Description
Đerdap National Park covers part of the Đerdap Gorge in the middle reaches of the Danube, covering an area of 63,786.48 ha. The longest breakthrough gorge in Europe is located in this section of the river, with the southern side belonging to Serbia and the northern side to Romania. In the area of the Mali Kazan Gorge, the Danube has the smallest width of 150–180 m, and the greatest depth of about 90 m.
The Đerdap National Park is home to more than 1,100 plant species, is a habitat for about 250 bird species, and the mammal fauna is also diverse and numerous, with the lynx (Lynx lynx) and the chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra)particularly standing out.
The presence of natural features of exceptional geological and biological diversity and a rich cultural and historical heritage (Lepenski Vir, Golubac Castle, Trajan’s Tablet, etc.) make the Đerdap Gorge an area of outstanding interaction between significant natural and cultural values. The Đerdap National Park was declared a Category I protected area of exceptional importance in 1974, and in 2020 it was included in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.
The area of exceptional features “Stolovi”, a mountain range belonging to the Inner Dinarides belt, located in the Ibar-Kopaonik region, along the right bank of the river Ibar, extends over 9,932.1 ha. It was placed under protection in order to preserve hydrographic phenomena and two vegetation belts – oak and beech.
Stolovi Mountain is known for its wild daffodils (Narcissus radiiflorus), diverse flora and fauna, the presence of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), and a large number of rare and endangered bird species nest in its area, including the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the rock partridge (Alectoris graeca). The trademark of Stolovi is also the owner’s horses that stay on the mountain all year round.
Stolovi, on the right bank of the Ibar River, is also home to a Cultural Monument of Exceptional Importance, the medieval town of Maglič. The Government of the Republic of Serbia declared Stolovi a protected area in 2022.
Professional cooperation on the issue: Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia and “National Park Đerdap” L.L.C. Artistic realization of the issue: Miroslav Nikolić, MA Anamari Banjac, academic painter
