Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
View southwest from the trilobite quarry out to Cadiz Valley.
Marble Mountains Trilobite Quarry
Washington Capitol State Reception Room
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The fried green tomato sandwich comes on jalapeño cornbread toast.
Café Reconcile
Everything at Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is served in takeout containers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Eroded rocks of the badlands in the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.
Arizona’s Petrified Forest Is Changing What We Know About the Dawn of the Dinosaurs
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Serbia Rajac Rajac Cemetery
Gastro Obscura

Rajac Cemetery

Beautifully carved tombstones fill this unmarked graveyard, uniquely situated near the village's famous stone wine cellars.

Rajac, Serbia

Added By
Stefan Malešević
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Most of the tombstones are in bad shape and losing balance.   Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
  Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
  Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
A group of the tombstones.   Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
The village Rajac and its wine cellars.   Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
  Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
  Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
  Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
  Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
  Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
Some of the tombstones.   Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
Detail of a tombstone.   Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
Cyrilic inscription on one of the newer tombstones.   Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
A detail of a tombstone combining Christian and Pagan symbols   Juglans Regia / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

With less than 500 inhabitants, the village of Rajac is a typical small Balkan settlement, except for one peculiar feature not common in Serbia. Just outside the village there are 20 or so windowless stone structures. Though they look like houses, no one lives there. They exist to make, store, and imbibe the delicious wine the region is famous for.

In fact, wine is so important to Rajac, the local cemetery is located not in the settlement where people live, but next to the wine cellar complex outside of town. Indeed many of the burial tombs were made from the stone used for building the cellars, which locals say tells a lot about their relationship with wine.

The unmarked and unkempt centuries-old graveyard is itself a unique and beautiful sight, lined with elaborately carved tombstones. Scholars have proposed that the tombstones were made by the Vlachs, the ancient dwellers of the village. Many are covered in ancient pagan symbols like the swastika and kolovrat, though the most interesting combine Christian and pagan symbols. 

Some of the tombstones are huge, taller than six feet, and a lot of them are shaped in the form of a monolith cross, like the letter "T." Many are not named and are clearly deteriorating. Some of the newer graves with Cyrillic inscriptions are marked with dates from 19th century, while locals claim the oldest graves date back to the 14th century.

Related Tags

Gravestones Graveyards Cemeteries Wine Medieval Food Graves

Know Before You Go

Parking is available anywhere you find a spot and the entrance is, obviously, free. Unfortunately there is no info or guided tours... The road leading to the village from the town of Negotin is not in a great shape.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina

Traverse the beauty and history of the Balkans through locals' stories.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Juglans Regia

Edited By

octciobanu

  • octciobanu

Published

June 19, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Rajac Cemetery
Unnamed Road
Rajac
Serbia
44.097961, 22.548994
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Vidin Synagogue

Vidin, Bulgaria

miles away

Vratna Gates

Vratna, Serbia

miles away

Ruins of Felix Romuliana at Gamzigrad

Zvezdan, Serbia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Serbia

Serbia

Europe

Places 126
Stories 3

Nearby Places

Vidin Synagogue

Vidin, Bulgaria

miles away

Vratna Gates

Vratna, Serbia

miles away

Ruins of Felix Romuliana at Gamzigrad

Zvezdan, Serbia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Serbia

Serbia

Europe

Places 126
Stories 3

Related Places

  • Potatoes on the tomb.

    Paris, France

    Grave of Antoine-Augustin Parmentier

    The tomb of history's greatest potato promoter is surrounded by tubers.

  • The Paste Eater’s grave in Goldfield Pioneer Cemetery.

    Goldfield, Nevada

    Paste Eater's Grave

    Eulogizing an unknown man's unusual demise.

  • “ANDREAS MORGENRØDT – Time Traveller – 1996–2064”

    Copenhagen, Denmark

    The Time Traveler's Grave

    Hidden in plain sight, a gravestone seemingly inscribed from the future stands among the cemetery’s historic tombs.

  • Westminster, Vermont

    Grave of William French

    This man's death led (indirectly) to Vermont's independence in 1777.

  • Enter through the gate to Kilmuir Cemetery.

    Isle of Skye, Scotland

    Kilmuir Cemetery

    An unpaid bill, a stolen stone, and a famous fashion designer rest peacefully alongside a heroine of Highlands history.

  • Three concrete slabs with small, destroyed remains of headstones sit behind a V-shaped tree opening.

    Taos, New Mexico

    The Three Brujas

    Three witches are said to be buried beneath these unmarked concrete graves.

  • Framingham, Massachusetts

    Graves of John Cloyce & Abraham Rice

    In 1777, two men were killed after being struck by lightning at the same time.

  • The famous recipe.

    Cascade, Iowa

    The Menster Christmas Cookie Gravestone

    A mother’s sweet tradition lives on with this unique memorial.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.