“Venerina padina” Special Nature Reserve is situated in Southeast Serbia, on the left bank of the Zvonačka river. Resembling an amphitheatre carved in the terrain, it is known as the only place in Serbia where Venus Hair, a rare plant species, can be seen.
This plant, nicknamed Holy Virgin’s Hair or Hair of the Mother of God, sprouts in thick shrubs and has egg-shaped patterned leaves measuring 10 to 60 centimetres in length. That it chose to grow on Venerina padina would not be anything out of the ordinary were it not for the fact that the area is far away from the Mediterranean region, which is its natural habitat.Thanks to a hot spring at Zvonačka Spa and the overflow of hot water from tufa terraces, Venus Hair has found itself an unusual home here.
Today, Venus Hair is popular as a houseplant, while its continued survival in the wild is ensured through continual control and renewal of the artificial irrigation system on Venerina padina.