Devils' Town


The "Devils' Town" is the natural monument in the south of Serbia. This natural monument embrace two rare world’s phenomena:soil figures as specific relief forms rendering an attractive sight, and two wells of strong acidic waters with high mineralization. The terrain around the figures adds to the attraction of these phenomena rendering rather severe, almost mystical impression, while, on the other hand, the surrounding ambiance is timid and picturesque, with remains of an ancient temple and a few mining pits from medieval times.

The soil figures (202), of different shapes and sizes, from 2 m to 15 m of height, and from0.5 m to 3 m in width, with their stone caps, have resulted from centuries long specific effects of erosion which has made them grow, change, shorten, disappear and reappear.

This geo-morphological phenomenon is a unique occurrence in Serbia and a very rare in the world. There are similar occurrences in Europe, but Devil’s Town towers are much larger and much more stable, which make them one of the most renowned natural monuments of the kind in Europe.



There are a lot of legends have been created regarding its origin. According to one, the figures represent the petrified wedding guests who, at devil’s urging, tried to marry a brother and sister, so the God petrified them to prevent this incest. The other legend says that these are the devils turned into stones by the people who had been forced to carry them on their backs, suffering misfortunes, and who, trying to get rid of them, spent a night at the Devil’s Town site.

Within the protected area, there are two mineral water wells of extraordinary properties. The "Devil’s Town" well is a cold and extremely acidic spring (pH 1.5) of high mineralization. The "Red Well" is the second spring located by the hiking track in the centre of the protected area, with it waters of pH 3.5. Waters of this kind are very rare in the world. Local population believes in the healing capacity of the "Devil’s water" spring, while doctors and geologists still don’t recommend these waters as they have not been thoroughly examined so far.


Distance
Kursumlija 27 km
Nis 89 km

Web site: Devil's Town

Devil's town - travel map

 

Additional information