A Serbian waterfall that's an Instagram star: Ripaljka's captivating beauty

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

Only five kilometers from the center of Sokobanja, on Mt. Ozren, is the Ripaljka waterfall, one of the many natural attractions of Serbia.

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The impressive work of nature was also the first to be declared a natural monument in former Yugoslavia, protected by law 73 years ago. But, as it usually happens in our country, domestic tourists "discovered" it only in 2020, when many countries closed their borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, so the once famous Sokobanja regained its old tourist luster.

Ripaljka was formed by the Gradasnica River, which flows into Moravica below Sokobanja. It has 11 cascades, a total height of about 40 meters, with the largest 11 to 14 meters high, depending on the season, and that one is known as Velika Ripaljka.

If you were wondering how this waterfall got its name, the answer should be sought in the language of the people of this area. The locals use the word "ripati" in Serbian to mean "jump" and describe the waterfall as doing that - hence the name Ripaljka.

Velika Ripaljka is the highest when the snow starts melting - then the height is about 14 meters, while in the summer it can often dry up, when the temperatures are extremely high. However, there are many tourists who testify that it is possible to feel the so-called Lenard effect in the summer in this place near Sokobanja, that is, to bathe in negative ions that have an extremely beneficial effect on the body.

Ripaljka Waterfall has been one of the most visited and most frequently photographed waterfalls in the last two years in Serbia.

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

(Telegraf.rs)