Vacation in Sokobanja Spa

A perfect place for recuperation

Sokobanja has received the incredible power of nature as a gift. It is surrounded by four mountains and numerous springs of medicinal waters; the air there is filled with beneficial negative ions… Sokobanja has succeeded in attracting young and active people among the first in Serbia, thus beating the prejudices that Serbian spas are only reserved for elderly people of ruined health. The Wellness offer, the attractive Aqua Park, cultural events, sports competitions, beautiful resorts – all these are the attractions that have ranked Sokobanja at the very top of Serbian tourism.

Medicinal waters and wellness attractions

In the Spa, there are six thermal-mineral and radioactive springs. There are two medicinal warm springs in the central spa bath, which is one of the symbols of the tourist center. The bath is located in the building of the Turkish hammam dating back in the 15^th century, which was erected on the foundations of an antique bath. Today, there is a Wellness Center there – contemporary with respect to the therapeutic methods it applies, whereas the interiority of the stone baths has remained true to the form of the original. After a warm bath and inhaling water vapor containing the gas radon, you feel light and your body feels relaxed..

On the springs of the “Lemon Spa”, a new compound called “Soko Terme” with its out- and indoor swimming-pools with warm water opened throughout the year was built. “Soko Terme” also offers numerous accompanying attractions – a Finnish sauna, a steam bath, a salty room, a Jacuzzi, various kinds of massage etc.

Accommodation & Health Spa

Alongside four large hotels, private accommodation prevails at Sokobanja. You can stay in one of the old villas with the patina of history, modern Nataly mansion, apartments or rooms to rent. If you do not want to be tied to boarding, you can be worry free – the town has numerous excellent restaurants offering local cuisine that even deliver meals or prepare the food you desire. When it comes to health resorts, they are part of the healthcare system of Serbia. The Sokobanja Special Hospital deals with the treatment and prevention of non-specific pulmonary diseases. On Ozren is the aforementioned special hospital for eye ailments and obstructive pulmonary diseases, which is also the oldest medical institution at the spa. Above the Banjica city park is a specialised hospital of the same name that treats various respiratory diseases, as well as psychoneurosis and neurosis.

Rtanj, Ozren, waterfalls…

Sokobanja is also known for its numerous resorts, for which reason, with a grain of curiosity, even if you are staying here for a longer period of time, your stay simply cannot become a routine: Lepterija, Očno, Kalinovica, Ripaljka, Grudno, Šopur, Rtanj, Bovansko Lake, Moravica Spring… We specially recommend outings to Rtanj Mountain – a miraculous mountain in the shape of an almost regular pyramid, with which many legends about its healing powers and miraculous phenomena are associated. Another resort that we recommend is Ozren Mountain – a space of the green meadows, above which a unique rose of winds abounding in beneficial negative ions is created. Yet another space of exceptional beauty is the lake and fish pond in Grudno resort, near the Small Ripaljka waterfall as well as the rest area underneath the Big Ripaljka – the highest waterfall in Serbia.

“Podina” Aqua Park, beaches & Soko Town

The most famous water “attraction” is the Aqua Park that offers a combination of relaxation and fun for family members. Visitors can gain adrenaline experiences by descending the slides, and the youngest can spend time in a swimming-pool with the equipment for playing games. There are six arranged beaches on the fast and clear Moravica river, whereas there are four beaches in the very town, each one of them quite different from the other ones: Župan is a tree-shaded and gravel beach, Tesnac is located on a rock of a tight passage, the Six Tubs and the Three Tubs beaches have natural swimming-pools (tubs).

The Spa was named after the mediaeval fortification of Soko Town, which is located on a natural belvedere, right above the canyon of the Moravica river. Paying a visit to the fortress is a special experience. There is an enchanting reward for that short, but at the same time exhausting climb: the thick walls of Soko Town command a breathtaking view of the surrounding expanses.

Suite 144

Suite 144 in the “Moravica” hotel is famous for the fact that our famous writer – Nobel Prize Winner Ivo Andrić – was a guest there on a regular basis. He used to stay in exactly that suite, not for the sake of the comfort of the suite or the habit, but rather for the reason of the balcony with a special view. His “home in Sokobanja” was converted into a small museum, which by all means should be paid a visit to. Andrić left the following record of the beneficial effect of his stay in the spa: “I don’t know what exactly there is here; what I know is that after my stay in Sokobanja Spa for 15-20 days, I work in Belgrade for the whole year, as if I were reborn.”

Unrepeatable tastes

Sour milk, as well as sheep cheese and the lamb of Ozren and Rtanj mountains are the pride of Sokobanja people. Crescents, batter balls, and pancakes with broad-leaved wild garlic have an unrepeatable taste exactly because of the cheese made in Sokobanja. An experience of the cuisine can be gained at numerous ethno-restaurants, among which “The Old Watermill” and “Miloš’s Residence” can be singled out, together with the village households in Resnik, Jošanica, Vrmdža etc.