Kraljevo, a town of water: the Ibar, the West Morava and the Ribnica
A town is usually remembered for the mountain above it. Kraljevo could just as fairly be remembered for the three rivers that make it.
The stage
Visit
Mataruška Banja, thermal springs, the trails on Stolovi and the Ibar — the place where the race lives before and after the start.
Race base
Mataruška Banja
Mataruška Banja lies eight kilometres from Kraljevo, at 215 metres above sea level, in the Ibar valley. Stolovi shelters it from the south and east, Troglav from the west — making it both a place to stay and the starting point for the terrain where the running, riding and flying happen.
For 4 Elements it is the natural base: the river is right there, the mountain begins immediately above, and accommodation and hot water sit in the same place where you recover after the race.
The strongest sulphurous water in Serbia
Thermal water and the spa
The water at Mataruška Banja rises from more than a thousand metres down and is regarded as the strongest sulphurous water in Serbia. Springs used in treatment run between 38 and 40 degrees.
Its main components are hydrogen sulphide and sodium bicarbonate, along with caesium, strontium, fluorine, barium, lithium, potassium, phosphorus and rubidium.
The spa lists its indications as rheumatic conditions, post-injury states and skeletal deformities, conditions following nervous system damage, and gynaecological and skin conditions. This is a summary of what the spa itself states — for your own case ask a doctor, not a race website.
For competitors the everyday part matters most: hot water after a day on the mountain does what no amount of stretching can.
Hotel, private rooms, camping
Accommodation
The spa itself has hotel accommodation with an indoor pool and spa centre, alongside private houses and apartments nearby. Kraljevo is a ten-minute drive away, with further capacity.
Official accommodation recommendations, prices and booking arrangements will be published once agreed. Until then this is simply an overview of what the place offers.
A medieval town above the Ibar
Maglič Fortress
Some twenty kilometres south of Kraljevo, on a hilltop around which the Ibar makes a sharp bend, stands Maglič — one of the best-preserved medieval military complexes in Serbia. It was raised in the first half of the 13th century, most likely under Stefan Uroš I, following Tatar incursions into the region.
Its task was plain: it guarded the road through the Ibar gorge, the route taken by trading caravans and armies between the Raška region and central Serbia. In the 14th century Archbishop Danilo II added a palace, monastic cells and the church of St George, and founded a monastic school.
A legend comes with it: around 1250 Stefan Uroš I is said to have ordered lilacs planted the length of the Ibar valley, so that his French wife Jelena of Anjou would feel at home as in her native Provence. Hence the name still used for this valley — the Valley of Lilacs.
For competitors what matters is this: the kayak stage and the run through the gorge pass beneath walls eight centuries old. Few races have a backdrop like it.
Hiking, running, riding, water
Trails and sporting potential
Walking and hiking trails climb straight from the spa onto Stolovi. The same network of tracks serves mountain biking, and the ridges above are paragliding launch sites.
The Ibar runs through the place itself, so kayaking and river descents are part of everyday life rather than an organised excursion.
That is why a race with four disciplines can be held in one place at all: mountain, river and air sit within twenty kilometres of each other here.
Who keeps the sport alive here
Clubs and community
Kayak, mountaineering, cycling and paragliding clubs have kept this scene alive for decades — through training, competitions and the upkeep of trails and launch sites.
A list of clubs with contact details will be published once the organiser confirms it, so that nobody is left out or wrongly listed.
Stories
Stories about the town and its water
The pool, water polo and club life
Water sport does not run on talent, it runs on pool time. Where there is pool time, there are results.
Swimming down the Ibar: preparing for long stretches
River swimming has nothing to do with pool swimming. There is no wall to push off, no line to follow, and the water goes about its business regardless of you.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How far is Mataruška Banja from Kraljevo?
Eight kilometres. It lies in the Ibar valley at 215 metres above sea level.
What is there to see nearby?
The 13th-century Maglič fortress, the Ibar gorge known as the Valley of Lilacs, Mount Stolovi and the Ibar itself.
Where can competitors stay?
The spa itself has hotel accommodation with a pool and spa centre, plus private houses and apartments. Kraljevo is a ten-minute drive. Official recommendations will be published once agreed.