Starica mountain in winter ambience

• Hiking
• Eastern Serbia
• One-day

Starica Mountain is located in Eastern Serbia and belongs to the group of Carpathian-Balkans mountains. It stretches north of Majdanpek, and from its top you can see the best panorama of this mining town. The highest peak is at 796 m, from where, apart from Majdanpek, you can see mountains Stol, Veliki Krš, Deli Jovan and Homolje mountains.

We are going on a winter ascend to the highest peak, where you will enjoy the beautiful views of the surroundings. 

Additional notes:

• Equipment for the Starica mountain tour: Deep hiking boots with a vibrating sole or deep shoes/boots for snow, backpack, layered wardrobe, warm for winter conditions (winter jacket, hat, leggings, gloves), we recommend trekking poles, bring enough water and some food (snacks, sandwiches, fruit).
• Information about a hiking trail:
  • Length: 14 km
  • Total ascend/descend: 450 m
  • Category: easy-moderate
  • Duration: about 5h-6h
• A minimum of 18 applicants is required for the realization of the Starica mountain tour.
• In organized transportation, it is mandatory to wear protective masks.
• Price is for members of "Explore Serbia". You can find membership information here. For those who do not have a membership card, price is 3100 dinars.
• Transportation from Novi Sad: surcharge is 1000 dinars.
• Own transportation: in case you come by your own transport, the price of the tour is 1300 dinars (with Explore Serbia membership cards) or 1900 dinars (for those who do not have a membership card).
• In case of insufficient number of registered passengers or unfavorable weather conditions, the deadline for notification of postponement or cancellation of the tour is 2 days before departure.
• Cover photo used: Strale07, Majdanpek sa Starice, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Attractions

Starica Mountain (the Old Lady)

The highest peak of Starica is at 796 m above sea level, while the settlement of Majdanpek was formed at 350 m above sea level, so the inhabitants of Eastern Serbia call it an island in the sea of forests.

The top of Starica can be reached in an easier way - from the lake Veliki Zaton or in a somewhat more demanding, but more interesting way "Cardio" trail and "Ikar's" trail, which means hiking along the entire mountain ridge. During the ascent, you will find several lookouts with beautiful landscapes, of which the most beautiful is certainly the view from the top of the mountain.

Rajko's Cave

At the foot of Starica is Rajko's cave. From the Rajko's River and the Paskova River, Mali Pek is formed here, and the Veliki Zaton accumulation was formed downstream on it.

According to the richness of cave jewelry, Rajko's Cave is one of the most beautiful in Serbia (jewelry is made of the highest quality white crystalline calcite). It is located 2 km from Majdanpek, at the source of the river Mali Pek. Under its arches, we meet the whole world of various shapes, from the Hedgehog Hall, through the Winter's Tale, the Crystal Forest, to the Trembling Lake.

What sets it apart from other caves is the very noisy stream that flows through it - Rajko's river. It consists of two separate units: Ponorska and Izvorska caves, and each unit has two horizons - river and dry. The cave was first explored by Serbian greatest geographer Jovan Cvijić in 1894, and the research continued only in the seventies of the twentieth century. Rajko's Cave was opened to tourists in 1975. With a length of 2,380 m of canals explored so far, it is the longest cave in Serbia. By connecting the river and dry canal, a circular path of 1,410 m long was obtained, and for now, tourists are visiting parts of the river and dry horizon. The temperature in the cave is +8 °C, the relative humidity is close to 100%.

According to the legend, the cave was named after the hajduk Rajko, who intoxicated passengers and Turkish caravans in these parts, robbed them, and hid the stolen treasure in the cave. It is assumed that he lived in the 19th century. Following the tradition, it was visited by numerous hunters for buried treasure.

The organizer of the tour is the travel agency Explore Balkans doo. With this program is valid Rulebook on conducting tours by Explore Balkans doo.

According to Article 79 of the Law on Tourism, protection is not provided for one-day tours in terms of travel guarantees.