Stara planina-eng

Old Mountain / STARA PLANINA

In Serbia, Stara Planina covers 1800 m² of mountainous region; 150 km along the border between Serbia and Bulgaria it is a part of the main mountain range which is long several thousands kilometers, all the way to the Black Sea in Bulgaria. Its highest top is Midzor (2170 m above sea level).

It has about 1195 herbal tuxes of 33 families, 48 of them are on the European list of endangered species, such as Androsace Elongata, Lycopodium Complanatum, Rosa Balcanica, Campanula Calycialata Pinus Mugo, 203 bird species (154 of them build nests), 52 herbal groups, 30 mammal species, including Spermophilus Citellus, Chionomys Nivalis, Ursus Arctos and Lynx Lynx, 26 fish species including very important Salmo Trutta, 6 amphibian and 12 reptile species. 44 000 Hectares of the park are declared in 2000 to be an IBA – Stara Planina – Vidlich, as primary residence of Buteorufinus and Alauda Arvensis, the main residence in eastern Serbia of Scolapax Rustucola and residence of Balkan’s endemite from the Eremophila Alpestris Balcanica specie.

Tumultuous geological past caused appearance of powerful chalk limestone areas, and valleys are filled with lake and river sediments, including fossils of Paleozoic vegetation from the period Devon – Carbon (350 million years ago), fossils of Triassic desert ecosystems (182 million years ago), maritime ecosystems from Paleozoic and Mesozoic (137 million years ago).

Although there are no bigger speleological objects, of significance are caves (in some of them traces of humans before VI century b.c. were found) and gorges of Visochica which belong to the system of Vladikine Ploches 2 km long and on some places 300 m deep. 11 caves from 5 to 660 m long were explored, and the biggest among them – the Vladikine Ploche cave – has entrance 18 m high and 12 m wide, which is visible even from the Rsovci village. The church built in a cave and dedicated to St. Petar and St. Pavle stands out in this village 22 km away from Pirot. It contains remains of frescos from the XII century, among which the fresco of Christ Mladenac stands out; it is unique in Serbian frescoing. On that fresco Jesus is young and bold. While spending some time on Stara Planina, Feliks Kanich in 1871, Jovan Cvijich, Milan Milichevich and many more wrote about mystery tells from this region. Temshtica is the biggest erosion basin in eastern Serbia and covers area of 600 km². It includes red sandy soils, as a proof of the existence of desert climate in this region.

Surface relief shapes, which were also explored by famous Serbian geographer Jovan Cvijich, existing in this region are 2 valleys Vrtibog and Ponor. Ponor is a shallow recess north-eastern from villages Dojkinci and Brlog; it is on 1400 m above sea level, 700 m long and covers surface of 2.3 km². Springs appearing on this shallow recess’ edges sink into the earth on more than 5 places, on the lowest point in the Ponor cave, sprout on the surface again 10 meters away from each other, sink again and the water appears as a powerful fountainhead at the village of Dojkinci.

The second valley is Vrtibog, which is more than 1 km long and 200 m wide; it is a depression north from the Gostusha village, on 1400 m above sea level. Along the edges of both valleys several springs appear and sink into funnel-shaped depressions in karst and chasms. Explores proved a connection with fountainhead Belsko.

Stara Planina is a border mountain range 150 km long with the highest point in Serbia proper – peak Midzor, 2170 m. Petrologic characteristic of Stara Planina includes powerful sandy soils up to 1300 m high.

The biggest surface limestone shapes, at the same times the only one in Serbia, is the Odorovachko karsts under south hillsides of the Vidlich Mountain (a part of the nature resort Stara Planina of 40 000 Ha), not far away from Pirot along the crossing over the karsts Tepoch. It lies on 685 - 740 m above sea level; it is 9 km long and 3 – 5 km wide. On edges of Odorovachko karsts there are 35 registered pits and 20 caves. The most of them are small. Also there is the Ravnishte karsts valley, as well as upper parts of the mountain Tepoch and Petrlashka valley on 780 – 740 m above sea level.

