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Povlen Mountain

West Serbia  >  Serbia

The highest mountain in the Valjevske Mountains range features three peaks around 1300 meters.

Added* by Mileta Čeković
Most recent update 2 prosince 2025

Description

The Povlen Mountain is the highest in the Valjevske Mountains range, featuring three prominent peaks: Veliki Povlen (Big Povlen) at 1,271 meters, Srednji Povlen (Middle Povlen) at 1,301 meters, and Mali Povlen (Small Povlen) at 1,346 meters. Paradoxically, the peaks are named such because the nearest and smallest peak (Veliki Povlen), when viewed from the Debelo Brdo mountain pass, appears to be the tallest, while the farthest and highest peak (Mali Povlen) appears to be the lowest.

Despite its height, the area surrounding the Povlen peaks is predominantly a deciduous forest, consisting mainly of beech and oak trees. There are only small patches of conifers, mostly around Veliki Povlen, the first and smallest peak. The plateau between the peaks is bordered by scrubby slopes and features green meadows, the most notable of which is Kneževo Polje (Duke's Field), located beneath the highest peak, Mali Povlen. These meadows and scrublands are home to various bird species, including bramborníček hnědý, linduška lesní, drozd brávník, strnad obecný, strnad cvrčivý, and occasionally kos horský. The northern slopes of the Povlen peaks, with their dense beech forest, provide an ideal habitat for lejsek bělokrký and even lejsek malý, along with more common species such as červenka obecná, kos černý, and drozd zpěvný.

Additionally, the area is inhabited by soaring birds like krkavec velký, káně lesní, včelojed lesní, and krahujec obecný. sup bělohlavý occasionally come from the nearby Trešnjica River Gorge following the valley of the Trešnjica River, which springs below the Srednji Povlen peak.

This region is part of the Important Bird Area (IBA) Valjevske Mountains.

Details

Access

To access Povlen's three peaks, take the regional road from Valjevo town to Bajina Bašta, which crosses over Debelo Brdo mountain pass. You can park at the mountain pass or turn left onto the macadam road and continue for about 1.2 km to the 'P' marked point, which is the most convenient point to start the route on foot. From here, one road leads left to the northern forested slopes and the well of the Povlenska Reka (Povlen's Stream), while the other continues straight over the plateau between the peaks further up to the Kneževo Polje. Both of these roads are also passable by car, although the connecting path between them over the Srednji Povlen is not.

Terrain and Habitat

Forest , Mountain , Scattered trees and bushes , Plateau , Grassland

Conditions

Mountainous , Hilly , Open landscape

Circular trail

Yes

Is a telescope useful?

Can be useful

Good birding season

Summer , Spring

Best time to visit

Summer , Spring

Route

Wide path , Unpaved road , Narrow trail

Difficulty walking trail

Strenuous

Accessible by

Foot , Bicycle , Car

Birdwatching hide / platform

Yes

Extra info

The nearby village of Zarožje, with its cliffs surrounding the Church of Svete Trojice, may conceal some interesting surprises.

Links

View other birding spots in the area that are published on Birdingplaces

Map

Top 5 birds

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