| Native Name Lang: | sr |
| Official Name: | Bajina Bašta |
| Coordinates: | 43.95°N 52°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Serbia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Šumadija and Western Serbia |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Zlatibor |
| Parts Type: | Settlements |
| Parts Style: | para |
| P1: | 36 |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Vesna Đurić |
| Leader Party: | SNS |
| Area Blank1 Title: | Town |
| Area Blank1 Km2: | 3.13 |
| Area Blank2 Title: | Municipality |
| Area Blank2 Km2: | 673 |
| Elevation M: | 257 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 census |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Town |
| Population Blank1: | 9148 |
| Population Density Blank1 Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Municipality |
| Population Blank2: | 25724 |
| Population Density Blank2 Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | CET |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Timezone Dst: | CEST |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal code |
| Postal Code: | 31250 |
| Blank Name: | Car plates |
| Blank Info: | BB |
| Area Code: | +381(0)31 |
| Area Code Type: | Area code |
Bajina Bašta (Serbian: Бајина Башта, pronounced as /bâjina bǎːʃta/) is a town and municipality located in the Zlatibor District of western Serbia. The town lies in the valley of the Drina river at the eastern edge of Tara National Park.
The population of the town, according to 2022 census, is 8,971 inhabitants, while the municipality has 25,724 inhabitants.
In 1834 Bajina Bašta was established on the remains of the old Turkish community of Pljeskovo which was situated on the right bank of the Drina River between the Rača and Pilica Rivers, under the east foothills of Tara Mountain. By the end of the 19th century, in accordance with the Serbian-Turkish agreement, the local Muslims had to move from this region directly across the Drina River into Bosnia, where they built settlements in the villages of Skelani and Dobrak.
The name Bajina Bašta comes from the vast orchards and vegetable gardens, that used to be located on the left bank of the Pilica River, which belonged to Turkish feudal owner, Baja Osman, who established the town's modern image in the mid-19th century. In English, the name Bajina Bašta literally means "Baja’s Garden". In 1858 the town became the administrative center of the Rača District. On September 15, 1872, Prince Milan Obrenović IV issued a decree that officially gave Bajina Bašta its status as an officially recognized town. A decade later, Bajina Bašta received its urban plan, long before many places in Serbia.
Under the Ottoman Empire, the Rača's region became a part of Sokolska nahija or Zvornik Sandžak, and later on a part of Užice nahija where it remained until its liberation from the Turks in 1834. In the following tumultuous decades, Bajina Bašta belonged to the Užice District, Užice canton, and region. Today, the town lies in the Zlatibor District. In 1875 a mixed craftsmen guild was founded with 88 different occupations, based on forestry and stock farming. In attempts to improve trade links between Serbia and Bosnia, the first customs station was opened in Skelani in 1880. The following year, the first post office with a telegraph was opened. The number of inhabitants increased from 374 in 1864 to 1,306 by 1910. Residents in the nearby village of Rača made a major contribution in liberation efforts between 1876 - 1878 when Serbia became an independent principality, declared by the Congress of Berlin. In the following Balkan Wars and World War I (1912–1918) over 300 people from this small village died.
The areas around Bajina Bašta have significant historical heritage. In the village of Pilica, there are archeological remains of Roman architecture dating from the 2nd and 3rd century and ornamented tombstones. Other archeological sites lie in the Kremna valley (43 tombstones), Mokra Gora (38), Perućac, Rastište and Dub. The oldest historical findings in this area date from the Neolithic period (5,000 year B.C.) – remains of these communities, Kremenilo and Jokin Breg, are found near Višesava. The remnants of these settlements show that people lived in about 2.5 m deep dugouts, on three underground levels. Judging by their characteristics, these remains are considered to have belonged to the Starčevo culture. Additionally, there is much evidence of the Iron Age material culture of the Illyrian tribe of Autariat (after which Tara Mountain most likely obtained its name). During Roman, Byzantine and Medieval period, Bajina Bašta was an important trade center and the cross-border with Bosnia.
Rača monastery (7 km southwest of town) is considered the most significant historical treasure of the area. Built by King Stefan Dragutin (1276–1282), the monastery was the center of transcription and illumination of medieval religious manuscripts of Serbia. These monks became known as the Račani. Abundant wall paintings and iconostasis cover the walls, dating after the church's reconstruction in 1835. The monastery houses a treasury and a library containing over 1,200 books and manuscripts. In the village of Dub (10 km from Bajina Bašta) there is a wooden church from 1792, of a specific architecture, covered with shingle roof. A variety of ornaments and icons, a gate from the 17th century, make this church one of the more memorable churches in Serbia.
During World War II, Bajina Bašta was severely damaged. Events that marked human history in the period between 1939 - 1945, were reflected in this region as well in a form of civil war and liberation fights against the occupying Axis army. A Račan militia was formed in the first stages of the armed resistance against the occupants. From August 3 - 23, 1941, the militia solidified into a military formation consisting of 62 soldiers. The first free territory in the occupied Europe – "Republic of Užice", brought only temporary liberation to Bajina Bašta. In this region, the first People's Liberation Committee NOO was formed. During the war, especially in 1943, Bulgarian forces caused many civilian casualties. Bajina Bašta was liberated from Nazi forces on September 12, 1944.
During the turmoil in Bosnia-Hercegovina 1992–1995 (Bosnian War) Bajina Bašta came under occasionally shelling from Bosnian Muslims (Bosniaks) offensive operations in early 1993. Several villages north of Bajina Bašta along the Drina river on the Serbian side came under fire in this period.First when the VRS (Bosnian Serb army) later during 1993 launched counter offensive operations the sporadic attacks stopped.
