Serbia

RTANJ: HEALING AND MYSTERIOUS MOUNTAIN

The mystical mountain in eastern Serbia, which is located near Sokobanja, is a true miracle of nature and is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. It is known for various legends and inexplicable phenomena, but also for medicinal plants and the positive energy it radiates. Rtanj’s mysteries are widespread, including flying objects circling above the highest peak, visits by aliens and frightening voices in strange languages.  

Locals even claim that during rainy days, creatures from another planet cover the top of the mountain with clouds and come for a walk. Due to its unusual shape, Rtanj is often called the Serbian pyramid. The slope of this enigmatic mountain is completely identical to the Pyramid of the Moon in Mexico, and its angles coincide with the famous Cheops. Such proportions may have been created by the action of nature, but further scientific research is needed to clearly determine this.  

Whether this mountain is actually an ancient pyramid or a work of nature, it is known that the hidden parts of its interior are decorated with caves, pits and groundwater. Spaleologists have found more than 17 caves, and it is important to mention the large vertical tunnel from which a huge amount of orgone energy comes to the surface. Medicinal endemic plants grow on its slopes, of which the most famous is certainly Rtanj tea (Satura Montana). 

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The large amount of orgone energy on Rtnje has a positive effect on people and the living world

Rtanj attracts mountaineers and adventurers both from Serbia and from the entire region. The visit requires serious condition and good equipment, especially when it is planned to climb to its highest peak – Šiljak. 

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Šiljak is the most prominent peak of the mountain Rtanj

From the top of Šiljak, which is located at an altitude of 1560 meters, there is a fantastic view that reaches all the way to the confluence of the Sava and the Danube. Even the famous Serbian geographer Jovan Cvijić wrote about the beautiful panorama that descends from the top of Šiljak, citing Rtanj as one of the most beautiful mountains in Serbia. Another curiosity awaits every adventurer at the top – the ruins of the chapel of St. George. This building was erected in 1935 by Greta Minch in memory of her tragically deceased husband Julius, who was the owner of the then “Rtanj” mine. The chapel was built by more than 1000 people, and all the necessary materials for the construction were delivered on donkeys. 

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After a strenuous climb to the top of Šiljak, mountaineers traditionally rest next to the remains of the chapel of St. George

Since 1994, nature lovers have been gathering on the Rtanj mountain every year as part of the “St. John Biljober” event, and on July 7, together with herbalists and biologists, they are taking samples of medicinal plants that grow on the slopes of this mountain.  

Also known as Vidovdan night ascent when the sun rises at the top. The Christmas winter climb has been organized for 37 years in a row and gathers a large number of people who embark on the adventure of hiking in the snow.  

The hike to the top of Rtnj is a paradise for mountaineers and adventurers from the entire region, and the mentioned climbs are already largely cult events. Although this miraculous mountain is still shrouded in mystery, its mystery and healing properties encourage its popularity and make it one of the favorite tourist destinations in Serbia. 

Milica Jovanović

Photographs: private archive; wikimedia commons

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