FRUSKA GORA (Crveni cot 539 m, Eagle`s rocks)

Fruska gora is the oldest national park of the Republic of Serbia, founded in 1960. The highest peak of Fruska gora is Crveni (Red) cot (539 m). Fruska gora has a large number of well-marked trails. At Fruska gora, you can also find lakes, caves and waterfalls! Also, Fruska gora is well known for its 17 monasteries.

We made a circular tour: Osovlje – Orlove stene (Eagle`s rocks) – Crveni cot – Osovlje. To the starting point, Osovlje, we came from Belgrade, via Ruma and Vrdnik. Just before Vrdnik, there is an ethno village „Vrdnicka kula“ (Vrdnik tower). Not far from this place, a tower from 13th century stands. The tower was once part of the fortified town of Vrdnik. You can reach the tower by the macadam path, just before the ethno village.

In Vrdnik, the asphalt road passes by the monastery of Vrdnicka Ravanica. The monastery was raised in 13th century. The holy relics of Serbian prince Lazar have been kept in Vrdnicka Ravanica. Today, only a small part of the relics of St. Lazar are kept in the monstery.

From Ravanica, which remained on our left side, we continued in the direction of the town of Beocin. At the crossroads of Crveni cot (left) – Iriski venac (right) – Beocin (straight), Osovlje lies. On the left, you will see a signpost “Osovlje 1500 m”. Park your car here. You will see a macadam road with a green ramp, which leads to the left. This is where the path begins. However, you can shorten the path if you walk up toward Crveni cot (which is about 5 minutes of walk) and turn to the first path on the right (there is a signpost). From Belgrade, this place is about 90 km far, or about an hour and a half by car.

From the green ramp, the road leads you to the former resort. The resort is ruined and abandoned. From the ramp, to the resort, you will need 20 minutes of walk (1500 m). Behind the resort, there is a signpost to Orlove stene (Eagle’s rocks). You can also enter the path just before the resort, if you spot a path which turns left into the forest.

The trail is marked very well. Follow the triangular red-white markings and white-green-white markings. The white-green-white markings with mark 1 indicates a short path, i.e. the path of Osovlje – Orlove stene – Osovlje. The white-green-white markings with mark 2 indicates a longer path, i.e. the path of Osovlje – Orlove stene – Crveni cot – Osovlje, which we walked.

From Osovlje to Orlove stene there is also 1500 m, or about an half an hour of easy walk. The trail goes through the forest all the time. Fruska gora is the forest with the largest number of lime trees in Europe!

When you reach Orlovac (above Orlove stene), you will see a board. To the left of the board are “stairs” which leads to the Eagle’s rocks (3 minutes) and to the right is a path that leads to Crveni cot (sign “D. kestenova”).

Eagle`s rocks are 200 million years old and were created in the time when, on the planet Earth, there was only one ocean, Tetis. They were formed by sedimentation underneath the earth’s surface and suddenly they emerged “out”. Since then, they stand proudly against all weather conditions and natural disasters. I admit that I did not expect something like this in the wooded area of Fruska gora. It’s really beautiful and unusual; it breaks the monotony of Fruska gora.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We went back to the board and took the right path (D. kestenova). From Orlovac to Crveni cot there is about 7 km, which is about an hour and a half of walking. Soon we reach the intersection of the roads for Osovlje and Crveni cot. There are white – green – white tracks 1 and 2; 1 leads to Osovlje and 2 to Crveni cot. We followed path 2. After the big circle we made, we came to the ridge that leads to Crveni cot (539 m). The top is not so attractive. It has a huge transmitter that can not be accessed, so there is no view from the top. And nothing could be seen because of the dense forest.

From Crveni cot, to the starting point (the green ramp), we descend in 5 minutes. For Belgrade, we came back via Iriski venac, Irig, Krusedol, Maradik and Beska (highway). The reason we took this route is the most beautiful and most famous monastery of Fruska gora, Krusedol (13th century). Serbian king Milan Obrenovic is buried in this monastery. Also, the relics of St. Angelina lies in the monastery. St. Angelina is the only mutual female saint of Serbs and Orthodox Albanians.

The tour is really light and pleasant, good for mountaineers – beginners. For me, the most valuable on this route are the Eagle’s rocks, which are very impressive and unreal among the Fruska gora forests. And you can boast that you, as a beginner, have climb the highest peak of the first Serbian National Park 🙂

May 2018.