The Devil's Town is a set of earth heads or towers with stone caps (blocks, andesitic cups) on top of them. There are more than two hundred of them, two to fifteen feet high and half to three feet wide. Devil's Town is a rare natural phenomenon found on Radan Mountain near Kursumlija, about 90 km southwest of Nis. It consists of 202 stone figures, created by the long and patient work of nature. They are located in two ditches (Devil's Trench and Hell's Trench), which are divided by a watershed, the ends of which merge into an erosive jaw. .
Devil's Town was the best-placed European candidate in its category, as one of 77 candidates for the seven wonders of nature, and more importantly, it was in the race until the last vote, which ended in the summer of 2010. In 1959, and in 1995, the Devil's Town was proclaimed a natural asset of exceptional importance by a decree of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and was placed in the first category of protection.
The stone pillars were formed by the erosion of a soil composed of loose but solid material that contains larger sized stones. Millions of years ago, the entire area was the center of strong volcanic activity, as evidenced today by the multicolored rocks in the hinterland of the pillars. However, the phenomenon occurred relatively late, most of which were contributed by humans. Destroying the forest, they paved the way for the devastating effects of water, with large pieces of rock protecting the deeper and softer layers of the earth from the impact of rain drops and water splashes. In that first stage, the land collapses, except under the rocks, which, by its weight, prevent its further fallout. This creates pyramids and / or towers. The stone blocks on the tops of the pillars serve as an umbrella, but water torrents continue to pass between the figures, scouring the earth and making them grow larger over time. This phenomenon belongs to the second stage, which consists in the "final processing". Namely, due to the forces of nature, the pyramids and towers become even more thin, so that the regular columns with stone caps remain in the end.
This geomorphological phenomenon is unique in Serbia and very rare in the world. In Europe there are similar occurrences in the Alps, as in the USA, the famous "Garden of the Gods." But the towers of the Devil's Town are much larger and more permanent than in European countries, and therefore the most famous natural monument of its kind in Europe. Devil's Town is reached from the municipalities of Kursumlija, Bojnik and Lebane, but the easiest and most beautiful way is by hiking from Lebane.
The Devil's Town is classified into the Seven Wonders of Serbia, the categories of historical and cultural monuments of Serbia, as well as seven natural sites, selected in the action of Politika's supplement "Magazine" and the Tourist Organization of Serbia.
In addition to the stone towers, Devil's Town is also known for 2 sources of highly acidic water. One is Devil's Water, a cold and extremely acidic source (pH 1.5) with high mineralization (15g / l water), and is found in the Devil's Trench.
The red well is the second source (pH 3.5), with lower mineralization (4.372 mg / l water). Such waters are very rare in the world and are used in spa treatments because the people consider it extremely medicinal, but scientists warn that water from the Devil's Source water should not be drunk because it has not been sufficiently tested.
This valuable site was put under protection in 1959, and in 1995 the town of Devil was declared by the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Serbia as a natural asset of exceptional importance and was placed in the first category of protection. A total of 67 ha of land is protected, and the RS government has a request for protection of 1014 ha.
The guardian of the Devil's Nature Monument is the town Planinka a. d., 38 Kosovska Street, Kursumlija, Serbia.
Numerous legends have been circulated to the people over the past centuries about the emergence of this unique phenomenon. According to one folk tradition, it is a petty wedding, where, at the behest of the Unholy, people decided to marry their birth brother and sister at any cost. In order for this not to happen, the power of God intervened which petrified them all and left them to testify that no sin would pass without punishment.
That this is a place where mysticism reigns is confirmed by the stories of red water, and in fact it is water that clears the vegetation from the slope and which is reddish due to the admixture of iron ore. In this part of Serbia, in the Middle Ages, there were many iron mines, as evidenced by two shafts in the immediate vicinity of Devil's Town.
