Despotovac - Bor

The passage between these two little towns of the East Serbia will permit you to approach the natural riches across the waving mountain massifs and rivers. From Belgrade take the highway to Nis and at Markovac take the road to Despotovac a 14 kilometres above Despotovac the monastery fortress MANASIJA.

Its particularity has been that the church well enough preserved, has been surrounded by eleven square towers. This gives the ensemble a very nice configuration. Constructed between 1406 and 1418, the monastery Manasija contains the tomb of Despot Stefan Lazarevic. In Middle Ages the Serbian Despot had installed here a community of monks who had been working here at the reform of the Serbian language. The copying school of Resava had been maintained the ancient Serbian texts in spite of the changing history. The paintings decorating the church, the Saint Trinity painted maybe by the Serbian or Greek artists from the mountain of Athos, has been competing among the most beautiful that could be seen in Serbia. They show a polychromy which is impressive. Gold and of lazulite backgrounds. Among the presented scenes the Saint warriors in very dynamic altitudes not so characteristic for that era and a beautiful presentation of Stefan Lazarevic.

Another interesting point is the waterfall of Lisine, the highest one in Serbia. On an important source it pours through the mountain. It will take a 30 minute walk from the motel to reach it. Finally, the attraction of this place it is the caves. For the most courageous some wild caves are accessible from the motel, where will be indicated to you by their location. A good materiel and the speleological lamps will be needed, but they are worth the tour. At 50 meters under the summit the objects from the Palaeolithic have been sometimes found. You may try your chance. The most interesting of all is the cave of Jelarceva, rich in stalactites of numerous colours, but pay attention, they are of a reputation to be narrow enough.

The cave of RESAVA is the best known and the most admirable in all the country for the tourists. Open for the public since 1972, it assembles more than 50,000 visitors every year, who can see only the upper galleries on 447 meters of all galleries. The stalactites, the highest being 20 meters high, as well as the “tubs” full of water and the “candelabrum” of stalagmites. A coral channel should also be seen. The visit of 40 minutes, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on summertime, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on winter time, the cave of Resava Association, Phone; 035 633 007.

Then return to Despotovac and take the winding road to Lipovica. At 20 km North-West there are the gorges of Gornjak on the river of Mlava. Within a very greenish framework Mlava of the emerald colour breaks through a narrow passage between the mountain ridges more than 30 meters high. On the foot of a slope dominating Mlava here is the church of monastery of Gornjak. Founded 1380 by Prince Lazar, this monastery, situated in a splendid framework, has been known from the poems by Djura Jaksic “The night in Gornjak” and “The road to Gornjak”. Here one may discover the wall paintings from XIV and XV centuries.