Perhaps the most beautiful place in all of Serbia.
Someone who visited Divčibare, a mountain a mountain pearl near the town of Valjevo in Western Serbia, at least once in his life, has been convinced that places froma fairytales really exist.
Located in a valley between massive mountains, sprinkled with rivers in which the water is pure as it is in dreams, Divčibare is a place that heals a man in the first contact. It heal soul, body, everything.
Luckily, local people recognized the potential of this place, so they invested in tourism.
There are marked paths for pedestrians, bicycle paths, sightseeing towers, restaurants, numerous accommodation facilities, a market where you can buy the best quality food and drinks, homemade of course… Everything is clean, natural, everything is organized, serving people who come here to escape from a busy daily life.
But imagine, behind the name of this beautiful place, there is a sad story.
According to the legend, in the river Crna Kamenica, which flows through the center of Divčibare, once, after a great summer rainfall, a young beautiful shepherd girl drowned, while she was watching her sheep by the river.
In order to preserve the memory, this place was given the name “girls plashes”, or “Divči bare”.
The first mention of the name Divčibare was recorded in 1476, in the Turkish census.
The Turks liked everything here so the next three centuries they stayed at Divčibare.
Ruler of Serbia, Miloš Obrenović, was one of the first people to acknowledge the beneficial influence of nature and climate, so he bought the entire Divčibare and all the cattle here in the early 19th century. He personally stayed here, first time in 1822.
The tourist potential of Divčibare began to be realized almost 100 years ago, in 1926, when citizens of nearby town Valjevo built 20 log cabins that were used for vacation. Soon, the first hotel was built, then the first shop, and the construction of quality roads leading to this pearl of Serbia began.
The state also recognized this natural treasure, and in 1932, the Ministry of Trade and Industry named Divčibare a climatic and tourist destination.
Soon, the rich families from Belgrade and Serbia started to come here, and Divčibare became the most important mountain tourist place in the country.
Whole Divčibare and its surroundings are in the forests, and in the spring there are numerous flowers in the meadows.
Nature here is still clean and untouched, so many people gather and eat forest goods: wild berries, mushrooms, wild raspberries, blackberries, blueberries…
Thare are also many animals: here you can see roe deer, rabbits, squirrels, wild boars, partridges, cloves…
There are numerous streams and rivers across and around Divčibare, and there are many wells. There are marked hiking paths leading to the most attractive peaks surrounding Divčibare, and the marking work was done well, so it is virtually impossible to lose yourself here.
One of the most attractive peaks on the mountain Maljen is Golubac, 1056 meters high. There is a tower of wood on top of it, from which you can view the whole region.
The second spectacular viewpoint is at the top of Ljuti Krš peak, 962 meters high, which is approachible by a marked footpath. Also, another viewpoint is at the top of Velika Pleća peak (1050 meters above sea level), and it provides a view of tens of kilometers of nearby mountains, forests, rivers, villages…
Perhaps the most attractive of them all is Crni Vrh peak, 1096 meters high, from which, when the weather is clear, many mountains of Serbia can be seen: Kablar, Ovčar, Kopaonik, Zlatibor, Tara, Golija…
In addition to the summer period, when Divčibare is a paradise for those who like greenery, forests, meadows, hiking, cycling, this tourist center is also known as one of the largest ski centers in the region.
Many skiers come here to have fun on arranged trails designed for all categories of skiers, and children are provided with sledding courts.
The prices are very affordable, and the daily ski-pass costs less than 10 euros.
There are also ski lessons available, with very popular prices also.
First of ski trails is Ski Trail Center, in the very center of Divčibare. It is around 600 meters long, with a height difference between start and finish of about 100 meters. There is a ski lift on the track, and its capacity is 700 people per hour. It is open from 9-16.
The ski trail Crni Vrh is 850 meters long (the height difference is 180 meters), it is harder than the ski slopes Centar, and the capacity of the ski lift is 1.200 people per hour.
This article is a part of the project “Seven miracles of Valjevo”, supported by the City of Valjevo. Positions of the supported media project do not necessarily reflect statements of the organ supporting the project.
(Come to Serbia)