Djavola varos

Silent witnesses

The Devil's city (Djavola varos), Serbia

The Crossroads Point:

The Devil's city is one of the popular places for a trip in the country of our western neighbors. The place is about 300 kilometers from Sofia and looks quite like Melnik or the Stob pyramids phenomenons. The nearest town is Kurshumlija and this is the most famous sight to see. 

The Serbians have taken care of the visitors and you can find almost anything in place - from a toilet (don't laugh, this is something you cannot find at each and every rock formation you visit) to cafes and small chapel. The walk to the place is also quite pleasant. The entrance fee is quite small and you can stay for as long as you like there.

The place itself is known for its poisonous water. I'm not kidding, the concentration of heavy metals in it is so big, that it is not potable, nor fit for washing and kills everything in its path. Water is even acidic and if you get closer, it lets out a strange smell and makes you dizzy (take my word for this, no need to try it yourself as well). Even the trees around her are very strange, like enchanted monsters. The place looks like an haunted forest, indeed. 

The legend:

The Legend of the place invented by the locals is also not to be missed. Followers from Bulgaria can see it in the video on Bistra Stoimenova Photography page (I decided to play the tour guide, so it's better to hear it from me). For anyone who doesn't speak Bulgarian, here we are:

Once, there was such a prosperous village in the land. So rich and full of happy people, that even the Devil himself was envious. And he decided to put an end to the wonderful time the villagers were having. So he poisoned the water in all wells of the village as well as the river that ran near it (some variants of the legend claim it was a witch that acted on the Devil's orders). And the villagers did go mad. So mad, in fact, that they decided to wed a brother to his sister. It was pure madness and incest but no one seemed to notice it. As the wedding preparations went on, a fairy wanted to save them. So she prayed to God to stop this madness. But God didn't say a thing. The wedding started and the procession with the brother and sister at the front started making its way towards the church at the other end. Then God saw what was happening and turned the people into stone figures. They still stand there, frozen in time. The water is also there.  Poisonous as ever. 

Tourist information:

The place is one of the most people-friendly ones I have seen. The ticket costs only 350 dinara (the local currency) which is not much and there is plenty of space to relax. The road to Kurshumlija may be a bit of a problem as it is a bit tricky once you get off the highway. Otherwise, the place is totally worth the visit. You'll need to allow a full day for it as the place is a bit remote. 

More information, on the Djavola varos website :) 

https://www.djavoljavaros.com

The story behind the shot on Bistra Stoimenova Photography page :)