I discovered the Guca Trumpet Festival through some fortuitous online searching. I couldn’t resist it– a days-long festival of Balkan trumpet music? It sounded like heaven. But when I set out to plan my trip, it was hard to find accurate information about the logistics of the festival.
I went anyway, and tried to figure it out as I went along. You don’t have to. Here’s a guide for this mad festival, should you choose next summer to make your way to Guca, Serbia.
HOW TO GET THERE
My friends and I drove: it took three hours from Belgrade. There are also buses you can take, plus the hostel I was staying in offered a shared car ride to the festival for a fee. Everyone knows about Guca; it’s not hard to find your way. Hitchhiking is popular and common, if that’s your thing. Before I joined them in Belgrade, my friends picked up a couple of Czech hitchhikers, and they were lovely.
WHERE TO STAY
-Want to camp? Excellent. Guca is made for campers– all open spaces are given over to tents; there’s a real community of campers. Most sites will charge you some kind of fee, though there were rumors of small plots of land that were free. Personally, I opted for a homestay; but if you’re thinking about camping, go for it. With the trumpets and partying continuing well into the night, I can’t promise you’ll actually sleep, but you’ll have a place for it.
-Don’t want to camp? There are homestays! Seemingly everyone in the town of Guca turns their private home into a full-capacity hotel. Most websites you will find about Guca are actually about housing. The house I stayed in, House Dusica, was near the gate of the festival, which meant it was (mostly) quiet but not quite in the center of the celebrations. (I was lucky to have friends to accompany me on the dark walk home from the concerts.) My house offered a free breakfast and there were rooms in every available space—my room was actually a converted garage, which at first put me off but ended up being the most private space in the house! The family didn’t speak English but they were very kind and always available. The company I reserved my homestay with was called Time To Travel and they were incredibly accommodating.
WHAT TO EAT
-Are you a vegetarian? While it’s possible to find salads at Guca, it’s not easy, and you better like cabbage. Also, there are pigs roasting on spits everywhere. Guca is not for the animal lover who is faint of heart. There is an open air market selling fruits and vegetables of varying quality, and if you need your veggie fix, this is your best option.
-Do you like meat? You will be in hog heaven, almost literally. Besides the ever-present pig roasts, there are grills constantly spilling over with delicious klobasa sausages and pljeskavica (Serbian hamburgers). It’s fresh and a terrific way to fortify your system for a long night of dancing. Even the breakfasts were usually meat-filled Serbian borek, or pastry. Meat is inescapable at Guca.
WHAT TO DO
Guca takes place in August, and August in Serbia is HOT. Though it cools down significantly at night, the days can swelter.
-There is not much scheduled during the day at Guca. It is fun to wander around, people-watch, follow the wandering brass bands, and drink beer… But a day or two of this will suffice. After, it’s best to get out of the town during the day. We had a car, which made it easy– we went to Arilije, Cacak, a monastery, and the Rzav River. If you don’t have a car, it is possible (and common) to hitchhike; also, there are busses that leave for Cacak every other hour. Cacak is the fourth biggest city in Serbia and a pleasant place to wander around; I highly recommend it.
-There’s a pool at Guca. It costs 450 dinars to use it all day. Take advantage of it, especially if it’s hot. It’s a lifesaver in the heat.
-The major concerts are scheduled at night. They’re free and the absolute best part of the festival. Go! It helps to get to the stadium when it opens if you plan to be closer to the stage. If you’re short like me and can’t see the stage anyway, it doesn’t much matter where in the stadium you are. Keep in mind: shows actually start on time.
MISCELLANEOUS
-Do you like beer? Good. There’s a lot of beer and you will fit right in if you drink it all day and all night. Even if you are a more moderate drinker, you can’t go wrong with Serbian beer.
-Guca fashion is definitely quirky. The festival is full of half-dressed men and women, questionble tattoos, and kitschy Serbian hats.
That tattoo actually says “GUCA” in Cyrillic.
-As might be expected at a big festival, the bathroom situation at Guca is rather unpleasant. Most options are port-a-pottys or literally holes in the ground– and you generally have to pay a small fee for either. There are a handful of restaurants that have real facilities, but they are hard to find (and usually not near the center). You have to either deal with it, or drink less beer.
-It’s possible to do Guca solo, but it’s not as easy. Finding a room for one person is nearly impossible. Luckily I convinced two of my Czech friends to come join me, and even before that, the folks at Time to Travel were working with me to find a single room in their houses. Still, if you can go with a friend, do.
HOW TO GET OUT
-Though I got a ride back to Belgrade with my friends, initially I thought I would have to take a bus. The hosts of the house I stayed in said there was no bus to Belgrade, only to Cacak; the hostel in Belgrade informed me there was a bus that left from Guca to Belgrade at 1pm. I imagine this arrangement changes every year. Basically, ask anyone you can. It is definitely possible to get back to Belgrade when the festival ends.
Guca is a raucous time, and should be enjoyed. So grab a pint, nosh on some pig, and get ready to dance!
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