Wildlife
As we have seen, the Serbian ecosystem is prolific. If we make a detailed inventory, the country has no less than 4,000 different species. Among them, there are 96 species of mammals, including a large number of small rodents and several bats, but also more imposing specimens such as the brown bear, the Balkan lynx (nicknamed "the ghost of the forest", it is mostly found in Kosovo and is the national symbol of neighboring Northern Macedonia), the gray wolf is found in quantity, as well as a large number of foxes, wild boars, deer, fallow deer, chamois and elk. Bears are mainly found in the Tara and Zlatar mountains. Strictly protected in the rest of Europe, the gray wolf is doing well in Serbia. The animal is even the national symbol. It embodies the strength and unity of the Serbian people and is depicted on many souvenirs as well as in popular nationalist poems. Today there are more than 1,000 wolves in the forests, and rural people are used to this long-standing cohabitation. Despite their large numbers, it is still very rare to come across them, even on excursions into the wilderness. Wolf hunting, which is highly regulated in most Western European countries, is therefore free in Serbia. The wolf is not an endangered species in Serbia and hunting is therefore allowed from July to April.
Serbia also has almost 300 feathered species, including many migratory species. Near waterholes, there are colonies of waders, flamingos and herons but also, in smaller numbers, the grey crane, the water robin or the bustard. At altitude, birds of prey still fly over the mountains. The bald eagle can be found on the slopes of the Uvac canyon and the majestic golden eagle, extinct in the rest of Europe, still flies over the Montenegrin border. There are several nature reserves that are a delight for birdwatchers. For example, in the Carska Bara plain in Vojvodina, there are no less than 300 species of birds in a few square kilometers!
Finally, the countless rivers and mountain streams are a delight for fishermen. From the impressive Danube to the lakes of Sjeničko jezero spawn 125 species of fish. Most of them are freshwater species: carp, pike, zander or catfish are legion. The country is also at the heart of the migratory route of sturgeon. Where several species, including the famous Beluga sturgeon, have been migrating up the Danube since the time of the dinosaurs, they are now almost all extinct. The construction of the two large Iron Gates dams in 1972 was a major blow to the migratory species, which can no longer travel up the Danube to Vienna as they once did. The sterlet (or Siberian sturgeon) is a more domesticated and exclusively freshwater species and is still present but seriously endangered. It is allowed to be fished, unlike in the rest of Europe, with the exception of five months a year during the spawning period, but in practice poaching is commonplace. It makes a very popular dish in restaurants and you can easily find it in the market stalls, at high prices. One of the largest concentrations of freshwater fish in the country is found in the Obedska Bara park and marshes in Vojvodina.
The flora
Most of the Serbian territory is covered by forests, but this unity is deceptive. In each of them, there is an arboriculture related to the relief and climate. The largest, covering almost the entire territory, is the biome of mixed forests of the Balkans. This ecosystem covers the plains of the center of the country as well as the valleys and mountains of the south and east. It is characterized by the preponderance of oak, with occasional beech forests. At higher altitudes, the deciduous trees give way to pine and spruce. Among these is the famous pančićeva omorika, an endemic species found on the heights of the Tara massif. All the way to the southeast, in the heart of the Dinaric Alps, is the realm of the mixed forests of the Dinaric Mountains. Very humid, this ecosystem is composed mainly of pine trees, giving very marked and recognizable landscapes. To the east, the very small biome of the Rhodope highland mixed forests is shared with Bulgaria. It extends over the whole massif from which it takes its name and offers superb landscapes. In addition to the usual beeches, pines, etc., there is a rather low vegetation, composed mainly of tracheophytes (or vascular plants) - for example ferns. This is where the largest concentration of birds of prey in Europe lives, offering majestic and unforgettable scenes. Finally, in the north in the Vojvodina region, the Pannonian mixed forests are the most important. They are composed of a variety of oak species, spaced by stretches of vegetation typical of the irrigated plains of Central Europe. In this nature, keep an eye out for beautiful mountain flowers, daffodils and violets, as well as some rare local species such as božur or jeremičak.
Reserves and green tourism
Serbia is very rich in diverse natural sites. The country boasts five national parks, ten nature reserves and twelve large nature caves. Hunting enthusiasts are not to be outdone, with more than 8 million hectares dedicated to hunting, 24 large domains and nearly 280 sites throughout the country. Their creation, ancient, is due to Marshal Tito, who was anxious to promote this activity that he practiced and also to attract foreign tourists and their currency
In Serbia, the very diverse relief and the abundance of waterways have allowed the emergence of natural sites with a strong identity. Small, these parks are generally very well developed for tourism but their preservation often leaves much to be desired if compared to European standards. Their exploitation remains however under the control of specific laws and structures and the constructions on the spot are limited and obey to draconian rules. Quite popular with locals and tourists, there are often very comfortable and modern high mountain hotels, from which it is possible to venture into the wilderness.
