BEZDAN – Eco-Center “Karapandža”
- Working hours: Please contact the manager by phone: +381 62 800 53 23
- Price list for visitors can be downloaded HERE
ALONG THE OLD DANUBE CHANNELS
SPECIAL NATURE RESERVE “UPPER DANUBE” – Located in the far northwest of Serbia, on the border — the tri-border area — with Hungary and Croatia. It consists of two floodplain complexes: Monoštor Marsh and Apatin Marsh.
SNR Upper Danube is a Category I protected natural asset, stretching along the left bank of the Danube River. It is part of a vast floodplain complex that extends into neighboring countries — Hungary (Danube–Drava National Park) and Croatia (Kopački Rit Nature Park) — forming an ecologically unique whole. The reserve belongs to the large Bačko Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve, situated in the northwest of Vojvodina, which forms the so-called “European Amazon.” This is one of the best-preserved floodplain and wetland ecosystems along the entire Danube River, where the mighty river spreads into an endless network of side arms and channels through the floodplain forests of the Bačko Podunavlje Biosphere Reserve. In June 2017, Bačko Podunavlje was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World List.
DID YOU KNOW?
The unique complexes of riparian forests are interlaced with backwaters and canals, scattered with river islands, meanders, oxbow lakes, ponds, marshes, wet meadows, reed beds, and sedge thickets. The area is particularly rich in birdlife, with rare species such as the white-tailed eagle and the black stork standing out. The reserve is home to 51 species of mammals, 248 bird species, 50 species of fish, 11 species of amphibians, 9 species of reptiles, and a vast diversity of invertebrates. Among them, butterflies are especially notable, with more than 60 species of diurnal butterflies recorded. The flora is equally rich, with over 1,000 plant species identified. The largest population of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Serbia inhabits the Gornje Podunavlje Reserve.
It stretches across nearly 20,000 hectares, along the left bank of the Danube, covering almost 70 km of river course. Around the Bezdan lock lies a belt of numerous weekend settlements, the most well-known being Baračka, Šebešfok, Kenđija, Daraži fok, and Mrtva Baračka. Gornje Podunavlje is one of the rare destinations where visitors can still enjoy a boat ride on the Danube, drifting through its endless backwaters and canals, listening to the roaring calls of stags, spending peaceful nights in village households, savoring authentic fish specialties, and meeting the last Danube fishermen. Beyond its biological diversity, Gornje Podunavlje is also enriched by authentic cultural heritage. As a result of adapting to the great river and its changing moods, characteristic traditional customs, costumes, dialects, fishing tools, boats, and dishes have developed — all of which attract guests and make Gornje Podunavlje an especially appealing destination for visitors.
HOW TO GET THERE?
THE ECO-CENTER “KARAPANDŽA” is located near the weekend settlement Kenđija (Bezdan), on the banks of the Baja Canal. The easiest way to reach Monoštor Marsh and the eco-center is via Sombor and Bezdan, after which there is about a 20-minute drive. The Eco-Center “Karapandža”, situated within the reserve, is 30 km from Sombor, 115 km from Novi Sad, and 205 km from Belgrade, and is accessible by road transport.
GPS coordinates : 45.894167 18.869167
HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME?
Activities that can be organized and that await you within the Eco-Center are:
a presentation of the reserve, an educational class, a tour of the educational trail accompanied by a professional guide– rangers of the protected area, cycling, a ride by motorboat or a rowing boat. The Eco-Center has a capacity of up to 50 persons, and it is recommended that groups consist of up to 25 persons per guide, depending on the interests.
Attend an Eco-Class in the OPEN-AIR CLASSROOM, which is suitable for receiving visitors and for presentations of the reserve by professional guides– rangers of the protected area, during which visitors become acquainted with topics related to nature protection, the reserve and its plant and animal world. The covered space is equipped with benches, tables, information boards, and means for visual presentation of the values of the reserve, and is therefore suitable for organizing ecological workshops for interested tourists and groups, which for many years have included preschool children, pupils, students, families, and all true lovers of nature.
Begin your active tour of the Reserve with the WALKING TRAIL “KARAPANDŽA”, which is circular and ends at the Eco-Center. The tour of the educational walking trail along the old courses of the Danube lasts up to 2 hours, accompanied by a professional guide, during which the reserve is presented through various interesting facts of historical, biological, and cultural significance. The educational trail, 4 km long, is equipped with information boards, a bird-watching tower, and a rest area. The trail is suitable for all levels of physical fitness since the terrain is flat and allows movement for both children and elderly visitors.
Enjoy a BICYCLE RIDE through the reserve, along the gravel path that partly follows the “Karapandža” walking trail. During breaks in the ride, the professional guide presents the reserve’s points of interest and potentials, providing visitors with a direct experience of the natural environment.
Discover the Reserve from a completely different perspective – from the water: CANOEING.
Paddling is an excellent opportunity to activate different muscle groups, yet it does not require you to be in exceptional shape. Regardless of whether you have paddled before, whether you are agile and skilled – canoeing is a sport in which you can choose your own pace and direction of movement. At the same time, it is an excellent recreation that shapes the whole body and relaxes the mind. Unlike a kayak, a canoe is completely open at the top, with benches where several people can sit (the recommendation is two persons), paddling with single-bladed paddles.
