Serbia
A Special Portfolio by Ray Millar
I would like to acknowledge and thank Miodrag Velojic and his family, especially Milos (who acted as interpreter), for all their help and assistance, without which the trip to these arches would not have been possible.
Click on the thumbnail images below for full-size photos.
VELIKA PRERAST ("Large Natural Bridge") is situated on the Vratna River in the cliffs about 200 yards behind the Vratna Monastery in the small village of the same name. Vratna is about 33 kms (20 miles) from the town of Negotin in northeastern Serbia. The span is reported at 92 feet with a height of about 100 feet. It is a few hundred feet upstream from another large arch, Mala Prerast. |
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MALA PRERAST translates as "Small Natural Bridge" although it is anything but. The span is reported at 106 feet and the height at 115 feet. It is located just downstream from Velika Prerast. The opening forms an almost perfect arch. It is thought that both bridges are the remains of the same cave, but there is some dispute about this. |
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SUVA PRERAST ("Dry Natural Bridge"). This large natural bridge is on the same river as Velika and Mala Prerast but some 3 kms ( 1.9 miles) upstream. It is probably not possible to reach it by hiking up the river. A local guide was used to reach it. It apparently gets very little visitation. The span is reported at 50 feet and the height at 66 feet.
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VALJA PRERAST ("Plain Natural Bridge"). This large natural bridge is further west of the previous three, near the town of Majdanpek. When this picture was taken the Prerast River was flowing very full and fast due to heavy rains so it was not possible to get under the opening as it normally might be. The services of a local guide were used to visit the bridge. The opening is reported to be 150 feet high by about 50 feet wide. |
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ICE CAVE ARCH. This small arch is over the entrance to a cave in which ice and snow are present all year round. The cave is in the hills near the small village of Bucje. The arch, which has a span of about 15 feet, is above a large hole in the cave which is reported to be 89 feet deep. |
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ZORUNOVAC ARCH is a double arch in limestone, named after the village which it overlooks. The larger opening has a span of 15.5 feet and a height of 5.5 feet. The smaller opening has a span of 3.5 feet and a height of 4.5 feet. |
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BOGOVA VRATA ("God's Door) is situated above the valley of Urdes. It is about an hours' hike, which makes many stream crossings, from the village of Milusinac. The opening is about 11 feet wide by 18 feet high. |
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E761 ARCH is so named as it is right alongside the main road (E761) which leads from the town of Zajecar to the motorway at Paracin. It is very close to the village of Izvor, about 13 kms (8 miles) east of Paracin. Here the road goes though a number of road tunnels and the arch is alongside one of the tunnels on the south side of the road. The opening is about 18 feet wide by 20 feet high. |
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