Municipality of Bajina Bašta

The municipality of Bajina Bašta is situated in Zlatibor District, at the foot of mountain massifs (Tara, Mavlen, Povlen) and Drina river. It covers an area of 673 km2 with the population of 26,022. It has been inhabited continuously for the last 7000 years. Excavations during the 60s of the 20th century showed the continuity of the settlement throughout the Neolithic until the very transition to the Metal Age. As a town settlement, Bajina Bašta was created in the middle of the 19th century. Intensive economic development began in 1966, when the "Perucac" hydroelectric power plant, the second largest in Serbia, was officially put into operation. The Raca Monastery represents the most significant and attractive cultural and historical value on the territory of Bajina Bašta. During the Second World War, Miroslav's Gospel, the oldest Serbian book written in the 12th century, was hidden here from the Germans. The Racan copying school was located about a 40-minute walk along the Raca river, The climate in Bajina Bašta is moderate-continental, and it is near lakes of Perucac and Zaovine. Tara National Park, which is one of the most important natural treasures of Serbia, covers an area of 19,175 hectares and is home to many protected plant and animal species. In addition to Pancic's spruce - a Balkan endemic that survived the Great Ice Age in very limited habitats in the middle course of the Drina River, and Pancic's grasshopper - a local endemic, for which this area is the only habitat, this mountain is a habitat for 53 species of mammals, 153 species of birds and 40 kind of fish. The basis of Bajina Bašta's economy is the Bajina Bašta Hydroelectric Power Plant, with a power of about 1000 megawatts. During the transition period, the city, like many other cities, impoverished and lost, especially in the area of economic activities. Raspberry growing and wood processing form the backbone of the economic development of this region. A large part of the territory represents the slopes of Mount Tara. Drina river canyon, Perucac lake and Zaovine are tourist destinations. Numerous viewpoints on Tara and Mitrovac are special attractions for tourists. Hospitality, accommodation, and catering facilities are famous far and wide.