Đavolja Varoš: The Devil's Town and the Earth Towers That Defy Time

A Landscape That Shouldn't Exist

In the heart of southern Serbia, far from any tourist route, the earth has taken on a form that seems impossible. Đavolja Varoš — the Devil's Town — is a complex of 202 earth towers up to fifteen metres tall, sculpted by millions of years of erosion, rising like the spires of a cathedral built by nature. Each tower is crowned by a stone cap — a harder block that has protected the earth below from erosion, creating these surreal forms that recall fairy chimneys, totems or spectral figures.

The site is located near the village of Đake, in the municipality of Kuršumlija, in southern Serbia. Belgrade is four hours by car (300 km) via Niš. From Niš, one and a half hours. There is no direct public transport — a car is essential.

The Towers and the Legends

The towers are grouped into two main formations, separated by a ridge: the eastern formation (the largest, with around 120 towers) and the western formation (around 80 towers). An equipped path with walkways and steps allows you to visit both formations in about an hour and a half. The towers change character with the light: at dawn and dusk the long shadows and warm earth tones create an almost Martian landscape.

The local legend explains the towers thus: the devil, furious that an incestuous wedding was about to be celebrated, turned all the guests to stone. The towers are said to be the wedding guests, petrified for eternity. Locals swear that on windy nights you can hear the laments of the damned — geology explains the phenomenon by wind passing between the formations, but the devil's version is more interesting.

The Mineral Waters

Beside the towers flow two springs of highly mineralised water: the Đavolja Voda (Devil's Water) and the Crveno Vrelo (Red Spring). The water of the first is so acidic (pH 1.5) that it is practically undrinkable — but the red-orange colour it has stained the surrounding rocks is a spectacle in itself. The red spring takes its name from the iron deposits that colour the ground. You do not drink them, but you admire them.

Kuršumlija and the Surroundings

The town of Kuršumlija, twenty minutes from the site, is the logistical base. It is not touristy, but has a couple of places to stay, honest kafane and a little-known historical heritage:

- Church of Saint Nicholas: founded by Stefan Nemanja, the founder of the medieval Serbian state, in the twelfth century. One of the oldest churches in Serbia.

- Church of the Virgin: from the same period, with remains of original frescoes.

- Prolom Banja Spa: thirty minutes away, a thermal spa with warm waters that locals have frequented for centuries. Modest facilities but excellent water.

What to Eat

We are in southern Serbia, home of the leskovačka mućkalica (meat and pepper stew from nearby Leskovac). Roštilj (mixed grill) dominates the menus: ćevapi, pljeskavica (Serbian burger, enormous and juicy), kobasice (sausages). Ajvar — the roasted red pepper cream, prepared in autumn and preserved all year — is omnipresent and delicious.

The local cheese is pirotski kačkavalj, a sheep's semi-hard cheese to accompany with bread and rakija. Restaurants in Kuršumlija are simple but generous: a full meal costs between four and eight euros. The rakija from this area is among the finest in Serbia.

When to Go

The site is open all year, but the best months are from May to October. For the best photographic light, come early in the morning or in the late afternoon. Entrance costs 300 dinars (around 2.50 euros). Đavolja Varoš can be visited in a couple of hours, but the journey to get there is long — it is worth combining it with a visit to Niš and the area's thermal spas for a two or three-day itinerary through southern Serbia, far from everything that tourism has already discovered.