Nature resort Stara Planina covers the surface of 142 000 Ha with climate which is more continental than semi-continental. Average annual temperatures: Pirot (370 m above sea level) – 11 °C, Knjazevac 10.5 °C; average in January: Zajechar 2.0 °C, Pirot -0.9 °C, Knjazevac -1.3 °C; average in June: Zajechar 10.7 °C; average in July: Pirot 22 °C, Knjazevac 21.7 °C. Precipitations: Zajechar 640 mm, Pirot 565 mm (Dojkinci near Pirot 920 mm), Knjazevac 604 mm (data from 1973). Height above sea level: Pirot 370 m, Pakleshtica 640 m, Topli Do 700 m, Donji Krivodol 820 m.

Stara Planina has some of the coldest springs as well: fountainhead on Ata (under Vrazja Glava) has the temperature of 4 °C, fountainhead Okopsko 4.5 °C (2050 m a.s.l.), Tri Kladenca 4.5 °C (1859 m a.s.l.), Starchevica 4.5 °C, Polonjina Voda 5 °C (1613 m a.s.l.) and many more.

Jovan Cvijich wrote that springs in area around Midzor appear on heights from 1500 – 2000 m a.s.l. Several peaks is about 2 000 m high: Dupljak 2099m, Golemi Kamik 1978 m, Tri Chuke 1937 m, Vrazja Glava 1938 m , Srebrna 1933 m etc.

Anthropogenic tourist values of the nature resort Stara Planina are determined by numerous Christian and orthodox monuments dating from the XIII century and later, among which particularly stand out monasteries in Gornja Kamenica (Holly Triad) and Donja Kamenica (Holly Mother), monastery St. George near the Temska village, church in the cave near the Rsovci village with unique fresco painted on a rock known as “Bald Jesus”, monastery Holly Mother of God near tourist complex “Vrelo”; special value of nature resort Stara Planina is ethno-culture of houses and barns which are characteristic for regions of Granichak, Minichevo, Balinac, Gabrovica, Balta Berilovac, houses covered by stone tablets in villages of Dojkince, Brlog (bordered by big stone tablets), Rsovci, Slavinja, Bela, Gostusha, Topli Do…

According to all of this, in 1997 Stara Planina was pronounced to be a nature resort, nature property of great significance in regions of Zajechar, Knjazevac, Pirot and Dimitrovgrad Counties.

Natural and anthropogenic tourist values of Stara Planina are numerous and diverse. From the aspect of tourism they are classified on geomorphologic, hydrological, climate as tourist value and the animal world, i.e. ethnographical, archeological, monumental, ambient, sport and manifestation and culture and manifestation. Tourist values of Stara Planina could be defined as local, regional, national and international.

By strategy of development of Stara Planina’s tourism it is possible to carry out the following types of tourism: picnic, weekend (secondary residence), children’s and youth tourism, tourism of “the third age” persons with longer staying in areas of stimulating and sedative climate, stationary summer tourism for persons of all ages, village tourism, winter-sport-recreational tourism, winter-sport-manifestation tourism, summer-sport-manifestation (competitive in all disciplines), tourism of businessmen, hunting and fishing (photo-safari, sport fishing…), cultural-manifestation, transit tourism, health tourism (insufficiently valorized).

How to get to the Stara Planina nature resort in Serbia?

Belgrade - Nish............ = 237 Km; Nish - Pirot.............. = 69 Km;

Pirot - Knjazevac …..... = 65 Km; Pirot - Zajechar ........ = 105 km;

Knjazevac - Zajechar ..... = 40 Km;

Nish - Knjazevac ........ = 56 Km; Nish - Zajechar ........ = 96 Km;

Sofia - Dimitrovgrad . = 62 Km; Sofia - Pirot ............... = 86 Km;

Kalafat - Vidin - Zajechar . = 67 Km; Belogradchik - Zajechar = 57 Km

Traveling destinations in nature resort Stara Planina

Hotel Pirot: …

1. Pirot – Planinarski Dom 12 km;

Starting in Pirot, we get to our destination located on 1080 meters height above sea level in 25 minutes. It is on the right side from the road, surrounded by pine trees. By international standards this hotel has 3 stars and it has 30 beds in double-bedded rooms and apartments. Each room has TV with satellite channels, phone and VCR. The restaurant capacity is 100 seats; there are 50 seats on the terrace. There’s also a bar, TV room, hall for meetings and seminars. In the close vicinity there are sport courts for basketball, football, handball and tennis. Also, there is a possibility to go on fishing tour at local spots.

