The hardest hikes in Serbia, by the numbers
Of the 64 trails in Serbia in our dataset, 12 (19 percent) rate strenuous or very strenuous on the gain-and-distance scale we use and run 3 to 30 miles with at least 1,500 ft of climb; all 12 are listed here, highest rating first.
Kruševac - Ribarska banja leads with 2,662 ft of gain over 19.5 miles, 137 ft per mile, with a steepest pitch of 18 percent.
Across the 12, gain runs from 1,617 to 3,167 ft and distance from 3.9 miles to 21.3 miles; the median gain is 2,018 ft and the median distance 11.1 miles.
8 of the 12 are out-and-back routes; the rest are point-to-point (4).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kruševac - Ribarska banja | 19.5 | 2,662 | 137 | 18% | 514 to 2,715 | 322.2 | |
| 2 | Grebac - Niš | 21.3 | 1,898 | 89 | 13% | 571 to 2,381 | 284.3 | |
| 3 | Sićevo - Bela Palanka | 19 | 2,063 | 109 | 25% | 858 to 2,063 | 280 | |
| 4 | Kragujevačka planinarska staza Žeželj-Bešnjaja | 11.2 | 1,972 | 176 | 22% | 713 to 1,863 | 210.2 | |
| 5 | Od manastira Gornjak do Krupajskog vrela | 11.2 | 1,894 | 169 | 23% | 587 to 1,860 | 206 | |
| 6 | Fruška Gora - Stari Ledinci | 12.7 | 1,627 | 128 | 22% | 521 to 1,754 | 203.3 | |
| 7 | Dimitrovgrad - Dragoman | 11 | 1,720 | 156 | 24% | 1,528 to 3,017 | 194.5 | |
| 8 | Veliki Vukan od manastira Gornjak do izvidjackog doma u Zdrelu | 6.3 | 2,231 | 354 | 34% | 608 to 2,641 | 167.7 | |
| 9 | Planinarska kuća „Suvaja"- vrh Beljanica | 4.5 | 3,108 | 691 | 41% | 1,186 to 4,348 | 167.2 | |
| 10 | Ribarska banja - Grebac | 7.8 | 1,617 | 207 | 26% | 1,354 to 2,279 | 158.8 | |
| 11 | Veliki Bič | 3.9 | 3,167 | 812 | 33% | 1,292 to 4,498 | 157.2 | |
| 12 | Zlot - Malinik | 4.5 | 2,627 | 584 | 28% | 1,132 to 3,781 | 153.8 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band strenuous (150 to 200) or very strenuous (200 and over), 3 to 30 miles, at least 1,500 ft of gain, ordered by rating desc, gain per mile desc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Serbia" here means the 64 trails in Serbia in our dataset, not every trail in Serbia.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Kruševac - Ribarska banja.
Hardest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.