Info Center “Obedska Bara” is open for visitors:
Monday – Sunday: 07:00 – 19:00
The price list for individual visits and small groups can be downloaded HERE.
WATER MIRRORS OF LOWER SREM
The Special Nature Reserve “Obedska Bara” is a vast marsh-forest complex located in southeastern Srem, between the Sava River and the settlements of Kupinovo, Obrež, and Grabovci, covering an area of 9,820 hectares.
When the water level of the Sava River is high, Obedska Bara is connected to it through the channels Vok, Revenica, and Vranj, while during low water levels of the Sava, the water flows out through the Vok channel. Most of the oxbow lakes and ponds dry up during drought years and at the end of summer.
Because of its exceptional natural values, Obedska Bara, as the first in our country, has been on the list of wetlands of the Ramsar Convention since 1977, and in 1989 it was also declared an internationally important bird area (IBA).
DID YOU KNOW?
Obedska Bara, the famous ornithological reserve, today a Special Nature Reserve, has been known throughout Europe since the mid-19th century, when stories began to spread about it as a true “kingdom of birds.” It is one of the oldest protected areas in the world – since 1874, only two years after the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in the USA.
The reserve is one of the few remaining floodplain wetland areas, distinguished by features such as centuries-old mixed forests of pedunculate oak, ash, and elm, as well as mixed colonies of wetland birds, the most notable being the spoonbill, little egret, black stork, and white stork. In recent years, the glossy ibis and the spoonbill have once again begun to nest in the protected area of the reserve.
During the implementation of the visit programme to the Reserve, the professional guides – rangers of the protected area will present to you the richness of the plant and animal world of the Special Nature Reserve “Obedska Bara”.
In the reserve, about 16 species of fish are known, of which pike, weatherfish, common carp and crucian carp are particularly significant. The vast floodplain area serves as their natural spawning ground and an essential feeding base.
HOW TO GET THERE?
The Information and Education Centre is located at the exit from the village of Obrež towards Kupinovo. The Info Centre can be reached from Novi Sad (approx. 75 km) via Pećinci, and then through the villages of Subotište, Donji Tovarnik and Ogar. If you are coming from Belgrade (approx. 65 km), the easiest way is via Pećinci, while the other option is through Surčin, Boljevci and Progar.
The site is accessible by all types of road vehicles, and the arranged parking area is suitable for tourist buses and passenger cars.
HOW TO SPEND YOUR TIME?
The Information and Education Center is the entry station and is intended for receiving visitors to the SRP “Obedska Bara”. The capacity of the Info Center is 40 visitors, and it is equipped with an educational classroom, a souvenir shop, and an information desk. At the same place, visitors can obtain information, purchase tickets, souvenirs, and other promotional materials. In the classroom, which is equipped with benches and tables, educational activities are held, as well as screenings of promotional films and presentations of the SRP “Obedska Bara”.
The Rest Park, within the Info Center, is fenced, equipped with information boards, arranged paths and furniture (wooden tables and benches) as well as fireplaces, thus providing visitors with the opportunity to relax after touring the walking trails or spending time on the water, with the possibility of preparing a barbecue.
Visitors to the Special Nature Reserve “Obedska Bara” are offered a wide range of recreational and scientific activities. Just some of the activities that can be organized for you include tours of the educational trails, birdwatching from monitoring towers, rowing boat rides or catamaran cruises, sport and recreational fishing, as well as preparing a barbecue.
For shorter visits of smaller groups we suggest a TOUR OF THE PARK AND OBED TOWER, which includes a presentation of the reserve by screening a promotional film about Obedska Bara, followed by a short walking tour with a professional guide to the observation tower “Obed Tower,” located near the Info Center. This program is designed to last 45 to 60 minutes and is organized for groups of 10 to 25 visitors.
If you are interested in experiencing the natural beauty of the reserve “from the water,” we recommend the excursion PANORAMA OF OBEDSKA BARA FROM A CATAMARAN, where during the ride across Krstonošić Oko, a professional guide–warden of the protected area introduces visitors to the values of the reserve and its history. The program lasts about 45 minutes and is organized for groups of 10 to 25 visitors.
