Serbia: Snežana Baštovanović from Serbia has an immense love for nature and she shares the best of her country’s natural beauty with Ecophiles. Here is Serbia through a local’s eyes:
River Drina: One of the cleanest rivers in the world
The Drina is a 346 km (215 m) long international river, which forms a large portion of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It is the longest tributary of the Sava River. The Drina is a very fast river with cold and greenish water, which is from the limestone that underlays the area in which the river carved its bed. This is one of the cleanest rivers in the world. Near the town Bajina Bašta, the isolated wooden house has been standing on an exposed rock in the middle of the Drina River almost for 50 years. And every time when there is a flood, the house is destroyed, but it’s built again and again.
River Drina
Lake Garaši: No boats, please
Lake Garaši is located in heart of Šumadija, which is the heart of Serbia. The lake is located on the slopes of mountain Bukulja and it’s near the town Arandjelovac. The shores of the lake are very jagged. It’s interesting that the use of a boat is not allowed because of wealth of the fish world in water.
Lake Garasi
Lake Perućac
Lake Perućac is located between Republic of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Lake Perućac is an artificial lake and is 52 km long. The depth is variable and ranges up to 70 meters and width is from 100 to 1600 m. It’s rich with catfish, trout and chub. The first reversible power plant in Europe and the second in the world was built here. The lake was created by damming the Drina River and harnessing its flow to power the Bajina Bašta hydroelectric power station. The excess water from Lake Perucac with strong pumps and underground pipes pump upward through mountain Tara to village Zaovine where a new lake called Zaovine.
Lake Perućac
Lake Zaovine
Zaovine Lake is located on the southern slopes of the Tara Mountain, in the direction of the Zvijezda mountain, which marks the border between West Serbia and East Bosnia and Herzegovina. When the Drina river has a high water level or during the rainy season, water from the lake Perućac on Drina river is pumped into the Zaovine Lake through an 8 km pipeline.
Surrounded by vast forests and green hills, the lake is on 900 m altitude, and maximal depth is 110 m. This is area where Josif Pančić, the best-known serbian botanist, discovered the endemic Serbian spruce.
River Vrelo – The Shortest River in Europe
This is a spring of river Vrelo, West Serbia. The river is only 365 meters long and is probably one of the shortest rivers in Europe. Its length is only 365 meters, same number of meters as days per one year, and that is the reason why many call it the “Year” and say it’s one year long. The water is very cold, just a few degrees Celsius above zero.
River Vrelo spring
The Confluence of the Sava and Danube
This is the place where the River Sava flows into the River Danube. It is located in the center of Belgrade, near the Belgrade fortress. Belgraders prefer to walk along the coasts, feed the swans, ride bikes, and here is the most recognizable nightlife feature of Belgrade, the floating river clubs, known as “splavovi” that are spread along the banks of the River Sava and River Danube.
Confluence of Sava and Danube
Tršić: The birthplace of Serbian language reformer, Vuk Stefanović Karadžić
Tršić
Gruža Lake: The largest water body in Central Serbia
Gruža Lake is an artificial lake located southwest of the Knić, near the city Kragujevac, Central Serbia. The width of the lake is 300m to 2,800m, and the length is about 10 km. The lake covers an area of approximately 9.19 sq km, making it the largest body of water in Central Serbia. Gruza lake is one of the places where migratory birds can rest and re-fuel their fat store. Around 150 bird species have been recorded on and around the lake.
Gruza Lake
Ladjevac
This is a spring of river Rača, known as Ladjevac. It is situated on the mountain Tara in west Serbia. This is an alkali-thermal source of karst origin with an average temperature of 15 to 18°C. It is believed that the water has healing properties. Around Ladjevac are marked trails, water is poured and flows through these paths to flow into the River Raca. This is the real magic of nature.
Ladjevac
Avala: A traditional picnic resort for the locals
Avala is a mountain in Serbia, overlooking Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Until 600,000 years ago, when the surrounding low areas were flooded by the inner Pannonian Sea, Avala was an island. Avala is a location where the mineral avalite was found. It is also a traditional picnic resort for Belgraders, there are several monuments, best-known is Monument to the Unknown Hero (14th photo). Avala Tower is currently the tallest tower in the Balkan region.
Avala Tower