Turks named Belgraders' favorite picnic spot: Rare plant species grow on Mt. Avala

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

Less than 17 kilometers from Belgrade is Mt. Avala, one of the capital's favorite resorts.

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The highest peak Zrnov is located at 511 meters above sea level. It was named after a medieval fortress of the same name, that offered a view of the entire area, all the way to the Danube.

Describing Avala, the Turks said that it was "havala", i.e., a barrier or obstacle. At the site of the medieval fortress that was destroyed with dynamite in 1934, the Monument to the Unknown Hero was erected four years later.

Certainly the most famous symbol of Avala is the Avala Tower, the tallest building in the former Yugoslavia, which was destroyed by NATO during the 1999 bombing. It was rebuilt less than 12 years ago and is now 204.57 meters tall.

Although Avala, like Mt. Kosmaj, is not perceived by many as actually being a mountain, the first competition in Serbia in cross-country skiing was held on its slopes in 1929. In 1946, the first ski championship of Serbia was organized on this mountain.

Avala is home to more than 600 plant species, and botanists single out three species that represent natural rarities: martagon lily, box tree, and

laburnum.

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

(Telegraf.rs)