RITAM SRBIJE / RHYTHM OF SERBIA
with slides and beach volleyball courts... The lake’s romantic name refers to a
unique optical phenom- enon. In the late after- noon hours, when the sun begins to dip behind the mighty Carpathian peaks of neighbouring Romania, the light falls at a specific angle and re- fracts through the clear water, giving the lake’s entire surface a mes- merising silvery sparkle. Just ten kilometres away is the monumen- tal Golubac Fortress,
Svi delovi Srbije imaju svoje specijalitete po kojima su poznati, pa ne propustite priliku da u njima i uživate All parts of Serbia have their own specialities for which they are known, so do not miss the opportunity to enjoy them
built to protect the entrance to the Đer- dap “Iron Gates” Gorge. You can also vis- it Ram, another fascinating fortress with the most picturesque sunsets on the Dan- ube, or Viminacium, an ancient Roman city and military camp where you can see pre- served ancient baths, an amphitheatre and a mammoth park. CULINARY CORNER: Lunch beside Silver Lake simply must include Danube fish soup with homemade noodles and fresh grilled perch, combined with white wines sourced from nearby vineyards. LAKE BOR Eastern Serbia’s mountain crystal Located at the foot of Crni Vrh (Black Peak) Mountain, around 17 kilometres from the city of Bor, is Lake Bor. Created in 1959 through the damming of rivers for the purposes of the local mining com- plex, this artificial lake has grown to become an ecological pearl and one of the cleanest reservoirs in the Balkans. It stands at 438 metres above sea level, ensuring it enjoys warm days and pleasantly cool nights dur- ing the summer. Lake Bor’s crystal-clear, dark green wa- ter reaches a fantastic temperature of 25° C during summer. Extremely rich in fish, it is common to see swans and ducks swim- ming alongside bathers here. The lake’s markedly indented shoreline offers sever- al well-maintained beaches. The most fa- mous is the Glavna Plaža (Main Beach), which is located close to the local hotel and combines concreted parts, small peb- ble coves and spacious grassy areas ideal for lounging in the shade of nearby pine trees. For those who prefer privacy, the shoreline hides dozens of small earthen
and pebble inlets that can be reached via forest trails. The area surrounding Lake Bor offers incredible excursions. Just a few kilometres away is Brestovačka Banja, one of the oldest spas in Serbia, which once welcomed Roman emperors, and later Serbian princes. There you can visit a preserved Hamam Turkish bath and the royal residence of Prince Al- exander Karađorđević, built in 1856. Also close by is Lazar’s Canyon, the deepest and longest canyon in Eastern Serbia, home to the fascinating Lazar’s Cave, with its sever- al kilometres of underground halls. CULINARY CORNER: Try lamb braised in milk and the famous Bor ice cream, containing forest fruits harvest- ed by hand from the slopes of Crni Vrh. Lake Vlasina Swimming on the roof of Serbia Located in Serbia’s southeast, at an al- titude of almost 1,220 metres above sea level, Lake Vlasina is the highest artificial reservoir in the country, representing a gen- uine ecological oasis. Formed in the mid- 20 th century, it occupies an area that used to be a vast peat bog known as the Vlasina Muds. Surrounded by gentle mountains,
its shoreline is home to beautiful native white birch woodlands. Swimming in Lake Vlasina is a unique experience. Due to its altitude, the sun’s rays are extremely strong here, causing bath- ers to tan and burn faster than at sea lev- el, while the air remains fresh and pleas- ant, free of tropical humidity. The beaches are natural, grassy and sandy, surrounded by wild vegetation. The iodine-rich water has an extremely beneficial effect on the respiratory tract and skin, while swimming in serene surroundings, with the wind rus- tling through the birch trees, brings com- plete mental detoxification. Lake Vlasina’s greatest wonder is its floating peat islands. The flooding of the original bog caused peat layers with a thick- ness of several metres to detach from the bottom and float to the surface. These is- lands, today overgrown with grass and even trees, are blown freely across the surface of the lake by the wind. The largest among them is called “Mobi Dik”, and visitors can observe it shifting location from day to day. CULINARY CORNER: Vlasina is renowned for its wild blueberries, so be sure to try the homemade ‘slatko’ fruit preserve and syrups.
102 | Jezera » Lakes
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