Stories by the lake

On the edge of Deliblatska Peščara, in the picturesque village of Deliblato, only 50 km from Belgrade and 10 km from Kovino, lies an oasis of peace and quiet, the Special Nature Reserve "Kraljevac". Lake Kraljevac with its floating islands, surrounding reed beds, forests, meadows and pastures is characterized by the richness and variety of flora and fauna. Floating islands of up to 1 hectare in size, moved by strong winds, continuously change the surrounding landscape and represent the remains of lowland wetlands, one of the globally rarest and most endangered types of habitat, as well as one of the last refuges of the rare plant community of bog ferns and swamp willows in our area. Floating and permanent islands with water shafts and underground springs that do not freeze even during the worst winters represent an important habitat for fish, as well as a wintering and resting place for birds during spring and autumn migration. The reserve is part of an internationally important bird area (IBA) and is an important nesting ground for numerous rare wading birds, among which the Purple Heron and Squacco Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Little Egret, Western Marsh Harrier, as well as the globally endangered Ferruginous Duck stand out. Whiskered and Black Tern, as well as Great and Pygmy Cormorants regularly feed on fish in this area. Eurasian Otter can often be seen in the clear water of Lake Kraljevac, and the loess areas surrounding Lake Kraljevac are the nesting place of large colonies of European Bee-eater. The nearby pastures with remnants of the continental steppe are one of the last refuges of rare and endangered species of steppe rodents, the European Ground Squirrel and the Blind Mole Rat, in Serbia. The reserve provides visitors with outstanding opportunities for sport fishing, paddling, hiking, bird watching and nature photography, as well as a unique scientific training ground and outdoor classroom.