The best way for students to master a subject is for them to study and apply it in a practical way. In order to learn about rural villages, a topic they covered in their geography class in an interesting way, on Wednesday the 26th of January Savremena’s students set off to the village of Pudarci, on the outskirts of Belgrade.

During their trip to Pudarci, which is a part of the Grocka municipality, some 40 kilometers from Belgrade, Savremena’s students had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the rural lifestyle as well as the challenges faced by the local population. The village itself has around 1,400 inhabitants and it is located at around 500 metres above sea level.

From wheat seed to the table

After arriving in Pudarci, students imersed themselves in the production process of the local baking industry. It was there that they found out how bread and pastries are made as they observed what needs to be done in order to make fresh and tasty pastries.

As they closely followed the process of mixing flour, shaping and baking pastries, their fascination with the various functions inside the factory grew. The smell of delicious pastries filled the air above the conveyor belt while students, much to their liking, tasted the fresh pastries on the spot.

How fruit travels

Pudarci represents a typical fruit cultivating village and as such it was the ideal place to teach our students about how fruit is grown and sold. In order to find out how fruit makes its way to their home, upon leaving the pastries factory students visited the cold rooms that collect and process fruits.

In the cold rooms, students found out how fruits are bought and collected from local farmers and how they are sorted and stored and finally distributed across the country and abroad. Given that the local community mostly grows apples, pears, peaches and apricots, Savremena’s students picked their favourite fruit for a sweet end to their visit.

A geography lesson to remember

At the end of the visit, Savremena’s students took a walk through the village, paying a visit to the local church and meeting some locals along the way. In that, they were able to find out what Pudarci and its people are famous for, what things they go without and what life is truly like in a rural environment.

Having concluded the visit, students were given the task to write a report or a study on the village of Pudarci for which they can use the information and experiences they compiled during the trip. They will present their final report in their geography class and they are sure to remember this unique lesson on rural settlements for a long time.

To view the photos from the trip, visit our gallery.