On the left side of the road there is a mild valley (picnic ground in summer, skiing court in winter). There is a spring of very cold water. From that place there is a view at Midzor, and useful ground covers more than 4 square kilometers. Near the complex there are about 15 weekend cottages of pretty good quality (some of them have pool). Basarski Kamik (1376 m.) is near as well. In easy walk, it can be reached from there in 25 – 35 minutes.

2. Planinarski Dom – Rsovci village 10.8 km;

Nearby, there’s a small river Visochica. It has 3 names: Komshtica, Visochica, Temshtica. There is also a monastery placed in cave of St. Petar and Pavle, containing frescos from XIII century (“Bald Jesus”, a fresco engraved in stone on the walls, the only one of that type in Serbia). Tales, myths and legends from this locality are particularly interesting. The crag Vladikine Ploche separates Gornji from Donji Visok. It is a fluvial shaped (2 km long) and on some places it is deeper than 300 meters. It is placed between villages Rsovci and Pakleshtica; it starts from the cave Potpech and ends downstream at the Kozarnik brook. Eleven caves, deep from 5 to 600 meters, have been explored. The biggest one is the cave of Vladikina Plocha, which entrance is 18 meters high and 12 meters wide; the main canal is 190 meters long and on the end it transforms into lateral canal which ends in a 30 meters deep pit. It can be seen from the Rsovci – Visochka Rzana road.

3. Pirot – Vrelo 31.5 km;

Vrelo is a tourist complex that lies on confluence of the Dojkinachka and Jelovichka rivers, 850 meters height above sea level. It extends on a surface of 2.5 km x 300 to 500 meters. Small C category hotel object with capacity for 20 people stands out at the mouth of the rivers. The tourist complex is made out of 3 entities: 20 weekend cottages made of hard material, mostly of wood, which have 1 or 2 small rooms sized 2.5 x 2 m, and small anteroom. Nearby the mouth there are about 20 private houses made of stone and neatly arranged. 150 meters on the north from the mouth of rivers there is a fountainhead, for which Jovan Cvijich once wrote that it dries up every 2 – 3 days. Jelovichko vrelo 5-6 m³ per sec. (minimum in November: 1.5 m³ per sec; maximum 100-120 m³ per sec). Water temperature varies from 8.5 to 9.5 °C. Structure: calcium carbonate, Fe, Mg. 700 m from tourist complex Vrelo, there is marked mountain-tourist path “LOGOS – junior”, a path 57 km long, having 3 categories, which leads to Church of Notre Dame, which is 880 m above sea level. The year of 1853 is engraved on the apse, which was probably the year when the church was restored. This monastery is protected by the government since 1984. Ground-floor tavern is also a part of the complex. Entire complex is surrounded by conifer woods.

4. Pirot - Zavojsko Jezero 21 Km;

The lake Zavojsko Jezero is located on 612 m above sea level, it is 6.3 km long, the deepest point is 60 m, it has surface of 5.5 km² and has the volume of 160 million m³. The dam is 75 m high. The lake can be reached by asphalt road. There are more objects, such as “Vodovod’s” object of high “B” category having capacity for 20 people, which rooms are equipped with small kitchens, toilets and showers. It is also possible to get there across the lake itself in about 30 minutes. Entire object is next to the lake, about 100 meters. Around the lake there are more than 40 private weekend cottages.

5. Pirot – Temska – St. George Monastery – Temshtica Valley – HE “Temac” 17 km;

The Visochica River: length 84 km, development quotient 1.95, river basin surface 810 km², river network density 930 m/km², level drop 1149 m. In about 2 km from the Temska village there is monastery St. George, Dejanovic family’s memorial from 16^th century. Parts of the complex are also small church (19.5 x 6 m) with 9 m high dome, taverns and other objects. Building was finished before 1576. In the yard there are remains of Captain Milutin Karanovich, who died on December 13^th 1877. The monastery is protected by the government since 1948. About 2 km from there, on river’s curve there is the hydroelectric power station HE “Temac”, which has museum value because it was built before the World War Two for the needs of small factory “Tigar”, which at the same time brought electricity in this region. It is possible to visit it. Here is also the object which belongs to the electric power station having capacities for 20 tourists.

