Šalinac Grove | Natural Heritage of Serbia

Šalinac Grove represents a unique forest area in Serbia. It consists of century-old oak trees, some of which are up to 300 years old. It is located in a severed meander (oxbow) of the Velika Morava River, in the vicinity of the village of Šalinac, about ten kilometers east of Smederevo.

Once covering a much larger area, Šalinački lug now extends to approximately 20 hectares. It has been legally protected as a natural monument since 1981 when only a few hundred trees remained from the forest that once covered a significant part of the Godomin field, i.e., the lower course of the Velika Morava River.

Within a relatively small and clearly defined area, representative pedunculate oak trees reach impressive dimensions. Some stand out in height (up to 18 meters), others with broad and branching crowns (over 15 meters), and some with thick trunks (around 1.5 meters in diameter). As a deciduous forest, Šalinac Grove is a true natural attraction in every season, with its dense shady crowns in summer and the leafless branches in winter.

However, it seems that the tourist potential of this site is far from being fully utilized. Besides the lack of tourist infrastructure, it sometimes appears that the protected status of this area exists only formally. Because of its immediate proximity to cultivated land and settlements, Šalinac Grove often lacks proper protection measures.

Consequently, it is not uncommon to find livestock grazing here, thus compromising the authenticity of this natural monument, which is even considered rare within the Balkan context. Moreover, the site is to some extent threatened by agro-technical measures, such as the construction of embankments on the Velika Morava River, which has resulted in significantly reduced water supply to the oak primeval forest in recent decades compared to its original state.

Nevertheless, far from major roads and traffic corridors, Šalinac Grove withstands significant devastation and reveals its charms only to curious travelers and nature enthusiasts. How long this will continue, or whether more will be done to preserve this site, remains to be seen.

The attractiveness of Šalinac Grove as a destination is also enhanced by the nearby Šalinac Lake, which, with its clear water and well-maintained bathing beach, becomes a favorite excursion spot for locals during the summer months and one of the top attractions of Smederevo.