Serbia · Vojvodina

Obedska bara

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Обедска бара

Obedska bara is a vast horseshoe of marsh and floodplain forest in south-eastern Srem, between the Sava and the villages of Kupinovo, Obrež and Grabovci. Known across Europe since the mid-19th century as a “kingdom of birds”, it is one of the few floodplain wetlands of its kind left.

How it formed

The marsh breathes with the Sava: when the river is high, water flows in through the Vok, Revenica and Vranj channels, and when it is low, it drains out through the Vok. Many of the oxbows and ponds dry up in drought years and late summer.

History

Protected since 1874, this is among the oldest protected areas in the world, and in 1977 it became the country’s first Ramsar wetland. The name comes from Obed, a medieval monastery built in Kupinovo by Angelina Branković and her sons; it was destroyed, and only a chapel remains.

Nature

More than 220 bird species have been recorded. Purple herons, little egrets and black and white storks nest in mixed colonies under centuries-old oak, ash and elm, and glossy ibises and spoonbills have recently returned to breed. Lesser spotted eagles, white-tailed eagles and black woodpeckers live in the forest, and about 16 kinds of fish spawn on the floodplain.

Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

The info centre, at the Obrež turning towards Kupinovo, is the way in, open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., about 65 km from Belgrade and 75 km from Novi Sad. Rangers lead the visits: book with Vojvodinašume for a catamaran tour across the Krstonošić backwater, a guided three-hour birding walk or the Obed Tower. You can also hire a rowing boat or buy a fishing permit at the centre, and the rest park has fire pits for a barbecue.

Walking trails take one to three hours, but some are passable only in summer, so wear sturdy shoes, and bring insect repellent from late April. Birding is good all year, and migration, spring and winter are best. In Kupinovo, see the ruins of Kupinik, the Chapel of Mother Angelina and the medieval Church of St Luke.