From whom did they 'borrow' the Olympics?

After visiting Subotica, departure to Palić is obligatory. You can’t have one without the other. Like a fish without sea, or peanut butter without jelly, or a pancake without chocolate…

The legend says that the lake was created by the tears of the shepherd Pavel who had a cattle heard which he lost. But I heard a similar story several times in different places…

For a long time it was thought that Palić was a part of the Pannonian Sea, however, it actually came to be from the many rainfalls that are a part of this region. The salinity was great and its water was used for various things.

There was also a soda factory here, and people fed their cattle on its coast until they found out about its healing effects. The first inn’s and boathouses start to appear. Palić became a spa. The most striking moments in the tourist history of Palić begin. Men and women at that time were swimming in separate bathing areas.

A female only beach, a water tower, and musical pavilion in the style of the Hungarian secession are all built.

Excellent location, medicinal water and mud as well as architecture attract the ‘cream’ of that time.

Large terrace, ballrooms and salons receive their first guests. Palić becomes a monumental place with a special atmosphere.

From 1880 to 1914, there were competitions in several sports such as: fast walking, fencing, biking, wrestling … etc.

Thanks to Baron Lajos Vermeš, a man ahead of his time, believing in the old Serbian motto “healthy body healthy spirit”, organized competitions that resembled the Olympics 16 years before Kuberten. In fact the legend says Kuberten copied him.

There were seven disciplines, and the baron went to Italy to get the right size for the thrown disc. He also made a path with a fan as well as the first Olympic village. The beginning of the First World War marked the end of this beautifully conceived tradition …

The Baron was forgotten, and if he appeared now, he would have been ashamed of how his drem changed, because of all the sports that were then offered, only sail boating remains. It sounds unusual, but it’s not really, because Palić is, as the experts say, uniquely suited for this because the wind is constantly blowing, but it’s not too strong. I saw some guys with sailing boats. They waited for the right moment to start.

Palic is not deep. On average, 2m. That’s why they say it heats up quickly in the summer. Palić is neither clear nor are there any big waves, but when you’re near this lake, time seems to move faster…

Some people come to Palić to experience the ‘healthy weather’ as they say in Subotica. I came increase my appetite. And I managed it because the semicircle around Palić is very big. The length of the coast is some 17 kilometers. There is no path for the whole Palić but it does not matter. What matters is that it is flat as a plate, nothing has stopped me from enjoying my walk.