Description:
Fruska Gora was once an island in the Pannonian Sea. Today it is a green mass rising out of the vast plains, with its highest peak, Crveni Cot (539m), surrounded by the multi-coloured carpets of the Srem plains, vineyards and monastery spires. Gentle slopes, centuries-old forests, renowned vineyards and numerous monasteries are synonymous with the area.Te Fruska Gora massif is composed of various rock types dating back to the Palaeozoic, Mesozoic, Tertiary and Quaternary periods. Such a complex geological structure enriches the unique fossilised flora and fauna which has been preserved in layers of rock from the former Pannonian Sea, dating back from between two hundred million years ago and ffty million years ago. Tanks to the many fossilised records it harbours, the former Pannonian Island is now a window into the geological past. Tis is also one of the greatest natural treasures helping to rank Fruska Gora among one of Europe’s greatest natural splendours in addition to being rich in bio-diversity of its marine life.
Among the rarest and most important plants of the park are the Daphne laureol, Notholaena marantae fern, European dwarf cherry, Black hawthorn, Dutchman’s pipe and more than 30 species of orchid. Te park’s forests are mixed and varied. One unique peculiarity is that more than 30 per cent of the Fruska Gora forest is covered by the lime/linden tree,. Herbaceous vegetation is characterised by ancient meadow-steppe areas that include a number of rare steppe species: Adonis Vernalis, Greater Pasque Flower and Feather Grass. Te fungi world is represented by 400 species of mushrooms and toadstools. Known edible mushrooms include the Parasol mushroom, the Golden Chanterelle fungus, the St. George's mushroom and Boletus edulis.Te forests of Fruska Gora are also home to the European wildcat, the Beech marten, the Hazel Dormouse, and various types of bat.
Te area’s steppe habitats are home to many colonies of European ground squirrels, which in turn, are an important source of food for birds of prey. To date, ornithologists have identifed 211 species of birds on the Fruska Gora. Among them, the rarest and most vulnerable are the birds of prey: the Eastern Imperial Eagle, the Lesser Spotted Eagle, Saker Falcon, White-tailed Eagle and Bonelli’s Eagle. Te area is particularly rich in insect life, boasting many species that are natural rarities in Serbia.Te periphery of the Fruska Gora National Park is home to some 16 Orthodox monasteries, built during the 15th and 16thcenturies. Te most outstanding among them are the Grgeteg Monastery, Krusedol Monastery, Novo Hopovo Monastery, Beocin Monastery, Vrdnik Monastery and Rakovac Monastery.Tese monastic complexes, most of which were renovated during the 18th
century, combine to form a unique cultural and historical example of Serbian Baroque art,which appeals to both tourists and spiritualists alike. Due to the many monasteries, Fruska Gora is often referred to as ‘Serbia’s Holy Mountain’.Te Fruska Gora National Park welcomes a large number of tourists and hikers every year. Te park’s most important excursion destinations are the Cortanovci wood, Strazilovo, Glavica, Popovica, Andrevlje, Lezimir and Lipovaca. Te territory of the park is also home to two nature schools (Letenka and Testera) and six mountaineering centres. Hiking tours allow visitors to familiarise themselves with the natural and cultural treasures of Fruska Gora National Park – offering a wide variety of plant life and game animals, insects and birds. Hiking, cycling or fshing provides a memorable experience close to nature.
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