude: the route runs along crumbling loess cliffs up to 40 m high with narrow, loose footing, minimal shade and almost no water for long stretches. Waymarking in this section is sparse, so confident navigation and steady balance near the drop-offs are essential.

How long does ST328 take and how far is it per day?
ST328 is designed as a single full day of roughly 20 km with about 280 m of ascent. Despite the modest distance, the cliff-edge terrain slows the pace, so allow 6–7 hours including breaks. Most walkers complete it in one day and overnight in Stari Slankamen at the finish.

Where can I stay along the route?
Stari Slankamen offers the best options at the trail's end: guesthouses from around €25–€40 per double and spa rooms from €35–€50 with half board. Beška has family rooms from €20–€30. There is no mountain hut; discreet wild camping is tolerated in rural areas, and organised campsites near Novi Sad cost €8–€12.

Do I need a permit or pay any fees?
No permit is required and the trail is free to walk year-round. The Sultans Trail is open to all in Serbia. Optional costs include the Slankamen thermal spa day fee of about €5–€8 and a few euros for local buses. EU and many other nationals enter Serbia visa-free for up to 90 days; confirm your own eligibility first.

Authoritative resources: the Sultans Trail Foundation official website publishes the full Vienna–Istanbul route, GPX stages and accommodation notes, and the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia covers transport, spa facilities and visa details for the Vojvodina region.