Lake Vlasina – Vlasinsko jezero – is a reservoir in the south of Serbia, 60 kilometers from Vranje. The lake was created quite recently: a dam was built on the Vlasina River between 1946 and 1949 and the reservoir reached its full capacity in 1956. What makes the lake special is that it has several floating islands in addition to two “still” islands – Stratorija and Dugi del. The floating islands are constantly changing their position as they are not connected to the bottom of the lake. These islands look quite surreal because trees such as birches and willows, which are characteristic of this environment, also grow on them. A world that seems to defy all the laws of nature.

A beautiful legend is told about Lake Vlasina. A good-natured and hardworking cow named Ruža once grazed so long and thoughtlessly on the shore that she didn’t notice that this part of her pasture was moving and breaking away far from the shore. The owner of the cows, grandpa Živko, searched for his favorite cow for a whole day and night, but never found it. Disappointed and deeply saddened, he went home. The next day, grandpa Živko was overjoyed when he saw his Ruža back on a floating island, alive, well and happy.