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Besna Kobila mountain is located in the southern part of Serbia, not far from the city of Vranje, as a part of the mountain range that encompasses mountains Dukat, Bele Vode, Doganica, Gloska Planina, Miljevska Planina, Vardenik and Kocura.
The highest peak of Besna Kobila mountain has the same name as the mountain – Besna Kobila, and lies at altitude of 1.922 meters above sea level. This peak offers some stunning views – all the way to the distant Sara mountain, Olympus, Vlasinsko lake, Kopaonik...
Little villages are mostly hidden in the valleys between the mountain peaks. There are a lot of paths in the mountain, convenient for hiking, and the high pastures, fir forests and famous blueberry harvests make this mountain one of the most beautiful and most unusual places in Serbia.
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This was the part of Serbia to remain longest under Turkish rule – until January 31 1878 when, on St. Anastas’s day, Vranje was liberated by the Serbian army. Turks used to inhabit the cities, while Serbs lived in the surrounding villages, so the remains of the Ottoman culture are not present in the mountains.
This mountain was the place of frequent clashes between Serbs, Turks and Bulgarians, and the border between Serbia and Bulgaria once used to go straight over Besna Kobila. The border was later moved further to the east, so the whole mountain range now belongs to Serbia.
Legend has it that a beautiful girl once lived there, by the name of Feja, who one day decided to go around the mountain on a horse, but she made a mistake and mounted a mare. And mare didn’t like it, so she leapt and threw Feja off, and the girl fell and broke her leg. The village of Kriva Feja, the largest village in the mountain, was named after her. The mare ran off, angry and mad, so the mountain was named Besna Kobila (Mad Mare).
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To find out how to get to Vranje, check “getting there” section of “Vranje” destination. From Vranje it’s very easy to get to Besna Kobila.
All you have to do is to go the bus station “Jedinstvo”, the main bus station in Vranje, and catch a bus to the village called Kriva Feja, which lies on Besna Kobila mountain, at the altitude of 1.250 meters. There are two to three daily buses to Kriva Feja, depending on whether it’s a workday or weekend, and the ticket costs around 1 euro.
When you arrive in Kriva Feja, you have about 5 kilometres of old muddy road to the mountaineering refuge, that lies at the altitude of 1.480 meters. As soon as you get off the bus in Kriva Feja, just next to the only pub in the village, follow the wide road going uphill, and when you reach the branching, 40 minutes later, remember that your road is the one that goes to the left. After 20 more minutes, on your left you’ll see a huge house – the mountaineering refuge.
For detailed bus schedule from Vranje to Kriva Feja, check with the Vranje bus station, on 017 / 21 201
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With its highest peak reaching the altitude of 1.922 meters, Besna Kobila is one of the highest mountains in Serbia. It is covered with snow up to 9 out of 12 months, and the peasants remember that there were times when it was snowing in mid July. The best time of the year for visiting this mountain is, no doubt, the summer.
Lower parts of the mountain are covered with deciduous forests, and the higher altitudes are mostly covered with coniferous forests – mostly fir. Above them there are mostly mountain pastures covered with short grass, blueberry shrubs, and abundance of diverse mountain flowers.
What fascinates the most, is the view from the mountain peaks, reaching all the way to distant Sara mountain, Rila in Bulgaria and Olympus in Greece. From there you can also see Vlasinsko lake, the town of Vranje, as well as many other cities and towns in Serbia.
There are many villages in the mountains, and the peasants usually raise cows and sheep, walking with their flock over the fields and through the groves. There is a wide road leading all the way to the highest peak, about 5 kilometres from the refuge, during which you have to surmount around 500 meters of altitude difference.
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Besna Kobila mountaineering refuge (5 kilometres from the village of Kriva Feja; the refuge was built in 1950 and has been neglected for a number of years – you are very likely to be the only guests. It is really huge, with around 80 berths, huge dining room, bathroom, toilets etc. There is no hot water. The person to contact is the ground keeper Marjan Petkovic from the nearby village (phone no. 017 / 777 - 803) or Stanisa Stosic, the president of the mountaineering club (phone no. 017 / 26 - 621). The building is locked and there is nobody there, so you have to arrange the visit by phone. The price is around 2 euros per person.
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