There are fantastic places that are close to you, so close, and you do not know that they exist. We all travel, explore large cities, enjoy the famous resorts, love famous beaches and tourist spots, but we do not know that in our surroundings there is something truly unique and beautiful. Such is the case with the Salinac Grove - in which oak trees (Quercus robus), are 100 to 300 years old. It is a real rarity not only in Serbia but in the whole Balkan Peninsula.

"This oak tree and me, we’re made of the same stuff”— Carl Sagan

Located not far from Smederevo, near the mouth of the Great Morava in the Danube, Salinac Grove is a jewel of nature. About 200 oak trees, on a surface of 19 hectares, make a unique ecosystem, 300 years old.

Recently, we decided to go through this forest. The feelings were mixed - delight and disappointment. It is interesting that many people in Serbia do not know about this fantastic forest, and even more interesting is that very few citizens of Smederevo know about it.

As a matter of fact, you can not resist the charm of huge trees with gorgeous crowns. It's a great feeling to be in a place that lasts for three centuries and which still survives. Simply, you feel hugely respect for this place. There are also huge fallen trees, which resemble the stranded whales.

But when we visited the forest we had an impression that nobody cares about old oaks. It is abandoned and unused, although in 2007 Salinac Grove was declared a Nature Monument.

Unfortunately, for the past four decades, a third of the trees have disappeared in Salinac Grove and most of these oaks trees are dry and look bad. This is a result of human negligence. People living in a nearby village told us that at night some people come and cut trees. So you have the impression that the forest is kept only on paper.

In connection with this, I must mention the "Oak" association, made by people who pay special attention to preserving this ecosystem.

In the end, the conclusion is that the forest - old Salinac Grove represents a great tourist potential. With a little imagination and effort, it can become a real and enjoyable natural park. This is one way of preserving the forest, public attention is very important.

We must be more accountable to nature and forests, because we will pay the price of our negligence.

And I hope this forest will resist all the negative factors, which affect her disappearance, because old oak trees has already survived generations and generations of people.