Fruška Gora National Park. A30-minute drive from Novi Sad or an hour and a half from Belgrade, Fruška Gora is not so much a wilderness park as it is a small country mountain planted with vines and dotted with villages with a very old history, which lazily stands between the Danube and the Sava. It is also one of the religious centers of Serbia and home to no less than sixteen monasteries, including those of Krušedol, Novo Hopovo, Jazak, Beočin or Šišatovac. Nicknamed "the fertile hill", it is a site of centuries-old human occupation and there are relics from all ages, from cavemen to Enlightenment philosophers. In addition to its wine, the region is renowned for its honey, enriched by the hundreds of species of local wild flowers. In short, it is an idyllic park in summer, inviting visitors to relax, enjoy impromptu picnics or hike and bike trips on its nineteen marked trails.
Đerdap National Park (Djerdap). In the west, running along the Romanian border, Đerdap is poetically called "the iron gate of the Danube". Here, deep gorges frame the river, before releasing it into the fertile plains of Pannonia. The view is simply spectacular and the landscape is unique. The difference in altitude is quite easy to conquer, especially by bike, thanks to the Eurovelo route no. 6 which follows the river from the Black Sea to Germany. These gorges are the kingdom of birds of prey, which populate the park by hundreds. There are also the remains of the Roman road and the fortresses of Trajan, contemporary with his conquest of the Dacians, as well as the majestic medieval fortress of Golubac. Finally, Djerdap hosts the oldest Neolithic site in Europe: the prehistoric "city" of Lepenski Vir, which can be visited, is 6,000 years old.
The national park of Kopaonik. On the Kosovar border, Kopaonik is an old silver mine that has been exploited since ancient times. Despite the presence of precious metals (silver, but also gold and nickel), the mountain has been protected since 1981 and has become the most important and popular ski resort in Southeast Europe. It is thus a curious mixture of mountain leisure and natural excursions which awaits you on the spot. We recommend the place in winter, to take advantage of all the activities offered. The sleeping nature remains sublime during snowshoeing, downhill skiing and during spa sessions in the mineral springs of Jošanička banja and Lukovska. The mountain is also very pleasant out of season, nicknamed "the sunny mountain", the weather is often very nice.
Tara National Park. Mount Tara is located in the center of this mountain park, itself on the Bosnian border to the east. It is composed of gorges and valleys covered with a dense pine forest whose beauty is breathtaking. Several hiking and biking trails lead to unique viewpoints, just be prepared for a steep climb! It is the home of the Serbian spruce and a dream spot for kayaking enthusiasts.
Serbia and ecology
Serbian biodiversity is in serious danger. From its huge reservoir of biodiversity, 600 species of plants and just under 300 species of animals are in danger of disappearing from local ecosystems. These figures themselves are highly inaccurate, due to the lack of a modern monitoring and data processing policy. Indeed, despite the important development of green tourism, the protection of the country's natural spaces is not really a priority for the governments and the surface occupied by the national parks is far from covering the recommended 12% of the territory. The awakening of consciousness to ecology has not yet reached Serbia, which strongly limits the possibility of seeing in the future a coherent policy of protection and management of its exceptional heritage. The consequences are very visible. For example, while the wooded area has increased in the order of 50-75% since the 1990s (under the Yugoslav and other very poor communist regimes, massive felling was used for heating), the game population has decreased by 10%. The construction of the Iron Gates dams on the Danube has caused another ecological disaster by driving most migratory fish species to extinction, especially sturgeon, which are also fished for their caviar. So far the government has not banned the fishing of the remaining species (unlike the rest of its neighbors) and is not taking any real action against poaching.
However, it is a bit easy to point the finger at Serbian inaction on ecology when the country's problems are so numerous and ecology is often directly opposed to development needs. Disastrous water management is the main cause of ecocide in the country, but even ten years ago, the majority of settlements did not even have a water treatment plant, and even today 53% of industrial plants discharge their waste directly into the waterways... all this in a network of surface rivers that are very vulnerable to contamination. In the face of rising fossil fuel prices, the temptation is strong to multiply dams on mountain rivers, despite the disastrous consequences for natural habitats. Dams are perhaps the key to raising awareness in Serbia. Opposition to their construction is growing, and the shocking photos of the 5,000m3
of plastic waste stuck in the Potpec reservoir this year have brought the ecological cause a little more to the fore.
