{{Short description|Natural stone bridges on the Miroč mountain, Serbia}} {{Infobox landform | water = | name = Vratna Gates | type = [[Rock arch]] | image = Suva prerast2.jpg | caption = One of three natural bridges on Vratna, Suva prerast | elevation_ft = | elevation_ref = | location = [[Bor, Serbia|Bor municipality]], [[Serbia]] | range = | pushpin_map = Serbia | pushpin_relief = yes | coordinates = {{coord|44.383207|N|22.337184|E|type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | topo = | age = | volcanic_arc/belt = | last_eruption = }}
'''Prerasts of Vratna''' ({{Langx|sr|Прерасти Вратне}}, {{lang|sr-Latn|Prerasti Vratne}}) or '''Vratna Gates''' ({{Langx|sr|Вратњанске капије}}, {{lang|sr-Latn|Vratnjanske kapije}}) are three natural stone bridges on the [[Miroč]] mountain, two in the vicinity of the medieval [[Vratna monastery]], and the third farther away into the depths of the [[Vratna (river)|Vratna river]] gorge, in [[Bor, Serbia|Bor]], eastern [[Serbia]].<ref name=Politika>{{cite news | author = Miroslav Stefanović | script-title=sr:Занимљива Србија - Вратњанске капије: Три камена моста | trans-title = Interesting Serbia - Vratna Gates: Three stone bridges | newspaper = [[Politika]]-Magazin, No. 1097 | pages = 20–21 | language = Serbian | date = 7 October 2018}}</ref>
Stone gates of this type are rare. Similar ones can be found in [[Slovenia]], [[France]] and in [[Colorado]], in the [[United States]]. It has been declared a geomorphological [[natural monument]] and placed under the state protection in 1957.<ref name=Politika/>
== Name ==
''Prerast'' (see [[:wiktionary:прерасти|прерасти]]) in Serbian means "outgrowth" or "overgrowth." In this case it is an unambiguous term by the local population for these types of natural rock bridges, vaults and gates.
== Prerasts ==
In the entire Serbia, there is about a dozen of ''prerasts'', of which three are located in the valley of the Vratna river.<ref name=magazin/>
* '''Little Prerast''' (''Mala Prerast'') is about {{convert|200|m|abbr=on}} upstream from the [[Vratna monastery]] and is {{convert|15|m|abbr=on}} long. The width of its opening is {{convert|22|m|abbr=on}}, height {{convert|34|m|abbr=on}}, while the thickness of the [[arch]] above the opening is {{convert|10|m|abbr=on}}. The Vratna rivers flows through the gate.<ref name=Politika/><ref>[[:sr:Вратна (река)|Prerasti reke Vratne]] at wikipedia {{in lang|sr}}</ref>
* '''Big Prerast''' (''Velika Prerast'') is about {{convert|100|m|abbr=on}} from the Little Prerast and its length is {{convert|45|m|abbr=on}}. The width of the opening is {{convert|23|m|abbr=on}}, height {{convert|26|m|abbr=on}} and the thickness of the arch above the opening is {{convert|30|m|abbr=on}}. The river also flows through it and the area of Big Prerast is known for its acoustics.<ref name=Politika/>
* '''Dry Prerast''' (''Suva Prerast'') is the least approachable. It is almost {{convert|3|km|abbr=on}} upstream from the other gates and into the gorge. Its length is {{convert|34|m|abbr=on}}, width of opening is {{convert|15|m|abbr=on}}, height {{convert|20|m|abbr=on}} and thickness of the arch above the opening {{convert|10|m|abbr=on}}. Its name comes from the fact that the Vratna river, in the summer, plunges {{convert|50|m|abbr=on}} upstream from it, but later appears and disappears again, before once again breaking out from the rock, and continues to run on the surface.<ref name=Politika/><ref>[http://www.planeta.org.rs/07/09geografija.htm Planeta magazine, Kanjon Vratnem Vitki lukovi Prerasti, D.B. 2012] {{in lang|sr}}</ref>
They are entered through marked hiking trails, which was through monastic property. Nowadays trail go around monastic land and leads beneath first Vratna Gate or Little Prerast.<ref>[http://www.srbija.travel/priroda/spomenici-prirode/prerasti-vratne/ Prerasti Vratne] at serbia.travel.com {{in lang|sr}}</ref> The Vratna monastery itself, today a female convent, was established in the 14th century by the monk [[Nicodemus of Tismana]].<ref name=magazin>{{cite news | author = Nenad Nešić | title = Kanjon Vrate | trans-title = Vratna canyon | newspaper = Galen pharm Magazin, No. 32 | pages = 50–52 | language = sr | date = November 2019}}</ref>
