Destinations

THE TOURIST OFFER OF PIROT AND SOUTHEAST SERBIA, NEW TRACES OF OLD ATTRACTIONS
To Meet Means to Fall in Love
Vivid areas, fascinating mountains, springs, rivers, waterfalls, great possibilities for hunting and fishing, old authentic villages, monasteries, old crafts and really respected products, gastronomic and custom specific details, and among all the people and their character – all of this makes the area of Pirot and Southeast very attractive for modern tourists. It is also shown by a four-figured number of nights spent in the homes of the community of Pirot which are into country tourism

By: Dejan Ćirić and National Review

Among many towns which ”woke up” in Serbia, Pirot is the first for its concern for its image, for its clever investment in the improvement of the level and capacity of the tourist offer, the affirmation of its most important brands and the way of attracting guests. According to the Strategy for the Development of Tourism, which is now officially adopted by the Government of Serbia, the area of Pirot is the one in which it will be mostly invested, mostly in the area of Stara planina.
If we were to find two words which determine in the best way the destiny of a town as Pirot is, we say: road and border. Through the valley of Pirot, lead the best ways from Europe towards Near and Middle East. Road, travellers and travels, and all which is connected to these words through centuries, are an indelible part of the history of this town. Borders changed, as well as political relations, empires and cultures, powers and systems, technologies and travelling poetics, but the roads stayed the same, for millenniums, since the antique ones (Via Militaris, the Empress’ Road, etc.). On the same route.
National Review wrote about the historic and cultural heritage of this town and the area of Pirot (The Spirit of New Energy) and also about the interesting history of economy, crafts, education, art, sports. ”Princip Press” is the publisher of the book Pirot – The Gate of East and West in which they represented this town and the ambitious, but realistic, development plans of its township, with the Mayor Vladan Vasić (M.A.). The tourist offer of Pirot, and the southeast area of Serbia, with Pirot for its capital, is a story for itself. Vivid areas, fascinating mountains, springs, rivers, waterfalls, great possibilities for hunting and fishing, old authentic villages, famous monasteries (Temska, Sukovo, Poganovo, Visočka Ržana, Planinica…), old crafts and really respected products, gastronomic and custom specific details, and among all the people and their character – all of this makes the area of Pirot and Southeast very attractive for modern tourists, especially those from bug urbanistic centres in Serbia and abroad, and very soon it will become even more attractive. It is also shown by a four-figured number of nights spent in the homes of the community of Pirot last year.

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS AND SELF-CONFIDENCE

– The area of Pirot has many tourist motives, objects and their territorial arrangement – says Dragan Jovanovič, the Director of the Tourist Organization of Pirot for National Review. – Our region is connected to the east-Mediterranean way of tourism, the one connecting West and Middle Europe with Near East and East Mediterranean.
Pirot – the old town which was named Turres (Tower), Pirgos, Thurib, Momčilov grad, Kale (Fortress), was a part of the state of Stefan Nemanja, then King and Emperor Dušan, Prince Lazar, Despot Stefan (...) – has a very clear consciousness of its tourist resources and it is decisive that they do not stay only resources. Self-consciousness and self-respect are very important because they make the basis of every good self-confidence.
– Stara planina is the centre of the tourist offer of Pirot and it will remain so – says Jovanović. – You can see intact fascinating nature; experience the stunning beauty and the power of the mountain. There are many crystal clear springs; there is Zavojsko Lake which is 17 kilometres long, with the average depth of 70 metres. Unusual are the experience of hunting and fishing, walking, photo-safaris and many other activities. Its special treasure is its people, their character, hospitability, culture, dialect and tradition. When you meet the people and the area you can then love a Pirot carpet, kachkaval, pottery, and lamb from Pirot, sausages, folklore, customs and handicraft products. And this is one of the cases when to meet means to fall in love.

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Mountains
The area of Pirot municipality is surrounded on the north and north-east by Stara planina, with its highest peak Midžor (2169 metres). The south and southwest edge of the Valley of Pirot include parts of Vlaška Mountain (1442 metres) and Suva Mountain (1809 metres) and on the north-west are parts of Svrljiške Mountains (1334 metres). Those mountains, so powerful and attractive, unique, have a great tourist potential. Experts says that this potential will be ”activated as a chain and that it will become more popular” with the realization of big investments on Stara planina, after whose Turkish name the whole peninsula got its name.

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Ninth day
The Romans were not really into tourism, but they new everything about building roads and about travelling. Along all of their important roads, there were overnight stays, stops for horse replacement and taverns. Fortresses with round towers were built for road supervision or only individual towers (turres), from which originates the first name of Pirot. If one should go from Singidunum (Belgrade) on a stone-paved road called Via Militaris, he would pass by the stop Latina (Telovac village) on the ninth day and he would reach the valley of Turres (Pirot). The first stop after Turres was Translitus (Sukovo).