Beška
Beška is the second largest village in the municipality of Inđija. It is located near the E-75 highway and the Danube River, which is about five kilometers away. The European cycling route EuroVelo 6 passes through Beška and this is the only arranged rest area for cyclists on this part of the route.
Owing to its position along the banks of the Danube and pleasant cafes and restaurants, the weekend break zone of Beška has become an attractive place for lovers of the river, good food, tamburitza music and outdoor recreation.
On the bank of the Danube, near the bridge, there is a significant archaeological site of Kalakača dating from the Early Iron Age.
There are two theories about the origin of the name of the settlement. According to one, the word beška is of Turkish origin and means either a cradle (bešiku), or it is a coin of two Turkish words: beş and kaya, which means the fifth stone, i.e. the fifth station or destination in military or some other terminology. According to another theory, it was named after an Old Slavic word that had something to do with health, i.e. that the name meant a place that was healthy for life or where there was a source of healthy water.
Beška is a medieval place, created during the settlement of Slavs in this area. The first historical records about it date from the first half of the 16th century. Beška was a Serbian settlement until 1860, when Germans, who originate from the Palatinate Area, immigrated. At the beginning of the 20th century, Beška was inhabited by Hungarians, a smaller number of Slovaks, and later by Croats, Montenegrins and Serbs from different parts. According to the 2011 census, Beška had 5,783 inhabitants.
There are two churches in the settlement: the Orthodox Church of the Presentation of the Most Holy Mother of God, the Catholic Church of St. Theresa and the Chapel of St. Petka, which is located on the outskirts of the settlement.
The famous painter Danica Jovanović was born in Beška in 1886. A few years ago, Danica Jovanović Memorial Room was opened in the Cultural Centre in Beška, where visitors can get acquainted with the life and work of this artist.