== Geology ==
The Prerasts of Vratna consist of [[late Jurassic]] [[limestone]]s and are of different origins. While the first two are remains of a former cave tunnel through which the river Vratna ran through, and part of the arch between them collapsed, the third resulted from the plunging of the river. Further chemical erosion and mechanical forces shaped the gates into their present look.<ref name=Politika/> The collapsed cave ceiling is some {{convert|100|m|abbr=on}} long. The Vratna river flew both above the ground and through the former large cave, also being a [[losing stream]], as it is today.<ref name=magazin/>
In the vicinity of the gates are three caves, examples of [[Karst|karst terrain]]. They remain largely unexplored. The largest one is {{convert|400|m|abbr=on}} long, another one has a complex of tunnels and corridors while the third has a small [[Lakes in Serbia|lake]].<ref name=Politika/> They were discovered in the 21st century.<ref name=magazin/>
== Exploration ==
First records of the gates were left by Austro-Hungarian ethnographer and traveler [[Felix Philipp Kanitz]] who traveled across the [[Balkans]] in the 1850s-1880s. He left the detailed account of the gates. Some of the earliest Serbian geographers also researched the formation, [[Vladimir Karić]] and [[Jovan Cvijić]], who explored the gates in the late 19th century.<ref name=Politika/>
Professors from the [[University of Belgrade]] Geography Faculty, Dragan Petrović and Dušan Gavrilović, accurately measured the gates.<ref name=Politika/>
Next to the Big Prerast is a wooden bridge across the river, and the [[scenic viewpoint]].<ref name=magazin/>
== Protection ==
Vratna Gates have been protected as the natural monuments since 1957. The [[wildlife]] includes [[red deer]] and [[mouflon]], which were introduced in 1965 in the local hunting ground. There are also various [[bat]] and bird species. Birds are building nests in the hollows of the gates themselves.<ref name=Politika/> Other wildlife include [[roe deer]], [[wild boar]], [[marten]], [[otter]], [[badger]], and [[red fox]].<ref name=magazin/>
There are various medicinal herbs in the area.<ref name=Politika/> The area is covered with lush, deciduous forest.<ref name=magazin/>
In the mid-2000s, severe droughts destroyed almost all aquatic life in the river.<ref name=Politika/>
== Folklore ==
As with the rest of eastern Serbia, the local population has numerous magical myths about the gates and the nearby caves. Some of them say that they are inhabited by the [[Samodiva (folklore)|vilas]], which are good-hearted and like to help people. People still come to pray or to make a wish next to the gates.<ref name=Politika/>
However, the place also holds a darker position in the local so-called [[Vlach magic]] and rituals. People considered gates a portals which connect our world with other worlds and dimensions. Demons from the other side lurked behind the gates, and could be held there and prevented to cross into our world only by proper rituals.<ref name=magazin/>
== See also ==
* [[List of rock formations in Serbia]] * [[Vratna monastery]]
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== Further reading == * {{Citation |editor-last=Lóczy |editor-first=Dénes |editor2-last=Stankoviansky |editor2-first=Miloš |editor3-last=Kotarba |editor3-first=Adam |year=2012 |title=Recent Landform Evolution: The Carpatho-Balkan-Dinaric Region |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |page=366ff |isbn=978-94-007-2448-8 |url={{Google books|THwdwXhzgLgC|online|page=366|plain-url=yes}} |accessdate=January 29, 2020 }}
== External links == * [http://www.discoversoutheastserbia.com/?l=3-12-81&dm=vratna_gates&t=e Prerasti Vratne] {{in lang|sr}}
{{Commons category|Prerasti Vratne}}
[[Category:Bor, Serbia]] [[Category:Bor District]] [[Category:Rock formations of Serbia]]