Slano Kopovo | Natural Heritage of Serbia

Prior to the construction of the Danube-Tisa-Danube hydro system in the 1950s, the fertile plains of Vojvodina were mostly desolate and marshy terrain, dotted with ponds and oxbow lakes of the vast lowland rivers that inundated the land over a huge area.

By constructing a multipurpose network of canals after World War II, this part of the Pannonian Plain was drained, cultivated, and transformed over the following decades into perhaps the largest granary in Europe.

However, nature here is not entirely tamed, and even today, one can see meadows, swamps, and river lakes in Vojvodina, which are severed meanders of large rivers filled with water. Such places usually represent true repositories of biodiversity, symbiotically hosting various species of fish, birds, mammals, rodents, and insects.

While most of these sites are well-known to the general public (such as Carska and Obedska bara, Gornje Podunavlje, Koviljsko-Petrovaradinski rit, and many others), one lesser-known location stands out with a phenomenon rarely seen on the European continent.

It is the Special Nature Reserve Slano Kopovo.

During the wetter part of the year, Slano Kopovo may not seem much different from typical swamps and marshes found in dozens throughout Vojvodina. Situated in the floodplain area between the Tisa and Galacka River, near Novi Bečej, this oxbow lake covers an area of about 1000 hectares and is filled with water for most of the year.

However, what sets it apart as a unique natural phenomenon is the type of soil on which it formed. Thanks to salt springs, this lake is actually a saltwater lake for the majority of the year and is one of the last of its kind in Europe, and the only one in Serbia. As such, Slano Kopovo provides a habitat for unusual bird species for our region, which is why it is listed as a Ramsar site of protected areas.

The diversity of wildlife is not the only reason for the "phenomenal" status of Slano Kopovo. During the hot and dry summer months, when the water evaporates, the bottom of this shallow basin undergoes salt crystallization, resulting in a cracked surface covered with a whitish layer several centimeters thick. This sight is reminiscent of the recognizable landscapes of rocky deserts in North America and is complemented by sparse shrubby vegetation typical of saline soils. And all this is located just 5 kilometers from Novi Bečej.

Due to climate change and intensive agricultural production in the area, the hydrological regime of the Special Nature Reserve Slano Kopovo is disturbed, and it is threatened with disappearance. In order to preserve this unique habitat, three levels of protection, both narrower and broader, are in force for the Slano Kopovo area.

To fully experience the extraordinary ambiance of this nature reserve and understand its uniqueness, the best time to visit the site is during the warm and dry summer months.