„European Sahara" - Deliblaticum

According to its origin Deliblatska peščara represents a unique phenomenon in Europe. It originated during the Ice Age out of powerful layers of  Aeolian  silicate- carbonaceous  sand. Free  sand used to be a great problem, because under powerful  wind košava  it was scattered  throughout wide  area of the Pannonian basin. Therefore Deliblatska peščara was called "European Sahara" or " the oldest desert in Europe". Afforestation of the sandy terrain begun at the  time of Maria Theresa.

The wind Košava has  formed explicit  dune relief with altitudes  between 70 and 200 meters. Moderate continental climate, absence of surface watercourses and sandy soil brought about specific environments  that were segregated into a separate flora and geographical area - Deliblaticum. Deliblatska peščara is the greatest European continental sandy terrain and it is situated in South Banat between the Danube and western slopes of the Carpathians, along regional road  between Belgrade and Timisoara.

Public Enterprise Vojvodinašume Forest Estate "Banat"  Pančevo manages the special  nature reservation (SNR) Deliblatska peščara.

Natural Values

- The greatest European area made of layers of Aeolian sand with expressive dune relief- natural phenomenon unique in Europe.

- The most important steppe region in Europe.

- Characteristic sandstone, steppe and forest ecosystems with unique mosaic of environment and typical representatives of flora and fauna.

- Rich flora with more than 900 species, subspecies and varieties of plants – it is abundant in rarities, relicts, endemic and sub-endemic species.

- Among the flora rarities there should accentuate  certain kinds of steppe settlements, and for some of them sandy terrain is the only one or one of a few remaining settlements  in Serbia.

- An area next to the Danube is an important meeting place of  marshy ornithological  fauna and represents the only stable nesting place of a small cormorant in Serbia and nesting place of many species of natural rarities.

- It is the last and the greatest oasis of sandy- steppe and forest vegetation that dominated the Pannonia plane once upon a time. It is one of the most important European bio diversity centres.

-  About 40 plant species and more that 200 animal species have the status of national rarity.