Devil's Town | Natural Heritage of Serbia

Not far from Prolom Banja, in the municipality of Kuršumlija, lies a geomorphological natural monument of the first category of protection. Unique in Europe and the world, this is a place where nature has awakened human imagination through artistic creation. It has a name consisting of two words, neither of which accurately describes what is actually located there. It is known as Devil's Town, a natural beauty of the Radan Mountain and Toplica.

Toplica is a region in the southern part of Serbia, following the course of the river of the same name, which springs beneath the Pančić Peak and flows through Prokuplje and Kuršumlija. The Toplica region is known for numerous cultural and historical monuments, the Neolithic site of Pločnik, the Toplica Uprising, the second oldest church in Serbia - the Church of Saint Procopius in Prokuplje... But the most famous site, visited by tourists from around the world, is Devil's Town - a natural phenomenon in the vicinity of the village of Đake near Prolom Banja.

This extraordinary natural and tourist attraction on the Radan Mountain consists of tall earthen pillars or pyramids, which number in the hundreds in this area. These earthen pyramids are formed as a result of strong soil erosion that occurs under very specific conditions. Factors contributing to this erosion include loose soil beneath which relatively soft rock is hidden, surface boulders, significant rainfall, and a lack of vegetation.

Due to unplanned logging, people have ensured that there aren't many forests in this area over the past few centuries, so it could be said that human activity indirectly contributed to this phenomenon.

How are earthen pyramids formed?

Under the impact of raindrops, loose soil dissolves and washes away, creating deep grooves and channels through which the rainwater drains. Earthen pillars form in places where smaller or larger blocks of rock occur, which, with their weight, protect a portion of the soil from being washed away. As the erosive process progresses, these pillars "grow" with prominent rock blocks on top. The appearance of large rocks weighing several tens of kilograms atop relatively narrow earthen pillars, reaching heights of up to ten meters, represents a unique attraction in the world.

The Devil's Town complex consists of 202 pillars of varying heights made of tuff and sandstone. Their lifespan, in geological terms, is not long. Pillars form, persist for a while, collapse under their own weight, and new ones emerge. The height of the pillars ranges from 2 to 15 meters, with diameters ranging from half a meter to 3 meters. The pillars, called "towers" by the locals, are located in two deep ravines - Devil's and Paklena Jaruga (Hell's Ravine).

Within the ravines, there are also two mineral water springs. Đavolja Voda (Devil's Water) is highly acidic and highly mineralized, rich in aluminum, sulfur, copper, and other metals. The content of these elements is higher by up to a hundred times compared to normal drinking water. Crveno Vrelo (Red Spring) has lower acidity and a smaller amount of minerals. Such types of springs are rare and are mainly used for spa purposes. Furthermore, the entire Radan Mountain region is known for its healing springs, and around them, the Lukovska and Prolom Banja spas were established.

As is usually the case when natural phenomena appear unusual, people have attached numerous legends and myths to Devil's Town. According to one legend circulating in Toplica, an evil force forced people to marry their own siblings. However, to prevent this from happening, a natural force turned the wedding guests into stone, leaving them to admonish future generations. That is why this place is called Devil's Town. Another legend tells that anyone who attempted to spend the night among the rocks did not wake up in a sane state.

The mystical appearance of Devil's Town prompted the first photo colony in Europe to be held at this location. It took place in 1977 when a large number of photographers from around the world tried to capture the best photograph of this phenomenon. Later, these photographs were exhibited in Milan, Bari, Paris, New York, China, Germany, Japan, and Russia. This event has survived to this day, and alongside it, art colonies are often organized, attracting artists from around the world.

Devil's Town is not the only such rock formation in the world. They can also be found in the vicinity of Foča in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Italy, France, the United States, and the Alps... and each of them is unique in its own way. Our Devil's Town is unique in that its pillars are more numerous, prominent, and stable than anywhere else in the world. That is why Devil's Town was the highest-ranked candidate in Europe during the selection of the New Seven Wonders of the World held in 2009.

Since 1959, the Devil's Town site has been protected by the state, and in 1995, it was declared a natural heritage of exceptional importance and placed in the first category of protection. In the past, it was very inaccessible, mainly attracting mountaineers. Today, it is accessible by car up to the main entrance gate, and then visitors can explore it on foot using well-maintained paths.

Due to all the mentioned reasons, Devil's Town is one of the most valuable natural landmarks in Serbia and a place with significant tourist potential visited by tourists from around the world.