Lipovička šuma

Lipovička šuma or Lipovica forest (Serbian Cyrillic: Липовичка шума) is a forest in the outer, metropolitan area of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipalities of Voždovac (northern part) and Barajevo (larger, southern part).

Location

Lipovička šuma is located in the low Šumadija region, 20 kilometers south of downtown Belgrade. It covers the more or less forested area of over 30 square kilometers, on the northern slopes of the "Parcanski vis" hill, 409 meter-high northernmost extension of the Kosmaj mountain and spreads from the "Ibarska magistrala" highway and the valley of the Beljanica river on the west and south-west, to the upper valleys of the Topčiderka and Ralja rivers on the east. All three rivers originate in the wood's area itself.

Characteristics

The forested area is uninhabited. Several settlements developed on the borders of the forest: Bela Reka on the west, Guncati and Barajevo on the south-west and Ripanj on the north-east.

The wood itself covers an area of 12 square kilometers. The most common species of trees are the oak types, Hungarian oak and Turkey oak, though the name of the woods means "small linden wood". The area is a popular picnic area for the citizens of Belgrade and many restaurants, villas, weekend houses and sport's fields are located in Lipovička šuma. Attractions include the famed motel "Lipovička šuma" on the Ibarska magistrala and the youth hostel, the court for the hurdle riding and a vast hunting area in the woods, with wildlife including roe deers, hares, pheasants and partridges.

A chemical center of the Yugoslav army was located in the woods and was used as a reservoir for the rocket fuel. It was bombed by the during the 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia. Explosion and subsequent flames were visible kilometers away and caused an extensive damage to the woods itself which was burnt to the wide extent around the reservoir.