od, as it can only be accessed in full during this period when it doesn’t contain water. The best place to start a hiking tour here is Lazar’s Cave. Accord- ing to the recommendation of ex- perienced hikers, after traversing the canyon it is also worth visiting the Zlotska Cave. And if you want to view the canyon from a differ- ent perspective, the numerous ob- servation points are a must. The most famous is Malinik peak and its Kovej observation point, which is located on the edge of a cliff and provides an incredible view. This area is also home to ex- tremely diverse and rich flora that’s characterised by the presence of 52 relic species, including the Europe- an yew and ramonda serbica. The canyon also provides a habitat for more than a dozen species of mam- mal and almost a hundred species of bird. Among them are bats, cham- ois, golden eagles and others. Mlava and Krupaj springs The Homolje region is famous for its natural oases, and the foot- hills of Eastern Serbia’s Beljanica mountain are rich in strong riv- er source springs. However, there are two that stand out in particu- lar: the Mlava and Krupaj springs, which are characterised by the ex- traordinary force with which their water bursts from the earth, but al- so the small lakes that have formed on the sites of their sources. Mlava Spring is located in a natural amphitheatre and is more reminiscent of a small, dark green lake, though it is sometimes em- erald in colour. Water jets from the spring at speeds of up to 15 cubic metres per second, while at times it acquires a whitish or red- dish hue. And divers have managed to delve into the spring’s funnel to a depth slightly over 70 metres, so its bottom continues to represent a mystery. Mlava Spring is today an extremely attractive destina- tion, where you can walk along tai- lored banks and relax on the forest- ed slopes surrounding the spring.
Gates of Vratna Canyon The river Vratna has carved out a course for itself through Eastern Ser- bia and created truly breath-taking gorges and canyons along the route to its confluence with the Danube. But that’s not what has made it fa- mous among nature lovers. Rather, the persistent and erratic flow of the river Vratna caused it to force its way through the rocks it encoun- tered to create caves, the vaults of which have collapsed over time. This formed these specific monuments – gates, or natural arches that look like stone bridges. Three such natu- ral arches appear along its course – Suva, Velika and Mala [dry, large and small] – all of which are categorised
Krupaj Spring used to burst out of the cave with such a din that it seemed as though it want- ed to emphasise all its power with that noise, but it was subsequently blocked by a concrete substructure that led to the forming of a small pond. If you visit the spring dur- ing the hot summer months, its blueness is certain to tempt you to take a dip and cool off, but you should be dissuaded from doing so by a water temperature of just ten degrees. The consolation is that you can find numerous thermal springs in the vicinity that blend with the icy waters of Mlava and Krupaj to provide much-needed refreshment.
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