ON THE PATHS OF VIDLIČ AND STARA PLANINA MOUNTAIN

MAP N^o 3 – ON THE PATHS OF VIDLIC AND STARA PLANINA MOUNTAIN

1) Pirot

2) Climbers’ centre is a picnic and weekend settlement on the road Pirot – Rsovci village on the foot of mountain Vidlic, and after constructing of ropeway and purchasing of “cannons” for artificial snow, the ski season will be prolonged in case of lack of snow.

3) The central tourist facility is the hotel “StarA” situated at about 1080 altitude, 12 km from Pirot on the way towards Wildlife park Stara planina mountain at the foot of mountain Vidlic, Basarski kamen peak. The hotel is open all over the year. The most important users and types of organizing of sales and using the capacity of the hotel are: business partners of “TIGAR”, tourists, businessmen from the country and abroad.

4) Mountain Vidlic (Basarski kamen peak 1377m) is situated in the East of Pirot, between the flows of The river Nisava and the rivers Visocica-Temstica.

5) Bird watching The surface of the Wildlife parka Stara planina mountain is 142,219.64 ha, out of which 63,194 ha belong to the municipality Pirot, and there are numerous animal groups contributing beauty of nature, like 203 bird species (which is the highest number of birds in any mountain in Serbia, ex Yugoslavia and major part of the Balkan).

6) Rsovci village 22 km away from Pirot, on the left bank of river Visocica. It had 1519 (1948 statistics), 337 (1991 statistic) and 183 inhabitants (2002 statistics. It was known as Hrsovjani from 1447-1489, and it had 30 households at the time.

7) There is a way through the centre of the village Rsovci and across the bridge and the river Visocica, on the right side up the path to The church of St Peter and Paul from the thirteen century. Inside the “cave church, on the east wall (rock) there is a fresco of “bald Christ”, Christ is young and bald.

8) Visocka Rzana village is 25km away from Pirot, at the mouth of the Jelovicka to Visocica river. It is the centre for several villages of the Upper Visok. It was known as Irzna Visoka from 1576-1577. It originates of the name r’z (ray), but there also opinions that the name comes from often and strong winds at the place which growl and veil (r’ze).

9) Vrelo (The spring) is a picnic site 33km away from Pirot, at about 730m altitude, weekend settlement and a complex of worker resorts (with bungalows), at the mouth of the Jelovacka to Dojkinacka river. It was named by Jelovica spring, karst spring, which dries for several hours or a day or two every August or September (or October rarely).

10) Monastery of St. Mother of Christ, village Visočka Ržana, XVIII century.

11) Dojkinci village is situated 36km from Pirot in the valley of the Dojkinacka river at the area of Visoka in the centre of Wildlife park Stara planina mountain. Among the oldest written evidence on existence of the village Dojkince arte from 1576-1577. The name might have originated from personal name or nickname Dojko, abbreviated from (Ra)Dojko, or of his family.

12) Karst cove Ponor is situated on the SE of the village Dojkinci, on about 1400m altitude (and by Vrtibog, on the East of the lake Zavoj) is one of two karst coves in Stara planina, about which Jovan Cvijic wrote. On the bottom there is a sinking river.

13) Arbinje (Latin arbor: trunk) is a geographic area in the wildlife park Stara planina mountain in the basin of the river Dojkinacka, strict natural sanctuary of “spruce”, an indigenous forest habitat of high mountain sprouce (Piceetum excelsea sericum, Rudski, 1949) of the surface of 8.70 ha under protection since 1985

Area of the wildlife park “Stara planina” mountain

14) A Wildlife sanctuary “Old Mountain”

The area of wildlife sanctuary “Old Mountain” stretches partly in Bulgaria and partly in Serbia. It was proclaimed a Wildlife sanctuary of a great importance in 1977.The total surface of wildlife sanctuary “Old Mountain” is 142.219,64 hectares. It belongs to the Eastern Serbia regionally and it stretches over 4 municipalities administratively: Zajecar (9.958 hа), Knjazevac (9.958 hа), Pirot (63.194 hа), and Dimitrovgrad (11.099 hа).

In the wildlife sanctuary “Old Mountain” there are 1195 plant species (24.5% of Serbian flora), 51 species of moss, (34% 0f Serbia). In Old Mountain in the municipality of Pirot strict natural preserves are distinguished; “Devil’s head”, “Three hills”, “Spruces” (Arbinje) – the most preserved and beautiful spruce woods in Old Mountain and Sebia in general and “Kopren” presenting habitat of plants of carnivorous species (Drosera rotundifolia).

In Old Mountainn there are about 116 species of day butterflies, 22 of them are new founded and 6 are rarity; 18 species of herpofauna (reptiles), 6 of fhich are amphibiae and 12of reptiles; ichtyofauna (fish) is represented with 26 species; 203 species of birds, Old Mountainn is included in the regiser of areas of international importance for European birds – IBA with the surface of 44,000 ha. The wildlife sanctuary Old Mountainn is protected nature welfare nominated for the programme “Man and biosphere” (UNESCO-MAS)

15) Kopren waterfall is situated at the highest altitude (at 1820m) in the mountain Kopren 1963 alt. in the wildlife park Stara planina mountain in the municipality Pirot, and it is the first by height in Serbia (or it is the second if we count Kaludjersi skok (Monk’s fall) or Monk waterfall in the basin of the Kaludjerska river, a stream of 232m height).The length of measuring draw is 148 meters, with a total height from the beginning to the end of measuring of 103.5 with an average fall of 56.4 degrees. The waterfall consists of several cascades several meters high up to about 40m. At only 20 – 30 meters below the last cascade, there is one more waterfall which hasn’t been measured yet. The lower waterfall is about 50 – 60 meters high, freely estimated. The measurements were done by dr. Sasa Milanovic (from Mining – Geology faculty, the center of hydrogeology of karts in Belgrade). It was also measured by grad. Engineer of hydrology Ivan Djokic on 16. June 2011. The access to the waterfall is not arranged and it is possible from three directions of different difficulty (especially without a guide). There more than 20 evident waterfalls (and more obscure ones), in the municipality Pirot, among which the most famous are the following ones: Piljski (Lower and Upper) og 64m, The Great Cunguljski waterfall (at 1,171m alt.), 42m high, (the small Lower Cungulj fall and Upper Cungulj 22m), Propadla Vunija at 1530alt.), 30m, Kurtul waterfall 27m, Tupavica waterfall 25m… Orlov kamik (Eagle’s stone) (at 1420 alt.), 20m, Rosomac fall (at 1290 alt.),16m, Gruja fall 15m, Koljca fall 15m, Krmolj waterfall (two), Jarisor (at 1400 alt.) 10m high, Tri kladenca waterfall (Three springs at 1642 alt.): Watrfall Vrla strana (at 1290 alt.) below Midzor at nameless stream:10m.