Sićevačka Gorge

Along the international highway Niš Sofia ( E – 80 ) , 16 kilometres away from Niš there starts the well – known Sićevačka gorge, a rare beauty in which nature was a sculptor, and where centuries of its inspiration created a real exhibition of natural sculptures.

One learn more about the gorge only after the railroad was constructed in 1887. This area is host to about twenty sanctuaries, some of which are worth visiting: the Monastery of St. Petka Iverica, in Ostrovica, where king Alexander Obrenović built a church in 1898, the remains of the Monastery Uspenje ( Ascension ) , the Monastery of St. Mother of God, built in 1644, at the very foot of the hill Kušače and the church of St. Prorokopija located in the very village of Sićevo.

The village of Sićevo is located on a plane above the gorge, on the right bank of the Nišava river. Every year an Art Colony is held here. It was founded as early as in 1905 by the famous Serbian painter Nadežda Petrović. For two decades a Writers’ Colony has been active here as well.

In the nearest vicinity there is also the hotel Sićevo, offering 72 rooms and four suites. There is also a sport centre with handball, volleyball and basketball courts. Mountain ranges on the north ( Mt. Svrljiške ) and the south ( Mt. Suva ) provide a lot of opportunity for mountaineering, alpinism, and paragliding. According to climate and orthography, the Sićevo paragliding track is the best such facility in the Balkans.

This area is ideal for hunting, fishing, and kayaking.

There are 68 registered endemic species in the gorge and many are protected by the law, in particular the famous Saliva officinalis ( the sage ). Animal life is diverse, but unfortunately endangered. Among 32 species of birds, the rarest ones are the golden eagle and the griffon vulture.

This area is famous for wine and brandy production. Hospitable locals will quite surely first offer you their open hearts and some wine and brandy.