6. Pirot – Kalna – Babin Zub 56 km;

Mountaineer camp Babin Zub is a part of traveling destination Stara Planina and centre for sport and recreation Babin Zub. The camp is a part of “JP Babin Zub”. Centre for sport and recreation Babin Zub is 75 km away from the E-75 highway and airport Nish, 35 km from the T-80 highway, 120 km from airport Sofia, 150 km from Danube and 330 km from Belgrade. It is located on the Babin Zub’s west side on 1580 m above sea level, 60 km from Knjazevac and 12 km from the Crni Vrh peak, the closest inhabited place. The camp can be reached with any terrain vehicle, bus or car by asphalt road which is maintained regularly. The hotel is “B” category, its capacity is 60 people – there are 22 double-bedded and triple-bedded rooms and 2 apartments.

7. Kalafat – Vidin – Zajechar – Knjazevac 107 km;

Hotel “Timok” is placed in the city park; it has 66 beds, restaurant and café with big terrace with 200 seats. The hotel is particularly suitable for sport teams.

Picnic grounds “Baranica” is located on the right riverbank of Trgovichki Timok, 4 km away from Knjazevac, in the direction of Pirot. On this place there are remains of prehistoric human both in Klisura Koretanac and in Baranice’s caves, remains of antic town and site of a former church from IV – VI century A.C., dam, café and motel.

Drawing from the cave Koretanac – Gabrovnica

Tracks of human cultural activities in this region date from bronze period (1400 – 800 B.C.). In Trgovichki Timok’s crag, in the Koretanac – Gabrovnica cave, prehistoric drawings – the first prehistoric painting art in Serbia and the Timok valley – have been discovered. At the cave’s entrance, right on one flat segment of the rock, a horse is drawn, and on the left there is irregular circle. The Toplik cave is located between villages Vratarnica and Zmijanac, 17 km from Zajechar in the direction of Knjazevac, 200 m from the regional highway. It is 49 m long, average height is 3 m, has 3 halls and in third one there is a 5 m high waterfall.

The Monastery of Suvodol is placed in the Selachke village’s area and is dedicated to the birth of the Mother of God. The oldest testimony is written by Sopies don Shop, and it says that this monastery church is built on this place by the beginning of XI century. A monument above the door from 1255 has been discovered. From this place, by the end of XIV century, originate documents “Marinkov evandjelister” and “Oktoih” from 1692.

8. Knjazevac – Kalna 28 km;

Nearby Babin Zub, in small place called Vrtovac, the manifestation “Prayer under Midzor” is held traditionally. Tourist and economy manifestation “Djurdjevdanski Susreti – Prayer under Midzor” is held in villages Vrtovac and Balta Berilovac.

9. Sofia – Dimitrovgrad 62 km; Dimitrovgrad – Smilovci Village 13 km;

In this region are placed the only karsts in eastern Serbia, P=8.2 km² (J. Dj. Markovich) on 685 m above sea level. It is 7.5 km long and 4.5 km wide. The Odorovska Reka River is made from several springs at the Smilovci village, and it ends on the west, in Glavna or Popova cave (also known as Petrlashka), about 10 m wide and high and 468 m long. It is rich in jewels and hardly accessible by car in last 2 km. There are 35 pits and 20 caves in Odorovci’s field. Odorovci’s periodical lake – Petrlashki Zaton – looks like pocket and is 1.2 km long and 1 km wide. South-eastern in the field there are 2 lakes, right of the road, before the Smilovci village. It is possible to hold hundreds of tourists on this place. The lake is rich in fish, so there are a lot of competitions held here.

10. Smilovci – Mojinci 6 km; Mojinci – Vidlich 2 km;

This point is the best view of the southern border - on surface excavation of the mine Mazgosh, as well as of Visok, the Visochica River (Komshtica in Bulgaria), on north. Further, the road goes down and comes to Vlkovija and Donji Krivodol villages.

More details in the data basis of LOGOS.