Lazar's Canyon hiking

• Hiking
• Eastern Serbia
• One-day
• Mountaineering

Lazar's Canyon is a natural monument located in eastern Serbia and part of the catchment area of the Lazar's river and the Malinik mountain, in the eastern part of the Kucaj mountains. The most significant features of Malinik are the fascinating Lazar's canyon and Lazar's cave near the village of Zlot. It is one of the most impassable canyons in Serbia. It is characterized by a unique mix of limestone valleys of impressive dimensions, numerous and significant speleological objects, diverse flora and fauna, as well as the beauty of the landscape. 

On this one-day hiking tour, we will go through the entire Lazarev canyon, where we will see all its beauty. We will visit the most attractive lookouts on the spectacular canyon.

Additional notes:

• Equipment for the tour: passage through Lazar's canyon Deep hiking shoes with a Vibram sole, trekking poles, adequate clothing in accordance with the weather conditions. Backpack with the necessary mountaineering equipment for a one-day action, raincoat, headlamp. Be sure to bring enough water (1.5 l), one meal, energy bars, fruit, raincoat, headlamp, a spare T-shirt, long pants or tracksuit, an ID card, and a health card.
• Information about a hiking trail:
  • • Length: 19 km
    • Total ascend/descend: about 950 m
    • Category: Moderate to challenging
    • Duration: around 8 to 9 hours with breaks
    • This trail is technically demanding, implies caution and concentration when moving through the canyon, where you cross over rocks, trees, rocky sections. The canyon is dry and there are no sections with trampling and passing through water. At the end of the trail at the exit of the canyon is a strong ascend.
    • Represents one of the most attractive hiking trails in Serbia.
• This hiking tour is not recommended for people with poor physical condition and / or health problems; the guide reserves the right not to take a person with inadequate equipment for hiking; prohibited consumption of alcoholic beverages before and during hiking.
• For the realization of the tour, a minimum of 19 registered passengers is required.
• Price is for members of "Explore Serbia". You can find membership information here. For those who do not have a membership card, cena iznosi 5300 dinara.
• Own transportation: in case you come by your own transport, the price of the tour is 3100 dinars (with Explore Serbia membership cards) or 4100 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.

Nearby attractions

The Kucaj mountains, Lazar's Canyon and Lazar's Cave

The Kucaj mountains stretch between the rivers Resava, Zlotska river and Crni Timok. They belong to the group of Carpathian-Balkan mountains, they are mostly built of shale and limestone, so there are numerous karst forms of relief, such as caves, coves and pits.

The whole area of the Kucaj mountains is a real challenge for adventurers and lovers of caves and speleology. More than 70 speleological objects were discovered in the area of Lazar's canyon, and the most important ones are Lazar's Cave and Vernjikica. Lazar's canyon is located about ten kilometers from Bor. It is the deepest and longest canyon in eastern Serbia. Due to the steepness of its rocky cliffs, it has not been fully examined to this day.

It is up to 9 kilometers long and between 300 and 500 meters high. It is cut into the limestone massif of the mountain South Kucaj (Južni Kučaj), and the river of the same name flows through it. It is sheltered on all sides by rocky ridges: Malinik (1,087 m) rises from the south and southeast, Strnjak (720 m) and Kornjet (696 m) from the north, and Pogara (883 m) and Mikulja (1,022 m) from the west. The cliffs of the canyon are vertical and flat, and in the narrowest part the width of the canyon is less than 7 meters. It contains over 70 caves. Only some of them have been discovered and are available, known as the Zlotska Caves (Lazar's Cave, Vernjikica, Hajducica, Mandina Cave, Dubasnicka Pit, etc.).

Lazar's canyon, through which the river of the same name flows, was, during the Turks, one of the most important shelters for the Homolje hajduks. Entering this canyon meant salvation for the hajduks, because the Turks never dared to follow them. Legend says, after the battle of Marica in 1371, the cavalry of Prince Lazar came to this area, staying there for some time, whence the name of the river and canyon.

The canyon is one of the rare habitats of the Crimean pine in Serbia. Then, relict species of yew tree and Serbian ramondija. The canyon is inhabited by chamois and many other indigenous animal species such as the golden eagle, forest owls and the gray falcon. Its caves are home to a large number of endemic arthropods and bats. There are also numerous litters of poisonous snakes, most often hops.

Lazar's Cave is the most famous landmark of the canyon. It is a dry, closed cave, with spring water, richly decorated with cave pillars, draperies, bigar and calcite tubs, as well as jewelry made of stalactites and stalagmites up to several tens of meters high. Lazar's cave is also known as Zlotska. It is one of the first protected caves in Serbia. It is located near the village of Zlot.

The cave is arranged for visitors. It consists of two horizons of cave channels, 800 m is arranged for a tourist visit. It is rich in cave jewelry that adorns the beautiful halls: Preston, Concert Hall, Bat Hall and others. In the early Bronze Age, the cave was a hunting station, and in the Iron Age, a significant metallurgical center.

About two kilometers upstream from Lazar's cave, in Lazar's canyon, there is also a dry one Vernjikica Cave, which has the largest halls in Serbia. Vernjikica and Lazar's Cave are located within the boundaries of the Lazar's canyon Monument of Nature.

In the area of the village of Bogovina, on the southeastern edge of South Kucaj, there is another interesting one Bogovinska Cave. It is a typical floor cave, with channels in three clearly divided levels. Its deeper and higher parts abound in cave jewelry of rare and interesting shapes.

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.