Soko spa
Soko spa is a large health centre and a famous spa. Its thermal springs have been known for their healing abilities since the Romans. What makes Sokobanja attractive are its thermal and mineral water, ideal height above the sea level, mild continental climate, fresh, oxygen-abundant mountain air, beautiful untouched natural environment. It is a renown tourist centre with the tradition of organised tourism longer than 170 years. Natural medicinal factors of the spa are thermal and mineral springs whose temperature ranges from 28°C (Banjica) to 45.5°C (Park), radon gas with good ionization, fresh mountain air with no pollution and very mild continental climate. There are seven hotels in the spa: „Sunce”, “Moravica”, “Zdravljak”, “Turist” and a natural rehabilitation centre „Banjica“. There are many medical facilities, hospitals and specialized hospitals. Apart from having state-of-the-art medical diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation equipment, Sokobanja has thermal water, pools, gyms, sport halls, tennis and futsal courts.
Sokobanja is situated on slopes of the Ozren mountain (1117 meters) and the Rtanj mountain is nearby. The spa is surrounded with beautiful and spacious parks and picnic grounds. There are Bovanska Gorge and Bovansko Lake, Ripaljka, the biggest waterfall in Serbia, picnic grounds Lepterija, Kalinovica and Ocno. Finally, there are many caves. The Sokobanja valley extends in the east-west direction. It is 15 kilometers long. It has an area of 515.5 km2. It is connected with the eastern Serbia via Knjazevacka Gorge, while, on the south-west via Bovanska Gorge, it is wide open toward Aleksinac and Moravska Valley.
What to see?
Medieval towns: Sokograd
Culture manifestations: The first accordion of Serbia, art colony “Sokograd”, "Banjsko kulturno leto".
Interesting facts:
The first civilisation dates back from paleolithic period. Romans were there, and in 1398, the Turks came. The spa was mentioned in Constantine the Philosopher’s biography of despot Stefan Lazarevic. The spa was also described by a Turkish geographer Haji Kalfa, Vuk Karadzic and Feliks Kanic. Prince Milos came to the spa for the first time in 1835, and afterwards made it a place of healing, rehabilitation and rest.
