Towers
On the rock.
Geograf208 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Geograf208 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mickey Mystique — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Manojlovic80 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mickey Mystique — CC BY-SA 4.0
Soko Grad, also called Sokolac, is a medieval town and fortress 2 km east of the spa town of Sokobanja in Serbia, about 35 km north of Niš in a straight line. It was declared a Monument of Culture of Great Importance in 1982. The fortress was founded in the 6th century under the Byzantine emperor Justinian I and became part of the medieval Serbian state in 1172. Its name means «falcon city», because many falconers lived there and paid their taxes in trained falcons. The first citadel stood on the highest part of the rock, and the fortress later spread down around it. Today only the upper town remains, with its gate, walls and three towers. Ruined grey stone towers and walls crown a sheer limestone rock above the Moravica gorge, wrapped in thick green forest, and from the top the view opens over the valley and Sokobanja. Visitors climb a forest path to the ruins, wander among the walls and look down into the gorge. The visit pairs well with a stay in Sokobanja and the riverside path through the gorge.
On the rock.
Moravica river.
Over the valley.
East of Sokobanja, Serbia
Falcon city.
A moderate forest path.