RESERVE

Special nature reserve “Gornje Podunavlje” (the Upper Danube Basin) is a protected natural asset of I category, which spreads by the left bank of the Danube, from the 1367 th to the 1433 rd km of its course. It is a part of a big marshy complex that spreads through neighbouring Hungary and Croatia as well, and, as a whole, represents one of the last big floodplain on the European continent. It consists of two big marshes, Monostor and Apatin marshes, which together make 19648 ha of forests, meadows and marshes, including the Danube itself and its numerous meanders. Abundant land-reclamation measures on the soil draining, that took place in the last two centuries, caused that today's region, under the influence of the flood waters of the second biggest river in Europe, was restricted to the narrow belt near the Danube. Therefore today's boarders of the reserve are the part of previously more spread marshy ecosystems on the Pannonia depression. By building the defensive embankment in the 60s of the last century, once again the water order in this region was changed, which furthermore endangered the survival of the marshes of the Upper Danube Basin. These areas then, probably for the last time, missed their destiny to be cleared and turned into cultivable soil. Nevertheless, because of its authenticity, completeness and originality this natural asset nowadays has a high degree of protection.

The Upper Danube Basin is under the strong influence of the Danube and its water order and this is the reason for the exceptional biodiversity of this region. If you had ever visited it, you must have noticed that life is sprouting around you. Many rare and endangered species found their shelter here, and the reason for this was also the fact that the human activities have since ever been limited and today they still are. Here we can see the great fortune of ornithofauna where the rare species like the white-tailed eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla ) and the black stork ( Ciconia nigra ) are found. The Upper Danube Basin is settled by the greatest population of the red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) in our country, one of the last of these in the true marshy ambience. Also, in the region of the reserve, there are preserved some of the best hatcheries on the 2857 km long Danube course: Stari dunavac, Petres, Srebrenica and Staklara. Thick, almost impassable flood plain forests of the autochthonous poplars and willows are almost relict today. Winter aconite ( Eranthis hyemalis ) , water-violet ( Hottonia palustris ) and mare's-tail ( Hippuris vulgaris ) are some of the most endangered species that find their shelter here.

The fact that the Upper Danube Basin is settled by numerous rare species flatters us, while on the other hand it warns us that the destiny of their survival depends on us.

People have built their communities near the fertile river soil since ever. Here as well. From the ancient times man has been settling this region, therefore we can only look at the Upper Danube Basin in the context of the mutual activities of nature and a man. The Danube, with the fact that it represents the source of life for many forms of plants and animals, has always been offering, and it still offers, many possibilities to a man for various activities, on which, especially in the past, depended his existence . The big river gave a lot to a man, but sometimes it took even more. Looking at the maps, we can see that the Danube has squirmed through the centuries, probably trying to find some peace for itself, some perfect course. In this dance through the Pannonian plain, a man has always been its constant companion. This is the reason for the forming of the special iconography and culture of living in the Upper Danube Basin. Some settlements, like legendary Bodrog, found themselves in the way of the powerful river and disappeared in its whirlpools forever. Some other, on the contrary, even nowadays cherish the original folklore and colour of the Danube Basin; among them are Backi Breg, Bezdan, Backi Monostor and Sonta. Contemporary understanding of the nature protection, which is based on the principles of maintenance , presupposes the active role of people, especially of local population, which represents the skeleton of the protection and development of natural assets. For we talk about alive and active process which implies special “ticking away” of nature, reducing the pressure imposed by exploitation, and turning to breeding, protection, tourism, education and similar forms.