Beech Forests | Natural Heritage of Serbia

Tropical rainforests, jungles, or taigas are usually the first associations when the word "primeval forest" is mentioned. Vast dense forests in Canada, as well as those in the tropical and equatorial regions of the planet, are perhaps the only areas on Earth that have not been fully explored and inhabited. But...

...did you know that there are primeval forests in Serbia too?

Admittedly, these are not the forests inhabited by grizzly bears, monkeys, and exotic birds. These are dense and dark, pure beech forests, intersected by clear streams winding among centuries-old trees, forests that have never been cut or cleared by human hands.

This is mainly due to the fact that they are located in relatively inaccessible areas, far from human settlements, roads, and villages, as well as the extremely favorable climatic conditions for the development of beech vegetation, which over time has displaced other species in these areas. Credit is also due to the state, which recognized the ecological significance of these forests in a timely manner and protected them by law almost a century ago.

In Serbia, there are three beech primeval forests legally protected as strict nature reserves.

The most representative and largest among them is Vinatovača, which is also the most accessible one. It is located on the slopes of Mount Beljanica, in the upper course of the Resava River, about thirty kilometers east of Despotovac and fifteen kilometers from the village of Strmosten.

In addition to Vinatovača, the other two reserves are Felješana, near Majdanpek, and Danilova Kosa in the vicinity of Krupanj. In each of these reserves, individual trees are over 45 meters high, more than one meter and a half in diameter, and over 350 years old.

They themselves represent a unique tourist attraction for all nature lovers. Reaching them today is still a challenge that requires a lot of energy, hiking, and determination, but staying in a forest among giant trees that "remember" many significant epochs, events, generations, nations, and rulers is a special experience.

Perhaps it is precisely their inaccessibility that holds the secret to their survival—let it remain that way for as long as possible. And to biologists, ecologists, adventurers, and nature enthusiasts, a warm recommendation for a one-day trip.