Mokra Gora – Šargan – Mećavnik
Mokra Gora is a valley in western Serbia, positioned between the massifs of the Tara Mt. and the Zlatibor Mt., at the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republic of Srpska). The ridge Šarganski Prevoj continues on this valley, representing a natural link with Zborište, the highest peak of the Tara Mt., towards the north, and with Prepelište, i.e. Zlatibor Mt., towards the south.
The turbulent relief with deeply cut valleys and gorges of the rivers Beli Rzav, Crni Rzav, and Kamička Reka, and with numerous peaks and saddles rising above them, all add to the beauty of this landscape. A very large number of mineral springs can be found in this area, of which the best known is the spring Bele Vode.
The attractive complexes of the autochthonous forests of the black pine (Pinus nigra) and the Scots pine (Pinus silvestris) on serpentinite are particularly remarkable.
The area Šargan – Mokra Gora is inhabited by rich biota. More than 700 species of the vascular flora can be found, of which many are endemic and subendemic. Of numerous animal species, particularly interesting are the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), imperial eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), hoopoe (Upupa epops), grey wolf (Canis lupus), brown bear (Ursus arctos), otter (Lutra lutra), wild cat (Felis silvestris), and many other species.
In the remote past, this area was positioned along an important travel route, on which the remains of an old Roman cobblestone road bear witness. Today, it is famous for the “Šargan’s Eight”, a narrow-gauged railway in a form of a double eight. This railway, built in 1921-1925, is famed for its exceptional technical solution to overcome a high gradient at a small distance. A number of exhibits are placed along the railway – old locomotives and railway wagons that are protected as monuments of technical culture. The fairy-tale ethno village “Drvengrad” adds to the overall aesthetic impression, positioned at the hill Mećavnik.