If you have the whole day at your disposal, then you can enjoy activities that include walking and education through the exploration of the natural attractions of the reserve.
Begin your active holiday with one of the WALKING TOURS, exploring educational trails of different lengths and content.
Walking tour “LILY OF THE VALLEY TRAIL” begins in the park, followed by a catamaran ride across the Krstonošić backwater to the locality Debela Gora. The tour continues along a maintained path, offering the experience of untouched nature with century-old oak forests and panoramic views of the wetland backwaters from designated viewpoints. The programme lasts 1.5 hours, the trail is 2 km long, not demanding, and is recommended for all groups numbering between 6 and 12 visitors.
Walking tour “HORSESHOE TRAIL” with the accompaniment of a professional guide follows a path traced along the outer rim of the Potkovica (Horseshoe), through a forest of old pedunculate oaks and white poplars. From the “Obed” Tower, across a small bridge, the route leads to the “Matijevica” observation point opposite the heron colony, and further to the second observation point, “Spomenik”. The programme is intended for visitors in good physical condition and may be organised either as a longer hike (11 km, lasting 3 hours) or a shorter hike (4 km, lasting 1 hour). It is arranged for groups numbering between 10 and 25 visitors.
Walking tour “CIRCULAR EDUCATIONAL TRAIL” in Kupinske Grede takes us on a longer walk to marshland habitats of waterfowl, passing through old forests, predominantly of pedunculate oak, and discovering rare and medicinal plant species in the Meadows of Mother Angelina. The circular trail is equipped with three shelters, tables, and benches. It is 7 km long, the tour lasts 3 hours, and we recommend it for visitors in good physical condition, for groups numbering between 10 and 50 participants.
The Obedska Forest is interlaced with trails of varying accessibility. A good part of the trails is passable during the summer months, while outside that period accessibility depends on weather conditions, so the use of appropriate footwear, in accordance with the season, is recommended.
Visitors may rent a ROWING BOAT to explore the surroundings on their own, by navigating across the Krstonošić Oka, or engage in recreational fishing, either with their own equipment or with gear available for rent. Fishing permits for the protected area can be purchased at the Info Centre.
FOREST WELLNESS is a new program within the tourist offer of the Special Nature Reserve Obedska Bara, designed for special visits and groups of 10 to 25 persons, according to pre-arranged schedules in the period from spring to autumn. The program includes physical activity – light walking, mental relaxation, strengthening of spiritual awareness, and various exercises aimed at improving both body and mind.
FOREST COTTAGE – In the atmosphere of forest cottages, near fireplaces, a “tea party” is organized – drinking tea as a tea ceremony after the walk, followed by making forest collages from natural materials, and relaxation with the sounds of nature and sound bowls.
For visitors who cherish a love of birds and the natural environment they inhabit, their visit to the Special Nature Reserve “Obedska Bara” can be enriched with a BIRDWATCHING PROGRAM. The program is carried out with the guidance of an expert guide, depending on the season and weather conditions in nature. Birdwatchers are expected to bring telescopes or binoculars, as well as field guides for the identification of different bird species. The program lasts 3 hours and is organized for groups of 10 to 14 visitors.
After an active stay in the Special Nature Reserve “Obedska Bara” – walking the trails, sailing by catamaran or rowboats – you can also visit the cultural landmarks of Lower Srem. In Kupinovo, you may tour the Ethno House located within the protected ambient ensemble – the original core of the village of Kupinovo – considered one of the oldest residential buildings in the settlement. Within the ethno complex stands the oldest Orthodox church in Vojvodina – the Church of St. Luka.
On the way back towards Pećinci, in the village of Ogar, you can stop by Aksentije’s Cottage – the oldest Ethno House of Srem, a wealthy peasant’s household from the late 18th century. The roof was covered with what was then a rare roofing material – the beaver-tail tile.
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 for visiting Special Nature Reseve ’’Obedska Bara’’.
