Kučaj Mountains - An "Island" of Untouched Nature | Where to Go for a Trip?!

Eastern Serbia hides numerous isolated areas where there are no settlements, roads, and people, and where nature remains untouched by humans. One such area dominated by pristine nature is located in the Kučaj Mountains.

Kučaj, also marked as Kučaj Mountains on old topographic maps, is situated in the heart of Eastern Serbia. Like every heart, it conceals gentle and wild parts that people rarely visit. For this reason, Kučaj was once called the Hajdučka Mountain. It was also known as the Resava Holy Mountain because during the Middle Ages, there were twelve monasteries, endowments of Despot Stefan Lazarević, within its territory, of which only a few are still active today - Ravanica and Sisojevac, as well as Manasija on the slopes of Beljanica.

Kučaj is a long mountain range intersected by valleys and canyons, with a large number of peaks, some of which have the characteristics of separate mountains. It is the most widespread mountain complex in Eastern Serbia and its most important hydrographic junction. The central part of the mountain represents a tectonically complex plateau that stretches southwest-northeast for about 40 km. The boundaries of Kučaj are formed by the rivers Resava, Zlotska, Čestobrodica, Crni Timok, and the Velika Morava valley. When traveling from Paraćin to Zaječar, the entire surface on the left side of the road constitutes the Kučaj mountain. The highest peak of the mountain is Velika Tresta (1284 m).

Morphologically, Kučaj belongs to the group of Carpathian-Balkan mountains that enter our country from the direction of Romania and, through the Đerdap Gorge, descend southeastward to the border with Bulgaria. Kučaj is located in the Carpathian part of this mountain group. Several morphological units can be distinguished in the territory of the Kučaj Mountains: Southern Kučaj, Malinik, Dubašnica, Resava, etc.

Kučaj is mostly built of limestone rocks, which have resulted in the formation of numerous surface and underground relief forms. Numerous caves, pits, karst valleys, waterfalls, and other interesting relief forms make this mountain one of the most beautiful in the area of Eastern Serbia. It is precisely this geological structure that has led to a scarcity of surface streams on the mountain itself, but a large number of ponors (sinkholes) occur. The mountain is also home to numerous speleological objects, with the most notable being the longest cave in Serbia - Lazareva Pećina (Lazar's Cave).

This harsh nature likely led to the fact that the area of Kučaj remains almost entirely uninhabited. According to unverified, but probably accurate claims, Kučaj is the area in Serbia where you can best isolate yourself, go furthest from settlements and people. You can spend several days hiking or cycling without encountering a person. There are no permanent settlements throughout the mountain; they are located on its edges, primarily in the southern part of the mountain. For these reasons, Kučaj is still a mountain with preserved and authentic nature and numerous natural rarities. In the following text, I will introduce you to the most significant sites in the mountains. Some of them are accessible by car, but for the most beautiful ones, you'll need to hike for several hours.

Kučaj is home to the longest and deepest canyon in Eastern Serbia - Lazar's Canyon, not far from the village of Zlot. It is approximately 7.5 km long and has a maximum depth of 265 m. The canyon was formed by the erosion of the Lazareva River, which originates from several Kučaj mountain rivers such as Valja de Mižlok, Valja Mikulj, and Vejska River.

The mountain's interior hides a large number of caves and pits. Some of them are among the longest and deepest speleological objects in Serbia. The longest cave in Serbia, Lazar's Cave (about 12 km), is located in the eastern part of Kučaj, in the area of Dubašnica. Not far from it is Vernjikica, which was also arranged for tourist visits in the past. Near Boljevac, in the village of the same name, you can find Bogovinska Cave (5842 m), which was believed to be the longest cave in Serbia for a long time. The second deepest pit in Serbia is also located in Dubašnica – Gaura Frnđefund (-276 m).

The Resava River Valley separates the Kučaj massif from Beljanica. The Resava River is formed by the confluence of the Zlotska River and Bobovački Stream on the northern side of Kučaj. Zlotska River is a short river that springs from the southern slopes of the highest peak of Kučaj, and it should not be confused with Zlotska River that flows near Lazar's Canyon and Cave. The Resava River is approximately 80 km long, and its valley is one of the most beautiful in this part of Serbia.

Not far from the source of the Resava River, there is a tributary where one of the six primeval forest complexes in Serbia is located – the Vinatovača Nature Reserve. On this site, not a single beech tree has been cut down for about 200 years, and the tallest trees reach a height of 46 meters and a diameter of one meter. The microclimate of the Vinatovačka River has created a favorable space for the unhindered growth of beech trees, which led to the formation of this unique reserve not only in Serbia but also in Europe. The mountain is home to rich and diverse flora, and there are a large number of endemic species. The most abundant are oak and hornbeam forests, beech trees, ash trees, walnut trees, pine trees...

In the Resava River basin, there is one of the most beautiful travertine waterfalls in Serbia – Prskalo. It is located in the valley of the Nekudovo River and is 15 meters high. This waterfall never runs dry during the year, but in dry periods, it has little water.

The Source of the Black Timok River is located in the village of Krivi Vir on the southern slopes of Kučaj. The village is also known for being the site of the Timok Rebellion and for producing Krivovir cheese made from the milk of the autochthonous breed of sheep – Krivovir sheep.

Kučaj is also home to a large number of typical karst basins. The most beautiful and largest among them is Velika Brezovica, which now has an asphalt road leading to it. Within a radius of over twenty kilometers from Velika Brezovica, there are no permanent settlements. In the past, shepherds who grazed their sheep used to stay there, but today, lumberjacks are most commonly found there. In addition to Velika Brezovica, other well-known basins include Veliko and Malo Igrište, Troglan Bares, and Pasuljan Meadows...

To explore Kučaj, it is enough to have some hiking experience, enjoy long walks, or like cycling. In recent years, due to increased timber exploitation in Kučaj, asphalt roads have been built leading to some of the most beautiful parts of the mountain, but at the same time, they contribute to the destruction of its most beautiful parts. The locations on the mountain that are easily accessible are: Lazar's Canyon and Lazar's Cave, Vernjikica Cave, Velika Brezovica, Bogovinska Cave, and the Source of the Black Timok River... For those who find themselves in the heights of Kučaj, you will need to allocate more time. In any case, even if you observe the mountain from a distance, it will leave you with an intense sense of the magnificence of nature.