Why is Stara Planina CEWFG 2015 venue

Stara Planina is the heart of Balkans and a place of exceptional importance for the future of organic production in Serbia.

For years now, industry in Serbia hasn’t been working so good. This may put people in unfavorable position comparing to other European countries but for sure they are lucky to live in an unpolluted place. Traditionally, Serbia was an agricultural country due to good climate and reach soil. Organic production is seen nowadays as an opportunity for development of Serbia. Some studies done showed that there are so many locations for organic production in Serbia. Stara Planina is one of the ideal.

Stara planina* is the fascinating beauty of an untouched nature. It represents the natural wealth of outstanding importance and therefore it is protected as a nature park. Stara Planina is almost five months a year under the snow at an altitude between 1100 and 1900 m with the highest peak, Midžor, at 2169 m. Located 330 km from Belgrade, 70 km from Nis and 30 km from Pirot, it stands as a natural border of Serbia with Bulgaria.

Stara Planina

Stara Planina is a trans-frontier Serbian-Bulgarian mountain – an assemblage of natural values that resulted from the processes of mountain landscape evolution. There are 116 species of butterflies, 18 species of amphibians and reptiles, 203 species of birds and over 30 species of mammals in Stara Planina. The mountain is the natural habitat of long-legged buzzard, the skylark, and the woodcock. It was proclaimed as Nature Park in 1997.

Stara Planina nature

Most of it belongs to Pirot municipality that is located halfway between Niš (Serbia) and Sofia (Bulgaria), in the Nišava River valley. As the heart of the Balkans with a rich cultural tradition and turbulent history, Pirot lays on major international transversal “Corridor 10” linking Europe with Asia from the ancient times.

Ancient Pirot City

Pirot is most famous for its kilim that was traditionaly made by women, pottery, Pirot cheese “Kackaval” and unique “Flattened Saussage“.

Pirot Center

Today, Pirot is a modern city.

* Stara Planina means “Old Mountain“, one of the oldest witnesses of the turbulent history and warm people of Balkans.