THE STARA PLANINA

        The Stara Planina is a part of the mountain chain Balkan (Turk. mountain) , which extends partially in Srbia and in a greater degree in Bulgaria . It is 600 km long, and 30 – 50 km wide. It starts from the Stara Planina in the west to the Black Sea in the east, and represents the extension of the Southern Carpathians . It is divided into West (up to Iskar ), Middle (up to Sipka) and East Balkan (up to the Black Sea ). The highest peaks are: Botev 2376 m, Vezen 2198 m, Midzor 2169 m, and the most important saddle is Sipka 1326 m.

the mountain chain Balkan

       The Stara Planina is a common name for the north-west part of the mountain range called the Balkan. This mountain range occupies the eastern part of Serbia , on the border between Serbia and Bulgaria , and belongs to the Carpathian-Balkan mountain system. The highest peak is Midzor, 2169 m, and other important peaks are Golema Cuka, 1961 m, Vrazja Glava, 1938 m, Srebrna Glava, 1933 m, and the like. The main saddles are Kadibogaz 928 m, and St. Nikola, 1380 m, and some roads to Bulgaria go by over there. This is a very important cattle-breeding region which is mostly covered with pastures. There is a significant source of mineral wealth (mines of brown coal Vrska Cuka and the like). Four municipalities in Serbia gravitate around the region of the Stara Planina: Zajecar, Knjazevac, Pirot and Dimitrovgrad. The region of the Stara Planina is a protected area of category I, and it has a status of a natural park. It also has a status of a high-priority area for the development of tourism in Serbia .

Magnified view of the mountain range Balkan

        The area of the Stara Planina in the municipality of Dimitrovgrad is known as Visok. It occupies 113.68 square km and consists of eight villages: Vlkovija, Gornji Krivodol, Donji Krivodol, Izatovci, Kamenica, Senokos, Boljevdol and Bracevci. The river Visocica which flows through Visok has its headwaters in Bulgaria , and fills the accumulation of lake Zavoj with water (the municipality of Pirot ). Visok has great potentials for the development of cattle breeding and the production of healthy food.

      Because of the dense vegetation, unpolluted air, healthy food, and the diversity of plant and animal species (most of which are endemic), part of the Stara Planina belonging to Dimitrovgrad has great potentials for the promotion of mountain, hunting, country, and winter tourism. A General plan of Serbia for the promotion of tourism on the Stara Planina incorporates the construction of ski paths and other accompaniing objects near the villages Kamenica and Senokos.