Devil’s Varos

Devil’s Varos is a rare natural phenomenon located on Radan planina near Kuršumlija, about 90 km southwest of Niš. Its 202 stone figures are the result of a long and patient work of nature. They are 2 to 15 meters high, and are wide from half to 3 meters.

The unimaginative picture of the strangely divided towers on the hillside, extremely acidic mineral waters, as well as the traces of human activity in their immediate vicinity, strongly influenced the imagination of the locals, so several legends were created about Devil’s Varos.

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One legend says that pupils who preferred spending rather than learning betrayed the devils to overwhelm them. By losing the bet, the devils turned into heads, and the disciples, defying themselves to give vows, turned the devils.

The second legend says that in the distant past there was a well-established settlement whose inhabitants did not want to bow down to a terrible ruler who was so mean as a devil himself. Because of this trembling, the ruler became angry, collected a strong army and demolished the city, and turned his inhabitants into stone figures.

According to the third legend, earthy columns are nothing but petrified wedding guests from two different families that had been dating about the same girl in the past. Both families sent their wedding couples to the girl, but they met at the place of Devil Varos. Both families wanted the girl to be theirs, so in order to avoid the shedding of blood, a mysterious force punished them and petrified them.