LAKE PERUĆAC AND DRINA RIVER – REST IN PURE NATURE!

SREBRENICA, JULY 23 /SRNA/ - The picturesque canyon of the Drina River and the reservoir of Lake Perućac on that river are becoming an attractive and challenging destination for a growing number of tourists, especially adventurers.

The cliffs of the unique Drina Canyon, where chamois browse, are attractive to climbers, extreme sports enthusiasts, paragliders, hikers, divers, as well as those who enjoy sailing, swimming, and fishing.

The Drina Canyon is also interesting for biologists and researchers of flora and fauna because it is the habitat of the endemic Pančić spruce, as well as the brown bear and chamois, which griffon vultures fly over.

The forests above the canyon are rich in various types of mushrooms and game, and are linked to the Sušica special hunting ground. Within this hunting ground are also habitats of healing willow grass, and large areas where blueberries thrive.

Tourist interest in staying, vacationing, or doing other activities on Perućac Lake is increasing year by year, and every summer hundreds of lovers of this river and pure nature camp there or spend their summers in nearby houses and cottages. However, due to the lack of accommodation facilities on this lake, excursion tourism is the most common, which does not bring in any or minimal income.

TOURIST PACKAGE - CRUISING, MOUNTAINEERING, HERB HARVESTING, HUNTING...

Therefore, a program was developed, i.e. a package of tourist offers with possible contents, i.e. for choosing one of the offered options and contents for visitors.

This package will, among other things, offer multi-day boarding houses with cruises on the lake and the Drina River to the mouth of the Žepa and Andrićgrad in Višegrad, as well as sailing, swimming lessons, diving, mountaineering exercises, hiking along well-maintained hiking trails, sightseeing of natural beauties, harvesting medicinal herbs, hunting, fishing, getting to know cultural and historical sites and objects, and swimming and relaxing on the lake in the summer season.

The traditional "Pančić Regatta" on this lake, the only one in BiH that is run upstream, as well as some other events, will be an integral part of the offer of this tourist destination within the Drina National Park, which offers peace and relaxation in pure nature, far from street crowds and car noise.

And the nature around this part of the Drina River, on both sides, is extremely clean because it is an almost uninhabited area, without industry and pollutants.

On the right side is the Tara National Park in Serbia, and on the left bank is the Drina National Park, whose employees are undertaking activities to develop the area and create conditions for the reception and stay of a larger number of tourists.

25 KILOMETERS OF MOUNTAINEERING TRAILS HAVE BEEN MARKED

With this goal in mind, a 25-kilometer hiking trail from Klotjevac to Bijele Vode and further to Stublić was designed and marked last fall. It is a very challenging trail that offers a beautiful view of the Drina canyon, the Tara Mountain plateau, and enjoyment of these natural beauties.

Oštrika Beach and others along Perućac Lake in the Srebrenica municipality are full every summer, but they lack supporting facilities, such as the ability to accommodate a larger number of tourists and organize their meals.

MEDIEVAL TOWNS, TOMBS AND "ROMAN MUNICIPIUM"

Nearby are the old medieval towns of Klotjevac and Đurđevac, several necropolises of medieval tombstones, the largest of which is Zlatovo near Ljeskovik, and just a few kilometers away is the Roman archaeological site and the contents of the Roman Municipium Archaeological Museum in Skelani and the Karno Monastery.

For those who love medieval buildings and religious tourism, there is the possibility of visiting the fortress of Despot Stefan Lazarević above Srebrenica, as well as visiting and attending services at the Holy Trinity Monastery from 1242 in Sase near Srebrenica.

ONCE 90,000 TOURISTS AND THREE MILLION DOLLARS OF REVENUE - CAN IT BE DONE AGAIN?

Before the last war, Srebrenica, along with Ilidža, Banja Vrućica and Fojnica, was one of the most famous and most visited spa resorts in BiH, hosting around 90,000 tourists annually and recording an income of three million dollars.

With the closure of the Guber Spa two decades ago, Srebrenica disappeared from the tourist map, even though it possesses rich natural and historical potential for tourism development.

PLANNING AND CARE FOR PRESERVING CLEANLINESS OF LAKES AND DRINA

The Drina National Park was formed in 2017 by a decision of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska and its entire area /6,315 hectares/ belongs to the territory of the municipality of Srebrenica.

With the start of its work, planning and care for preserving the cleanliness of the lake and the Drina River, as well as the entire area it encompasses, as well as an organized approach to the development of tourism in this area, begins.

It is expected that in a few years this destination on Perućac Lake will become prestigious and extremely visited, and will bring income to both the institution and the local population, as well as to the municipality of Srebrenica.