The Balkan Peninsula is worldwide famous for its folklore. Their myths, legends and superstitions have left their special imprint to the societies of the Balkan countries - some of them are popular until today! Considering the fact that the people of the Balkans have always had a special connection with nature, here are 5 Balkan legends that are connected to natural phenomena that people in the past could not explain and they survive until today!

 

 

1. Syri i kaltër (Albania)

Albania’s famous Blue Eye (Syri i kaltër) is located near Muzinë, 30 mins away from the coastal city of Saranda. The Blue Eye is a water spring, famous for its distinctive blue colour. It’s depth has been estimated to be over 50 m, although the precise number is not clear. Syri I kalter is the original water source of the Bistrice river, which ends in the Ionian Sea. The legend has it that the Blue Eye has been formed by the eye of a giant snake, which terrified the inhabitants of the area and was finally killed by a local man. The snake, mortally wounded, lost its eye on the place that Syri I kalter is located, and the water has covered it. The serpent’s eye is believed to cry until today. The Blue Eye is a very popular tourist attraction, with many people visiting it annually. Although swimming is prohibited, many visitors dive in the cold water.

 

 

 

2. Arta Bridge (Greece)

Arta is a city in northwestern Greece. The area surrounding the city on west is ran by the river Aracthos and the locals, who have been famous as masons during the 

Ottoman occupation of Greece, have built an impressive stone bridge during the 17th century, to make it easier for their commercial activities to be performed. There is a very old legend around this bridge, whcih has also been a popular folk song of the area, sung for centuries. According to the myth, the attempts for finishing the bridge have been unsuccessful - what the masons built during the day, it collapsed during the night. Finally, a bird with a human voice told the masons that the Head Builder had to sacrifice his young and beautiful wife by building her alive inside the bridge walls. As the woman was being buried alive, she cursed the bridge out of frustration; however, she takes her curse back after she's being reminded that her brother is at a distant land and he might cross the bridge on his way home.

 

 

 

 

3. Đavolja Varoš (Serbia)

The visitors of Radan Mountain, south Serbia, can encounter with a very interesting place: Đavolja Varoš. Literally meaning “The Devil’s Town”, Đavolja Varoš is located in the municipality of Kuršumlija. It is an impressive geological site, with 202 unusual rock formations (the locals call them “pyramides”), caused by the
erosion of the soil after some volcanic activity, millions of years ago. Some of the towers can reach 15m in height, while most of them have a “cap” of andesite, a volcanic rock, which protects them from further erosion. The legend has it that, once upon a time, there was a wedding party held at the area; the Devil was displeased by that fact and he petrified all the guests, punishing them.

 

 

 

 

4. Lakul Dracului (Romania)

It seems that people of Romania (like the rest of the Balkan people) used to have created various superstitions about devil; in most of the Balkan legends, the devil seems
to win every fight against mortals. Not on this one! Lakul Dracului (the Devil's lake) locates in Locvei Mountains, in Caras - Severin county. It was, originally, an underground lake, which came to surface after a part of the ceiling collapsed, giving the chance to both locals and visitors to explore its beauty. The Romanian legend has it that an old shepherd accepted the challenge of a strange man (who, apparently, was the Devil himself) to fry a fish without bending it - in return, the man would have to try and roast a lamb's head without the animal showing his teeth. In the end, the shepherd won the bet and the Devil, furious that he lost to a mortal, threw himself in the depths of the lake. Up to our days, the locals say that the lake has no bottom and those who were brave enough to dive in its waters have never come back...

 

 

5.Krupaj Spring & Krupajsko Vrelo (Serbia)

In a magical location of eastern Serbia, a myth revives to our days: according to a Vlach legend, the Homolje mountains once ate a large amount of gold and hid it from the people under the Krupaj Spring, in a Golden Cave. This cave’s entrance is open to people only once a year, on the “devil’s day”, when the cave’s guard, the aquatic spirit of Tartor, notifies the other spirits by beating a drum, summoning them to a feast. On this night, the Vlach women enter the Krupaj river to grant their wishes for great power – of course, by paying a toll: they offer a young woman as a prize to Tartor. Although the days of legends and spirits are gone for good, Krupaj continues to attract many visitors. Its natural beauty and turquoise waters are a magnet for the nature lovers. The 435m long stream confluences with the Krupaj river, while the nearby dam that is constructed creates a small waterfall. Krupaj spring has gained an ecological importance from the Serbian government, while the surrounding area has been declared as “protected by law” since 1998, both creating the Krupajsko Vrelo Monument of Nature.

 

 

There are plenty of others myths and legends, which we really wished to include in our blog. Unfortunately, this wasn't possible - but who knows? Maybe we will return with a second part!