A theme park dedicated to America’s Wild West has opened, in rural Serbia. The quiet mountain village of Vodice, in the centre of the eastern European country, is now the proud home of ‘El Paso City.’ The new theme park is situated around 14 kilometres from Zlatibor, a popular mountain resort for skiers.
The park is styled to look like the 19th-century towns seen in old western films. Clint Eastwood wouldn’t look out of place, swaggering down the main street to visit either the saloon or the sheriff’s office. That is, until you look around at the breath-taking rolling hills and vast greenery.
The authentic-looking cowboy town also includes a Native American settlement, spread out across six hectares. The area features tents, caravans, rooms and 12 small houses, accommodating around 100 guests at a time. Additional facilities include a coffee shop, gym, and a museum of old objects and stables.
With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, fresh challenges have arisen when looking to launch a venture of this size. Although, it has been suggested that the closed borders might mean that the park has been boosted by more domestic visitors who are unable to travel abroad for a holiday.
Park owner Milija Cumic says this is a misconception. “Everybody is saying that I’m lucky and that this year I’ll have more tourists who will not travel abroad, but people keep forgetting about one thing: there will be no foreign visits, no Montenegrins, no Bosniaks,” he said. “I’d much prefer if the situation was different, that there were no coronavirus, I am certain that my business would have been stronger.”
Health regulations are in place at the park, to ensure the safety of all guests and staff on site. “When it comes to protection measures, we have set tables so that people can keep a distance. They are far apart enough in the restaurant and lounge that only two people can sit there at one time, four outside. And the park is big, so even if 1,000 people came, there would be room for everyone,” said Milija Cumic.
