Kraljevica Hill
400 hectares of park forest south of town – recreation area, sports hub and festival ground in one.
Grlište and surroundings
Lake Grlište
A 110-hectare reservoir and the town's drinking water supply – fishing allowed, boats not.
Lake Grlište is an artificial reservoir within the city of Zaječar, in the valley between the villages of Grlište and Lenovac. It was created in 1989 by damming the Grliška river 4.5 kilometres above its confluence with the Beli Timok, and has been in operation since 1990.
It is a multi-purpose reservoir: it supplies Zaječar with drinking water, feeds irrigation and retains sediment. That is precisely why there is no tourist infrastructure here and boats are banned. If you can live with that, you get a very quiet body of water: around 110 hectares in area, 20 metres at its deepest, holding 12 million cubic metres.
Fishing is permitted and is why most visitors come at all. Stocks include bream, carp, crucian carp, Prussian carp, nase and chub. Near the village of Grlište, on the shore, stands the monastery of Saints Peter and Paul, set in a conifer wood planted by a hieromonk in the 1920s.
Practical notes
- Swimming and boating are not permitted; if you want to get in the water, head for the Timok at Zaječar.
- Anglers do best early in the day, and a valid fishing permit is required.
Places to stay near Lake Grlište
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Goes well with
Gamzigradska Banja Spa
A thermal spa in the Crni Timok valley, eleven kilometres west of town – one of Serbia's oldest.
Lazar's Cave
Serbia's longest cave, open to visitors since 1953 – an 800-metre trail through four great halls.