Serbia · Eastern Serbia

Zavoj Lake

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Завојско језеро · Zavojsko jezero

Zavoj Lake is an artificial lake in eastern Serbia on the Visočica River, in the valley between Stara Planina to the north and Vidlič to the south, close to the Bulgarian border. It lies at 612 m and covers about 5.5 km². On 25 February 1963 a huge landslide rushed down from Stara Planina into the valley and dammed the river, flooding the village of Zavoj. The original lake was drained, the natural dam was consolidated and the lake was recreated as the reservoir of the Zavoj hydroelectric plant, while the new village of Novi Zavoj was built on higher ground. The surroundings are among the least populated in Serbia.

How it formed

Zavoj is the only lake in Serbia born of a landslide; the slip followed snowmelt and heavy rain, and left a natural dam over 50 m high. The Visočica, Gostuška reka and Belska reka feed it, and its water drives the Pirot hydroelectric plant. Rocks above the lake, at 700–750 m, hold Upper Triassic marine fossils from when this was the shallow edge of the Tethys Ocean.

History

Water from the upper Temštica was later diverted into the lake, which residents of the Temštica valley fought for years: the Pirot municipality opposed the scheme, and in 2007 the people of Temska boycotted parliamentary elections in protest.

Nature

The lake holds carp, perch and other white fish, and brown trout live in the Visočica and the Belska reka.

Gallery

3 photos

Photo: hr:Suradnik:Bonč · CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Vilena66 · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

Zavoj is 15–17 km from Pirot at the foot of Stara Planina, a favourite picnic and summer swimming place for people from Pirot and Niš, with water reported to be of excellent quality. The Kozji kamen viewpoint (“Goat Rock”) looks over the lake’s meanders. One classic round from Pirot goes via Provalija to the dam, along a gravel road to the Death Bridge, and back past St George’s monastery at Temska, with monks who prepare herbal balms.

Stara Planina Nature Park has more than 300 km of marked trails for hikers and mountain bikers, and the Tupavica and Bukovički Do waterfalls are within reach, best in spring and autumn. In Pirot, try the local cheese and the “peglana” sausage. Late spring to early autumn is the season.