Resava Cave

Published on 25.07.2014.

It is the first cave to be prepared for visits in Serbia. The length of the cave totals to 2,850 meters and the tourist paths is 800 m long. The air temperature is 7 0C and the average humidity 75%-80%. The Resava Cave consists of three floors of passages and halls connected by artificial tunnels and decorated by pillars and coral-like calcite deposits in various colours. Only parts of the first and second floors (Upper and Lower Gallery) have been prepared for visits. An underground river flows through the lowest floor (Third Gallery). The visitor to Resava can tour its numerous halls with different cave ornaments. The cave is very rich in cave ornaments of various shapes and colours and is richer than other tourist caves in the concentration of its decorations.

TOURS: Tours of the cave last about 40 minutes. The Resava Cave has a permanent guide service. Visiting hours: 9.00 a.m. to 17.00 p.m. (from April 1 to October 31).

WATERFALL "VELIKI BUK"

The spring Veliko vrelo and the waterfall Veliki buk are located at the foot of mountain Beljanica. They are protected by the Government Regulations of the Republic of Serbia in 1995, as a natural monument Lisine which represents a particular sight of the Fund geo-heritage of Serbia.

Veliko vrelo belongs to a small group of strong uncapped karst springs and stands out as a remarkable example of gravitational springs, while the waterfall represents a unique phenomenon among accumulative tufa waterfalls of Serbia.

The spring with the water stream and the waterfall represents a geomorphological and hydro complex of picturesque beauty and the value of scientific, educational and cultural significance, thus it also represents a natural resource of national rank. The springs and the hot water wells in the upper Resava represent important and the most interesting hydrological places. There aren’t any on the mountain ridges and high karst plateaus and limestone vertices, but they are numerous and varied in the valleys of all tributaries and constituents of Resava

Dozens of permanent springs appear in Resava spring head under the conical peaks of Mala and Velika tresta, Velika Bota and Dobiša, soaking the entire mountain range with clear water. However, far more important and richer with water springs occur in gorges and canyons where they show themselves individually or in groups, bursting from screes and between blocks or expanded cracks. They feed with water from the limestone interior or represent surface extensions of subterranean undercurrents.

Of all hydro places, more interesting are karst hot water wells Veliko and Malo vrelo, which appear in the slope of the vertical limestone sections of Beljanica along the northern rim of a small valley Lisine. Veliko vrelo appears at the top of the valley under the vertical sections of the Radoseva cave. Water flows out at the bottom of a long scree between large limestone blocks at the top of a short and shallow valley. Water of Veliko vrelo used to power watermills and rolling mills for cloth. During its maximum, the hot water well provides over 10 m3 of water per second, and in its minimum it reduces and then out of the scree and blocks runs only about 120 l/s. It is assumed that the hot water well is fed by the underground river that flows through the wide cave channels whose outlets are covered by the fallen blocks and scree material. Near the spring, the stream of Veliko vrelo has a great fall and with current shallow trough, it builds several small cascades. About 300 m from the spring, the stream at first slows down, and then suddenly, from a wide plateau it falls over a range of vertical cliffs 20m high. The plateau and its southern cliff are composed of tufa layers, which were earlier accumulated in a wet season only by Veliko vrelo. Like all karst hot water wells, it is rich in melted CaCO3 . It is located about 150 km from Belgrade, 20 km from Despotovac and the monasteries Manasija and Ravanica .

INFORMATION:

Tourist Office of Despotovac

tel. +381 (35) 611 110, fax +381 (35) 613 543

mob:+381 (62) 289-820

MAIL: [email protected]