{{short description|Waterfall in Serbia}} {{Infobox waterfall | name = Pilj Waterfall | photo = Пиљски водопад на Старој планини.jpg | photo_caption = Pilj Waterfall | location = near Topli Do, Pirot municipality, Serbia | coords = | type = cascade | height = 65,5 metres (212 ft) | height_longest = | number_drops = | average_flow = | world_rank = }}
'''Pilj Waterfall''', or simply '''Pilj''' ({{langx|sr|Пиљски водопад/Piljski vodopad}}), is the third-highest waterfall in Serbia.<ref name=pol>{{Cite news | title = Menjaju geografiju | newspaper = Politika | pages = 10 | language = sr | date = 2006-05-01 }}</ref><ref name=str>{{Cite web |url=http://www.suvaplanina.com/stara_planina.htm |title= Suva Planina |access-date=2008-08-20 |work= Suva Planina official site|language=sr}}</ref><ref name=pir>{{Cite web|url=http://www.topirot.com/TOP/03-Selo/Selo.htm|title=Stara Planina - park prirode|access-date=2008-08-20|work=Pirot's Touristic Organization |language=sr|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820014803/http://www.topirot.com/TOP/03-Selo/Selo.htm|archive-date=2008-08-20}}</ref> It was discovered by geologists and alpinists only in 2002.
== Location ==
The waterfall is located in the south-eastern region of Visok, near the border of Bulgaria, on the southern slopes of the mountain of Stara Planina. It is located four kilometers away from the village of Topli Do, in the direction of the village of Dojkinci.
== Geography ==
Piljski waterfall is in the gorge of the Piljski stream, the tributary to the Temštica (''Toplodolska reka'') river, thus this is haow the waterfall got its name. It is located under the Stara Planina peaks of Čungulj and Kurtulj and the ridge of Jelenski Skok (deer jump), at the altitude of 1,450 meters above sea level. Height of the Piljski waterfall is given as either 65,5 <ref name=pol/> or 64 meters.,<ref name=str/><ref name=pir/> which in any case makes it the second highest in the country after the Jelovarnik waterfall on the Kopaonik mountain. The waterfall is a cascade one, with ''Gornji'' (Upper, smaller one) and ''Donji'' (Lower, taller slope). In the base of the waterfall there is a minute pond, though with a large whirlpool.<ref name=pol/>
The waterfall is located in the sparsely populated area, completely cut off from the rest of the world, without any access roads. As a result of this, the waterfall was discovered only in May 2002.<ref name=pol/> Some other among Serbia's highest waterfalls are in the vicinity of Piljski: Čungulj (43 meters, discovered in 1996) and Kurtulj (27 meters).
== See also == * List of waterfalls * List of waterfalls in Serbia
== References ==
{{reflist}}
Category:Waterfalls of Serbia Category:Pirot District