VALLÉE DE SREDSKA

Surrounded by mountains exceeding 2,000 m in altitude, this pretty valley (Sredačka župa/Srecka) extends for about 17 km in length along the Prizenska Bistrica. Located in the Šar Mountains National Park, it is mainly inhabited by Bosnians and owes its name to the former medieval Serbian county of Sredska. The road that crosses it (R115) is dotted with villages where you can find shops, restaurants, a few hotels, modern mosques and many small Serbian Orthodox churches from the 16th-17th centuries. Arriving from Prizren, Rečane/Reçan (900 inhabitants, mostly Bosnian) marks the entrance to the national park. From there, secondary roads lead to various villages, including Donje Ljubinje/Lubinja e Poshtme (6.7 km southeast of Rečane/Ressent), which is famous for its weddings where the women wear full makeup. The inhabitants are of Goran culture (see Dragaš/Dragash), but today they declare themselves "Bosnian". On the way back from Rečane/Reçan to Štrpce/Shtërpca, the R115 passes through several Serbian villages that have been depopulated since 1999.

Towards the Prevalac pass. The former political center of the valley, Sredska now has only about 60 inhabitants, mostly Serbs, but is home to several churches, including the 17th-century Dormition of the Mother of God in the hamlet of Pejčiki/Pejçiq (1 km north) and the 16th-century Church of St. George in the hamlet of Milačiki/Milaçiq (1 km south). A little further along the R115, in the cemetery of the hamlet of Bogoševac/Bogoshevc, the church of St. Nicholas preserves its 17th-century frescoes. The road then passes through Mushnikova/Mušnikovo (1,100 inhabitants, mostly Albanians) where stands an elegant little mosque from the 19th century. In the village there are two churches: the church of St. Nicholas (17th century) with well-preserved frescoes, and the church of the Holy Apostles (16th century) with a few fragments of paintings with Greek inscriptions. Three kilometers further on, at the entrance to Gornje Selo/Gornjasella (250 inhabitants, mostly Bosnian), is the beautiful church of St. George with frescoes from the 16th and 17th centuries. The road leaves the Prienzenska Bistrica here and crosses the Prevalac Pass (1,535 m) in a series of four hairpin bends and reaches the Prevalac/Prevalla ski resort, whose only ski lift climbs to 1,991 m. This is the place in the valley with the most hotels. The R115 then continues to Štrpce/Shtërpca for 14 km.