Djerdap National Park is located in south-eastern Europe, in the northeastern part of Serbia, on the border with Romania.
Djerdap National
Park
The blend of time and nature on land and water
Welcome to Djerdap
National Park
Along the Danube’s right bank, on a 100 kilometer stretch from Golubac Fort to castrum Diana Karataš, the National Park encompasses a narrow forested mountain area, two to eight kilometers in width, reaching 50 to 800 meters above sea level.
Get to know
From majestic mountainscapes to beautiful Danube coastlines…
The breathtaking nature and the millennia of history are waiting to meet them.
Explore
Accept the challenge and take the hike on an adventure.
Become a part of nature, explore the Djerdap.
Find out
Discover the secrets of Europe's largest open-air archeological and natural history museum.
The world knows it as “The Iron gate” (Portile, de Fier, Portes, de Fers), while here in Serbia, the name “Djerdap”, the Djerdap gorge, has taken hold. It is in fact the Persians who are “to blame” for the name “Djerdap”, because they originally called it “Girdap”, meaning whirlpool or vortex. This is probably due to the fact that the river Djerdap was wild and “boiling” with whirlpools and vortexes, a fact difficult to imagine today, since the water is now tamed by the accumulation process created after the construction of HPP “Djerdap 1”, which managed to subdue the vagarious river.
The island of Poreč was submerged during the construction of HPP ‘’Djerdap 1”. It was located along the Danube’s right bank, beneath the stony promontory Greben, and served as an important strategic point. At the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th century, Roman’s had erected castle Pagus on this very location. During the 18th and 19th century, Poreč was the most fortified location in the Djerdap gorge, boasting a total of 30 cannons, and the residents of Poreč controlled the river traffic, escorted ships and traded. According to a Census carried out by the Metropolitanate of Belgrade (1733-1735), the island had 150 homes. The Timok region’s first school was founded in Poreč (1807), as was the first Serbian dungeon (1826). The island of Poreč began to lose its significance after 1832, when the settlement was moved to the Danube’s right bank and named Donji Milanovac.
The lynx, an animal from the feline family, is distinguished by its lithe body, recognizable and spotted fur, short tail and iconic “tassels” at the tips of its ears. A predator by nature, its prey is comprised largely of mammals, mostly roe deer, mountain goats and rabbits, and on rare occasions harts (deer) and wild boars. They inhabit a wide range in the regions of eastern Serbia, and within the Djerdap national park they can be found on mount Miroč, Liškovac, Šomrda, Zlatica, the Boljetinska river, and the peaks Veliki Štrbac and Mali Štrbac. The species is under strict protection and hunting it is under permanent prohibition.
Did you know that there is a cave of death in the Djerdap National park? Known as Gaura Ra and Graorara, it has a length of 148m and a depth of 43m. It’s located on the karst surface in the central region of mount Miroč, in the western part of Štrpko korito. The entrance, 8m high and 3m wide, is at the bottom of a sinkhole, at an altitude of 470m.
The beech forest on Šomrda is the northernmost habitat of holly in Serbia. A bush or low tree of tertiary age, holly is notable for its evergreen, leathery leafs, a wavelike and thorny rim and pale yellow flowers. It yields a reddish stone fruit. Holly grows at an exceedingly slow rate and has a lifespan of several hundred years. It belongs to the Ilex genus, which includes around 400 species, most of which are native to the tropical regions of South America and the tropical and subtropical parts of Asia.
A tertiary, relict, deciduous tree from the hazel family, bear hazel can grow up to 30m, with a lifespan of up to 200 years. Its name stems from the color of its trunk, which is similar to that of a bear pelt. Other names include the wild hazel and wild hazelnut. Its fruit is a hazelnut enveloped in a meaty, glandular-hairy shell. As a result of being cut down in large numbers for its high quality wood, it has become incredibly rare. Within the Djerdap National park, bear hazel can be found on first degree protection sites: Lepenski vir, Čoka njalta with Pesač, Gospodjin Vir gorge, the Boljetinska river canyon, Kazan, Veliki Štrbac and Mali Štrbac.
Djerdap National Park
in numbers
Starting from Golubac all the way to Karatas at Kladovo, zones with objects of nature, cultural monuments, fauna and vegetation of relict species, confirming the evolution of vegetation series ever since our creation up to present day.
63786
HECTARES
270
BIRD SPECIES
55
TYPE OF MAMMALS
50
TYPE OF FISH
23
TYPES OF WATERPROOFERS AND REPTILES
1100
PLANT SPECIES AND SUBGROUP
What They’re Saying About Us
“A common geographical area. One of the most beautiful tourist areas in the world. Here nature has created in time a very beautiful area that must be seen for sure. You must necessarily visit on the water from a boat or a chartered boat and you can sail to great lengths to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. You can leave both sides of the Danube without restrictions. The points of visit are relatively easy to find on the map and easy to access.”
Gabriel George Lazar
“Wonderful nature, a lot of hiking trails. Wonderful views from mountains around. This national park is about nature but the place is about history of mankind from 8000 bc to Romans. Perfect for site seeing and hiking.”
Aleksandar Firevski
“If you visit Serbia this site is must see, route through Djerdap. National park is one of the best in north-east part of Serbia. Rich of all type of vegetation, beautiful parts of forests, fresh air, place for hiking.”
Marjan Firez
“Mesmerising, astonishing view, especially during the river cruising. Speechless, no word. Serbia's treasures!”
Marija Milenkovic
