Vlasina Lake
Vlasina Lake is located in the southeast of Serbia in the municipalities of Surdulica and Crna Trava. Lake is situated 27 km away from the Corridor 10 – European Motorway E 75 connecting Belgrade and Macedonia, exiting by the town of Vladicin Han.
The Lake is about 300 km away from of Belgrade to the south , 5 km away from the Vlasina dam and around 100 meters from the main road connecting to border crossings with Bulgaria (Ribarce, 42 km and Strezimirovci, 23 km).
Vlasina is protected area with special features situated in south-east Serbia, within the green peaks of the Besna Kobila and Gramada and Cemernik Mountains, between the rocks who are regarded older than 400 million years. Situated at the altitude of 1213 meters, Vlasina Lake spreads on 16 square km and is the largest and the highest artificial lake in Serbia.
Vlasina Lake is about 12 km long and features a maximum width of approximately 3.5 km. Vlasina Lake was formed by construction of the Hydro-power water-dams Vrla I and Vrla II on the place where in the past was mud with reeds and scattered water spots from where the River was taking its downfall. Lake’s average depth is 10.5 meters and its maximum depth is 34 meters, near the dam.
Vlasina River is considered one of the clearest rivers in Serbia. Vlasina Lake covers surface of 15 sq km and its deepest point reaches 35 meters. The Lake and its surroundings are nominated as the Area of extraordinary features that covers surface of 12.740 hectares.
Natural spring water Rosa arrives from 1550 meters above sea level, from untouched, protected natural beauty of Vlasina area. Bottled directly from the source and the optimal temperature to which it is exposed preserves all its natural properties. Due to the low content of minerals, especially sodium, it is suitable for daily consumption. Rosa is an unique bottled water that originates from the highest commercial source in the country located in the pristine natural landscape of Vlasina.
The Vlasina Lake with its water color varying from grey-blue near the coast to dark blue in the middle of the lake, together with the green banks gives special coloring to the landscape. One of the unique feature of the Lake are floating islands formed by moss and peat from the bottom of the lake. Vlasina lake is surrounded with waved plateau as a green carpet with meadows, pastures and birch, juniper, pine and beech forests which hide the diversity of rare and endemic herbal and animal world, and with the mountain range with clear wells, small rivers with ravines.
Mountains of Cemernik and Vardenik and Besna Kobila and Gramada are the highest mountains surrounding the Vlasina Lake, rising up to 1800 meters above sea level. There are more than 400 mountain springs featuring icy-cold potable water in the area of the Lake. In the thick forests around Vlasina Lake and along meadows which cover up surfaces to the surrounding mountain peaks visitors find precious blueberries, wild strawberries, rose hip jelly, basil and other forest products and rare plants.
The area of Vlasina lake is characterized with significant cultural monuments and impressive well-preserved customs and ethographic values, such as : monastery in Palja, the church in Bozica, Etno-farm “The Eight Day” Izvor, Klisura, Crna Trava and the tower in Klisura.
Summer temperatures of Vlasina Lake reach above +30C, while during winter they drop to -20C with snow cover 1-2 meters thick. During winter Vlasina Lake frosts ower, what makes a good conditions for ice-skating, sledging or crossing over it. Vlasina Lake is ultimate destination for true nature-lovers and passionate fishermen. The Plateau of Vlasina and Vlasina Lake with its surroundings are proclaimed protected natural wealth and the region of extraordinary features of the I category.
Photos CD “Moja Srbija” www.turistvodic.info
The best masters of the vernacular architecture of Serbia – folk architects were the pečalbari, migrant workers and superior builders and masons coming from undeveloped regions with their specialized teams of workmen, such as the Crnotravci from the Vlasina region, after whom in time, all workmen from the south and southeast of Serbia were named. This traditional system of temporary – seasonal labor migration known as gurbet or pečalbarstvo particularly among men, has existed for centuries in a number of regions of the Balkans. Likewise it existed in two mountainous regions of the Southern Balkans — Šopluk and Mijak regions.
The Shopluk is predominantly mountainous area in the central part of the Balkans stretching across Serbia, Bulgaria and Macedonia over 12.000 km2 of land and encompassing the following parts that stand out: Kraiste /around the towns of Custendil, Bosilgrad and Radomir/, Maleševo /southeast of the town of Osogovo/, Slaviste and Pijanac /near the Pčinja river/, Vlasina /around Vlasina lake and the town of Crna Trava/, Grahovo /around the town of Breznik and Pernik/, Bure /west of the town Trn/, Znepolje /south and east of Trn/, Luynica /around the town of Babusnica and Ljuborađa/, Torlak /surroundings of the town of Pirot and Dimitrovgrad/, Zagorje /Stara Planina’s east side/, Zaglavak /southeast of of the town Knjaževac/, Zaplanje /around the town of Gadžin Han/, Budžak /around the town of Kalna/, Sophia field and Sophia valley….
In the Vlasina Lake area there are various accommodation facilities – from camp site to the very comfortable accommodation.
Kosovo and Metohija Tour 2
