There are more than 200 mines in Serbia, and, several dozen deposits, so the value of the country’s mineral wealth is estimated at more than $ 200 billion.
Experts believe that mining in Serbia could be the main competitive advantage of our economy over the coming years, contributing to economic growth and development, being environmentally friendly at the same time. The competent persons intend to enable a modern and more successful mining sector in Serbia, to attract new investors to comply with all the regulations and the highest environmental standards, in order to protect the beautiful nature of Serbia around the existing and future mines.
BEAUTIFUL NATURE OF BOR CANNOT BE HIDDEN BY MINE DUST
One of the largest mines in Serbia is located in Bor, with Veliki krš and Mali krš mountain ranges in the immediate vicinity, about ten kilometres northwest of the city. Some of the favourite cycling routes are located on those mountains, attracting cyclists from the whole Europe. On the Dubašnica mountain, near Bor, there are the Samar Gates. Gates are the remains of caves, manifested as splendid gates that, when observed from the ground, show the magnificence of nature, and how small we are in relation to them and to those rock giants.
Near the village of Zlot there is a huge cave system, one of the largest in Europe, with a dozen caves and pits. The best known are Lazar’s Cave and Vernjikica.
There is also the Bor Lake, an artificial lake formed in 1959 when the dam and accumulation for the water of rivers Valja Žoni, Marecova and a part of the basin of Zlotska River were constructed. The lake is located at the foothill of the Crni vrh Mountain, whose clear mountain springs fill the lake with water. The bathing season lasts for more than two months, which is a rather long period compared to other lakes. Few know that there is the Tilva Njagra volcano cup over the Bor lake. The Lazar’s Canyon might be the largest and the most beautiful attraction in the Bor municipality. Its robustness and impressiveness are beyond words. It is about 4.5km long and up to 350m deep on the left side and more than 500m on the right side, below Malinik. The smallest length of the riverbed and the Canyon is between three and four metres. There are no walking trails along the Canyon, and it is impossible to get down into the Canyon or get out of it. The sides of the canyon are very steep, mostly vertical.
NATURAL RESOURCES OF MAJDANPEK ATTRACT NUMEROUS TOURISTS
Near Majdanpek, there is a natural stone brigde Valja prerast, the natural monument of exceptional importance. It was placed under the state protection in 1959, with the “Beli izvor” site with a 17-metrehigh waterfall near it and about fifty tufa lakes. This natural resource may promote the tourist offer and complete the wonderful picture of Majdanpek – the mining town.
People in Majdanpek believe that Valja prerast and Beli izvor will soon become well-known tourist destinations in the country. “
BELA STENA” SURROUNDED BY AMAZING CREEKS, STREAMS AND RIVERS
The “Bela stena” magnesium mine is located near Baljevac in the Municipality of Raška. This small town is tucked away between Kopaonik and Golija mountains, in the valley in which first the Trnavska River flows into Raška, and then Raška flows into Ibar, and it is no wonder that it is visited by hikers, rafters, paragliders, fishermen, and skiers throughout the year. There are some of the greatest medieval monuments like Studenica, Gradac, Končul, Nova and Stara Pavlica monasteries. The natural resource of this region consists of numerous watercourses, with the most important rivers like Ibar, Jošanica, Brvenica, Radošićka, Rudnička, and Raška. Due to numerous rivers, this whole region is full of other hydrological resources, such as: healing thermal springs and numerous wells and lakes, the best-known of which are the Semetsko Lake, and Kazanovske bačije i Marina voda radioactive springs. These healing thermal springs are exploited, and everybody knows of Jošanička Spa near Raška.
Apart from hydrological potentials of the rivers and the wonderful nature surrounding them, Raška is tucked in between Golija and Kopaonik mountains, visited by increasing numbers of tourists every year.
WHAT IS MORE VALUABLE – SIJARINSKA SPA OR LECE MINE?
God, they say, was not frugal when he gave the natural resources and beauty to Medvedja and its surroundings. Sijarinska Spa got the most of it, with more than 20 healing springs, geyser, clean river, thick forests and spacious meadows, with Lece Hill with ore resources worth billions of dollars under it. The Sijarinska Spa is located on the river banks of Jablanica, at the foothill of the Goljak Mountain, at an altitude of 250 meters. The Spa includes springs of sulphur-iron-radioactive and carbonic acid water and a natural geyser, the only one in this part of Europe.
