Jablanik and Medvednik, June 2005

Jablanik and Medvednik belong to group of mountains that bend widely over the city of Valjevo and therefore they are so often marked as "The Mountains of Valjevo". Beside to these two mountains this name relates to mounts Povlen and Maljen as well, and in the broader sense there could be added Soko Mountain and Orovicka Mountain with its peak Tornicka Bobija. Whole northern sides of these mountains are covered by karst; it's a well known green karst of Valjevo with all its characteristic forms such as canyons, caves, 'blind' valleys, which can be easily seen if approaching Debelo Brdo Saddle by bus, while the cliffs of Veliki Povlen stand dominating on the left side of the road. From Debelo Brdo, by the way, starts the hike tour to Jablanik.

Jablanik is located at the source of the river Jablanica. From west Jablanik is separated from Medvednik by high Stolica Saddle while from Povlen from south-east separates it Debelo Brdo Saddle. The highest peak has the same name as the mountain itself - Jablanik, and is 1274m high. The hills around the peak are mainly woodlands but the peak itself is in plains, so if visibility is good the view from above is nice. The view stretches out then even to mounts of Avala, Kosmaj, Bukulja etc. From Jablanik's peak we go down to macadam road that leads us to the Stolica Saddle in the foothills of Medvednik.

The highest parts of Medvednik are covered by woods but going from the highest point at 1244m ahead to north-west appears a nice view point above the Vojin rock. Far away from us down there flows the small river Zavojstica which emerges at south side of Medvednik, flows shortly to east, then bends to north and finally goes to south-west where empties into Ljubovica, the tributary of Drina river. By its flow Zavojstica River was completely dropped into the massif of Medvednik.