Sokobanja has everything a tourist could wish for. Compared to other destinations in Serbia, it was gifted incomparable riches by nature and is surrounded by four large, ecologically untouched mountains – Ozren, Rtanj, Devica and Bukovik. It is home to six different medicinal thermo mineral springs within the town itself, with five more springs located in the neighbouring village of Jošanica. The Moravica, a crystal clear and fast flowing mountain river, runs through the town, while the cascading Ripaljka waterfalls, a protected natural monument of Serbia, are situated in a park area on Ozren Mountain. The Moravica gorge, known as Lepterija-Sokograd, is under protection as an area of outstanding landscape diversity. A medieval fortress, Sokograd, which boasts one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the area, is a landmark in Sokobanja and a cultural asset of great importance. Surrounding mountains protect Sokobanja from winds and bad weather and provide one more priceless treasure – air packed with beneficial ionisation.
Sokobanja has a long tradition of tourism in Serbia. We recently celebrated a jubilee of 180 years of organised tourism, and if by any chance a written record of the first spa built by the Romans existed, Banja could boast of almost two millennia of existence.
The great diversity of content offered to visitors is not based on natural factors only. Many people, generation after generation, have put in a lot of effort into making tourist visits more beautiful and fulfilled. Sokobanja takes a great pride in the main park, one of the oldest in the country, the marble promenade, the ambient of the old town core, the church, and school. The current generation has built Aqua Park Podina, the impressive Summer Stage Vrelo which is home to outdoor performances during the summer, and outdoor sports facilities. New hotels, spa centres, villas and boarding houses have also been built, while reputable health facilities, in trend with innovations both in health treatments and wellness programmes, have been opened.
Even though Sokobanja has built its reputation on medicinal mineral water springs, what sets it apart from the other spas and mountain resorts of Serbia is its first class and diverse national park area. Alongside the already mentioned larger mountains, Ozren, Rtanj, Devica and Bukovik, hiking tracks are marked on Krstatac, Slemen, Tumba, Rožanj and Leskovik mountains. Whether you go north, east, west or south, there are plenty of organised picnic areas with benches, wooden sunshades, BBQ facilities and drinkable water springs. Some of the Sokobanja villages, such as Vrmdža and Jošanica, have become very popular among eco and village tourists. The lake of Bovan is a popular location for fishing, camping, and water sports. The Moravica river, with its unusual springs and tributaries such as the Sesalac and Gradašnica rivers, is also an excellent space for relaxing in nature.
Sokobanja is promoted by the slogan The Green Heart of Serbia and it really is a spa with many shades of green, because the town itself is a large park area, while the greenery of the Ozren meadows is recommended as the most effective cure for bad eyesight, and there are a number of healthy forests and meadows. But Sokobanja is additionally green in its consciousness and conscience, with local citizens working on their own initiative resulting in Sokobanja becoming the first ecological municipality in Serbia in 1992.
We do not have, nor will we ever have, heavy industry which could disrupt the harmonious equilibrium between the elements of nature, a gift Sokobanja citizens live by and plan to build their future on.
“Sokobanja” Special Hospital
“Sokobanja” Special Hospital is the driver health tourism in Sokobanja, which is one of the most important health and tourism centers and the first ecological municipality in Serbia.
“Sokobanja” Special Hospital provides services for the prevention, diagnostics and treatment of respiratory, cardiovascular, locomotor, rheumatic and neurological diseases in children and adults.
“Sokobanja” Special Hospital is a certified institution and applies ISO 9001 and HACCP quality standards in its work. It has a total of 530 beds in the facilities: “Novi zavod”, “Sokograd”, “Mala Bota”, Villa “Bota” and Villa “Dalmacija”. Villa “Dalmacija” and Villa “Bota” are intended for the accommodation of children. The cost of staying at “Sokobanja” Special Hospital is very affordable, and there is also the possibility of deferred payment.