THE KOSTOLAC BASIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRANIČEVO DISTRICT
The “Drmno” deposit is located in the eastern part of the Kostolac Coal Basin, east of Mlava River, covering the area of about 50 km2. Some 25 % of lignite in Serbia is produced in the Kostolac Basin, supplying the Kostolac thermal power plant.
Kostolac is located in the middle of Braničevo, with Stiška Plain, the rivers Danube, Morava and Mlava, artificial lakes, Homoljske Mountains, thermal springs, medieval fortresses in Golubac and Ram, monasteries, churches and archaeological sites. Near the old Kostolac there is the church of the Great Martyr St. George. It is located on the hill called Mali grad, overlooking the surroundings of Kostolac, the estuary of Mlava into the Danube, and with a view of Banat.
SENJE MINE – STILL A SYMBOL OF MINERS AND MINING IN SERBIA
Senje Mine, the oldest dark coal mine, is surrounded by mountains and hills full of beech, oak and pine forests, as well as mountain rivers. In Senje Mine, there is the Coal Mining Museum, opened in 1980, and declared a cultural monument of great importance three years later. At the foothill of the Beljanice Mountain there are the Veliko vrelo spring and a 20-metre-high Veliki buk waterfall, the largest natural waterfall in Serbia. On the territory of Despotovac there is also the Prskalo waterfall. Only a few kilometres from Veliki buk, there is a small river Resava carving its way through the stones of the Kučaj Mountains.
Overlooking the river, there are the rocks of the canyon, a few hundred meters high, approaching each other at only a few meters.
The Resava Cave is located in the limestone hill called Babina glava at an altitude of 485 metres. It is 45 million years old, and it is one of the oldest explored caves in Serbia.
Manasija Monastery is 2 km from Despotovac. It was built next to the right river bank of Resava in a picturesque canyon made up of the high slopes of the Beljanica Mountain. Manasija is the endowment of Despot Stefan Lazarević.
BEAUTIFUL NATURE OF PODRINJE IS CONCENTRATED AROUND ZAJAČA AND JADAR
The nature of Podrinje, consisting of parts of territories of the town of Loznica and the area of Jadar, is rich and versatile. In Zajača, the populated place near Loznica, there is the antimony and lead mine, with Jadar, the largest lithium deposit in the world from which a mine and a tailings pond should be formed. The wonders of this part of Podrinje are supported by the geographically interesting Lešnica, Rađevina and Azbukovica. The most beautiful sites are the Drina River, Banja Koviljača and Banja Badanja spas, Gučevo and Cer Mountains, and Tronoša and Čokešina monasteries. The following sites to be visited in this region, too, are the following: Žeravijsko vrelo, the spring of Žeravija stream, boiling and erupting to surface, Skakavac waterfall that is more than 7m high, and distant 1.5 km from Budimlija, “Rajsku dolinu”, a unique botanic garden in the village of Lipnica, with more than a thousand plant species growing, blooming and smelling on about two hectares of land…
TREPČA WILL ALWAYS BE OUR LARGEST MINE IN KOSOVO
Since it is located on Kosovo and Metohija, after the division into the Serbian and the Albanian parts, Trepča, as the largest domestic lead and zinc mine, still has the status of a socially-owned enterprise. The head office of the Serbian part is located in Zvečan, and it includes two active mines, Crnac and Belo brdo. The most significant sites of the Municipality of Zvečan are located in the village of Banjska, with a spa for rheumatic and skin diseases, known from the Roman times. There is a medieval monastery Banjska, too, the endowment of Stefan Uroš II Milutin, attracting numerous believers and tourists. In the immediate vicinity, there are also the Sokolica and Devine vode monasteries, representing significant destinations for religious and cultural tourism in this Municipality.
KOLUBARA MINING BASIN IN THE KOLUBARA AND TAMNAVA RIVER BASINS
The Kolubara Mining Basin is a coal mine with a melting plant located near Lazarevac, south of the River Sava, in the Kolubara and Tamnava River Basisn. In the village of Ćelije, above the Ibar Highway, there is the Vrače Hill eaching a height of 240 metres, overlooking the surroundings. It is believed that the holy sorcerers Cosmas and Damian spent part of their lives in the monastery on this foothill that people from Lazarevac enjoy visiting, and that the hill was named after them.