In addition to canoes, you can also ENJOY A BOAT RIDE (by motorboat with a guide, or on your own in a rowboat). The ride begins at the arranged pier, built on the bank of the Baja Canal, which flows from Hungary past Bački Breg and Kolut all the way to Bezdan, where it joins the Great Bačka Canal.
The banks are covered with forest, reeds, and floodplain vegetation, while the shoreline is adorned with water lilies that provide shelter for numerous fish species in one of the cleanest canals in Vojvodina.
PREPARE LUNCH IN NATURE – For all visitors who wish to spend the entire day at the Eco-Center, in addition to the activities offered, there is also the possibility to prepare your own barbecue or cook goulash in a cauldron in the courtyard of the Eco-Center.
WALK ALONG THE “ŠTRBAC” TRAIL – This trail is also located in the Monoštor Marsh, more precisely between Bački Monoštor and Bezdan. The educational “Štrbac” trail is marked with informational and educational panels, tables, and benches. The guided program along the trail lasts 1.5 hours and ends at the Šarkanj Pond (Black Pond), where there is also a birdwatching tower.
After visitingthe “Karapandža” Eco-Center – you can direct your activities toward the ethnographic richness preserved in the nearby settlements of Bezdan and Bački Monoštor.
The parking area is suitable for tourist buses and passenger vehicles.
In this area, traditional dishes made from fish (fish stew, fish soup, and spit-roasted fish) and venison are prepared in the renowned čardas located near the Eco-Center. In local workshops, wooden boats and oars are crafted, as well as other distinctive items such as wooden clogs and household objects. Fishing gear is handmade in the surrounding villages.
– Baja Canal – Vojvodina is interlaced with a branched network of canals. When it was built at the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, the Great Bačka Canal was an engineering and construction undertaking of its time. The Baja Canal is considered to be the cleanest canal in Serbia. What all of these canals have in common is that their beginning or end is almost at the same place near Bezdan. On the left bank of the Danube near Bezdan begin the Danube–Tisa–Danube and the Great Bačka Canal, and not far from there the Baja Canal flows into the Great Bačka Canal.
– Bezdan – Memorial Museum of the Battle of Batina – On the bank of the Danube near Bezdan, the museum was built in 1981, and during the existence of the common state it formed a single whole with the memorial complex on the hill above Batina on the Croatian side. The permanent exhibition was created by the curators of the Museum of Vojvodina and the City Museum of Sombor, and it depicts the course of the Battle of Batina, which was fought from November 11 to 29, 1944.
– Bezdan – Ship Lock – Located at the confluence of today’s Vrbas–Bezdan Canal with the Danube. It was built in 1856 and is the first structure in Europe where underwater concreting was applied.
– Bezdan – The Last Damask Weaving Workshop – a living workshop where you can observe how damask is created, woven from silk and the finest Egyptian cotton, using the original technology from the late 19th century. Every piece of fabric produced here is unique.
– Museum of Perfume Bottles – houses more than 2,000 perfume bottles that have been intensively collected over the past years. In Bezdan it is part of the tourist offer, but also a true attraction, since there is only one other museum of this kind in the world, in Barcelona, which holds 6,000 perfume bottles.
– Bački Monoštor is a village on an island, surrounded by the Danube, canals, and the riparian forests of the Special Nature Reserve “Gornje Podunavlje.” It is a jewel of natural beauty, traditional crafts, and the diligent and fascinating people who live there. It is possible to organize visits to the ethno-house and to a beekeeping household in Bački Monoštor, located about 15 km from the Eco-Center.
– EuroVelo Cycling Route EuroVelo 6 – is an international cycling route that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Black Sea, and in Serbia it follows the course of the Danube.
– Section Bački Breg–Sombor from the entry point into Serbia (Bački Breg border crossing): at the end of the first kilometer you arrive in Bački Breg, and then continue through the village of Kolut to Bezdan (9 km). From the main cycling route, you turn onto an asphalt road towards the Danube bank, where after approx. 2 km you turn right towards the weekend settlement Kenđija (information board of SRP “Gornje Podunavlje”), and continue for another approx. 2 km to the Eco-Center “Karapandža”. From there, you can continue riding through SRP “Gornje Podunavlje” towards Apatin.
The Special Nature Reserve “Gornje Podunavlje” holds a certificate within the project “The Best 99 in Serbia”, as part of an initiative aimed at improving tourism services in Serbia and promoting the highest quality tourism providers. The project included evaluation and awarding in several categories.
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All information regarding programs and visits to the Reserve can be obtained from the agency “Vojvodinašume–Turist” Petrovaradin, Preradovićeva 2 – Office hours: weekdays from 07:00 to 15:00.
“Vojvodinašume–Turist” – Phone: +381 21 6432 401, +381 21 6432 976
Email: travel@vojvodinasume.rs
If you have special interests or requirements, we will prepare a customized visit program for you. If you have special interests or requests, we will prepare a tailor-made visiting program for you at the Special Nature Reserve “Gornje Podunavlje.”
