Bela Crkva lakes ( sr, Белоцркванска језера, Belocrkvanska jezera) is a group of six larger and several smaller artificial lakes near the town of

Bela Crkva Bela Crkva ( sr-cyrl, Бела Црква, ; german: Weißkirchen; hu, Fehértemplom; ro, Biserica Albă) is a town and municipality located in the South Banat District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a populatio ...

, in the southern

Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...

region in the

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

n province of

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

. Deep pits emerged as a result of

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

exploitation, and were subsequently filled by

aquifers An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characterist ...

and rainfall. With clean and unpolluted water suitable for bathing, they are a popular travel destination.

Lakes

The lakes occupy the total area of . Larger ones include: * The Main lake (''Glavno jezero'') or the City lake (''Gradsko jezero'') is situated closest to the town centre. It is the best equipped, and has several pebbly beaches, restaurants and paved paths. * Vračev Gaj lake (''Vračevgajsko jezero'') lies further down the road towards the village of

Vračev Gaj Vračev Gaj () is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Bela Crkva municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority (94.57%) and a population of 1,568 (2002 census). Name In Serbian, th ...

. It has a camp site with 200 camping spots, some bungalows and a pebbly beach. * Gravel pit (''Šljunkara'') is the largest lake, with a large beach and an island. * Carp lake (''Šaransko jezero'') has a crystal clear water, is not developed for swimming and is a good destination for fishing. * New lake (''Novo jezero'') is the farthest from the town. * Small lake (''Malo jezero'')

History

Exploitation of gravel in the area started in 1904. First, it was dug out manually and transported by horse carts, and then the process was taken over by excavators and railway transport. The gravel was used for roads and river embankments. Industrial excavation began c.1948 and since then the pits were mostly created. The gravel is still excavated only on the New lake.

Tourism

During summer, there are up to 5,000 visitors on the lakes' shores. Many cultural, entertainment and sports festivities are being held throughout the season. They include "Carneval of the flowers" and "Bela Crkva's apple picking". The lakes are especially popular among fishermen. In 1957, a

wels catfish The wels catfish ( or ; ''Silurus glanis''), also called sheatfish or just wels, is a large species of catfish native to wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, in the basins of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. It has been introd ...

, which was long and weighted was caught in the Main lake. In 1988 a story another massive catfish in the lake was published for the first time. It was named "Besi", an acronym of ea Crkva and Ne i Serbian rendering of the name Nessie, the

Loch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...

. Ever since, a yearly tournament titled "Hunt on Besi" is held. It is estimated that by 2008 Besi has grown to . Catfishes of are commonly caught in the lakes.

References

External links

Lakes of Serbia Bela Crkva Banat {{Vojvodina-geo-stub