Povlen
Povlen is a mountain in western Serbia, located thirty kilometers west of Valjevo. It has several peaks, the three most important being Small Povlen, Middle Povlen and Big Povlen, which is, ironically, the lowest.
Geography
It belongs to the mountain range">Mountains of Serbia">mountain range, which form the highland west of Valjevo towards Mačva. The mountains are not very high, their highest point, Small Povlen, reaches to, but they are difficult to cross. Dense forests and deep river canyons hide narrow and winding roads that lead to small hamlets.In the canyon of Trešnjica under Povlen, there is a colony of griffon vultures. Eagles and hawks also live on the mountain. Successful program of brown bears protection was conducted on the Tara mountain in the 21st century, some southwest of the Povlen. As the number of bears grew, by the 2020s they re-appeared on the Povlen, too.
History
In November 2019 it was announced that the remains of the Byzantine church were discovered. The object was discovered close to the Taor Springs, some from Valjevo. Remains of the Early Byzantium-style church are part of the wider complex, with parts of small fortification and presumably a mining settlement being located for now. It is located at an altitude of, on the prehistoric and Antiquity travelling corridor from the valley of the Kolubara river to the Užice depression. Remains from the Stone Age, Iron Age, Antiquity and Middle Ages have been found along the corridor. Church dimensions are, it has arched altar area and is surrounded by the dry stone wall made of large chunks of stones and boulders, which is long and wide.In the surrounding area there are numerous traces of ancient mining activities, including mining of copper and iron. Also, this is the fourth such church discovered in the Valjevo region in the past several years. In the village of Brangović there are remains of the fortification, called Jerinin Grad, with the remains of the church quite similar to the one discovered in Taor. With another fortification in the village of Ćelije, the archeologists theoreticize that all this objects were connected in the wider but specific complex. Also, the findings point to the idea that every village, even unfortified ones, had their own churches during the period of Early Byzantium.
In 2017, a scenic viewpoint "Gates of Podrinje" was adapted for visitors on the southeast slopes, at an elevation of. Located in the village of Ovčinja, the concrete and wood plateau include benches, parking spots and kiosk with vending and coffee machines.
Features
Taor Springs
One of the attraction of the Povlen are the "Taor Springs". Beautiful cascades were used in many touristic brochures in the Former Yugoslavia. They are located at the village of Taor's hamlet of Donji Taor. It is located in the southwestern section of the mountain, southeast of Valjevo and northwest of Kosjerić. Majority of the location is covered in beech forests and the location is especially known for bear's garlic, which is abundant. It grows on the shady slopes and in the woods. An annual "Days of Bear's Garlic" festival has been established in 2015.The Taor is known for its tufa rocks, on which the Taor springs formed cascades on the long slope, which ultimately flow into the Skrapež river. In the 1980s. when the Kosjerić waterworks was constructed, the springs were partially capped and transferred to town's water system. Though the project wasn't conducted fully as planned, it still harmed the cascades as during the droughty years, the water dries out completely. The area was placed under the preliminary protection, but on paper only. Locals were digging the tufa stones, ruining the waterfalls and the entire environment.
There were 12 watermills on the springs, but as of 2017, none of them are operational, with only a few still physically surviving. By 2019 only three derelict ones remained, but the fourth one, Pepića watermill, was fully restored and became operational in 2018.