The expansion and development of Bajina Bašta by the modern urbanization plan was directed along the main streets which are part of the main routes from Užice to Perućac (Kneza Milana Obrenovića Street) and Rogačica to Tara (Svetosavska Street). These routes intersect in the town's center. Bajina Bašta is considered a modern urban settlement with potential for horizontal expansion. Downtown Bajina Bašta is a mixture of commercial, residential, and administrative buildings of different facades and height. The heart of the town is Dušana Jerkovića Square, which is surrounded by the old-style architecture found in Serbia during the mid to late 19th century.
Bajina Bašta's climate is moderate continental with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and pleasant with cool nights, and winters are sunny, with snow levels high enough for widespread winter sports. However, the humidity of the air increased greatly after the construction of the power plant in Perućac and the formation of the artificial Perućac Lake and Zaovine Lake, in the mountains. The average annual rainfall is 700–800 mm locally, contributing to a marked agricultural environment.
Bajina Bašta has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfb) that's very close to a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb).
According to the 2011 census results,[1] the municipality of Bajina Bašta has 26,022 people. The town itself hosts 9,148 people while the other 16,874 live in thirty-five outlying villages and non-urban areas surrounding the town.
Most of the residing population are immigrants, who after the liberation of the area from the Turks in the 19th century, settled these areas, originally coming from Herzegovina, the northwestern parts of Montenegro, Sandžak, Osat (Bosnia), Dalmatia (Pepelj) and Kremna. At present, a considerable decrease in population is recorded due to economic migrations towards the regional centers of Serbia, such as Užice, Valjevo, Čačak, and Belgrade.
Ethnic composition of the municipality:
| Ethnic group | Population | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serbs | 25,638 | 98.52% | |
| Roma | 120 | 0.46% | |
| Montenegrins | 43 | 0.17% | |
| Yugoslavs | 17 | 0.07% | |
| Croats | 13 | 0.05% | |
| Macedonians | 13 | 0.05% | |
| Russians | 10 | 0.04% | |
| Muslims | 9 | 0.03% | |
| Albanians | 8 | 0.03% | |
| Others | 151 | 0.58% | |
| Total | 26,022 |
The greatest natural resources of the municipality are the Drina River and Tara Mountain. The Drina is especially significant for its water power potentials. Specialists have estimated that it is possible to erect several hydroelectric power plants on this river. The annual flow of the Drina River is about 12.5 cubic kilometers of water. The Bajina Bašta Hydroelectric power plant was built on the Drina to harness that energy. The dam is located 12 km west of Bajina Bašta, near Perućac. Its average annual production amounts to 1,625 GWh of electric power. For the sake of better utilization of water power potential, the first reversible hydro-electric power plant in Europe was built in Zaovine, near the top of Tara Mountain.
Tara Mountain has long been a well-known tourist resort owing to its pleasant moderately continental and sub-continental climate. In 1981, Tara became a national park. It covers an area of 300 square kilometers and is the largest natural park in Serbia. The mountain has an abundance of flora and fauna. Apart from white pine tree, maple-trees and famous Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika), here you can find rare game including bear, roe deer, and chamois. The Drina River is a part of the local cultural identity and has great potential in rafting sports and fishing.
Moderate continental and mountainous climatic conditions are especially suitable for recovery and medical treatment of patients with bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, anemia and other diseases. Special attention is paid to tourism development and different tourist manifestations utilizing the clean and clear air of Tara Mountain.
Industry had developed fairly well in Bajina Bašta, but recently saw a major downturn due to economic hardships and the civil wars that raged across the region in the 1990s. The major employers before the outbreak of the Yugoslav Wars were:
The closing of some of these companies threw a majority of Bajina Bašta's and surrounding region's population into unemployment which lasted from 1990 until 2015. The only company from old days still functioning well is Drinske Hidroelektrane (Drina Hydroelectrics), headquartered in downtown Bajina Bašta. Drina Hydroelectrics are the owners of the Perućac and Višegrad hydroelectric power plants. Since 2015 economy is in full swing and unemployment rate is below average of the republic. Well known employers in real sector are BB Klekovača (brandy producer), Temelj (construction company), Elektroizgradnja (wires and electrical services), Pinus (wooden products) and Rolomatik (aluminum doors and windows, engineering constructions).
Thanks to exceptionally good climatic conditions, Bajina Bašta has exceptional potential for agricultural profit. High-quality types of tobacco and medicinal herbs flourish in the valley of the Drina, grown by Bajinovac, an agriculture company. Plums, used for the making of Bajina Bašta's own regional juniper brandy Klekovača, grow in abundance. Wheat is a mainstay of the valley, growing well during both the summer and winter growing seasons. The Bajina Bašta municipality is famous for its raspberry farms and Bušinsko polje, which is a part of Bajina Bašta, is famous for its organic strawberry farms.
| Activity | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 105 | |
| Mining and quarrying | 5 | |
| Manufacturing | 1,394 | |
| Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply | 286 | |
| Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities | 173 | |
| Construction | 677 | |
| Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 777 | |
| Transportation and storage | 272 | |
| Accommodation and food services | 286 | |
| Information and communication | 33 | |
| Financial and insurance activities | 73 | |
| Real estate activities | 10 | |
| Professional, scientific and technical activities | 158 | |
| Administrative and support service activities | 58 | |
| Public administration and defense; compulsory social security | 283 | |
| Education | 415 | |
| Human health and social work activities | 287 | |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 236 | |
| Other service activities | 100 | |
| Individual agricultural workers | 418 | |
| Total | 6,044 |
There are some traces of the Neolithic age, Iron Age Illyria, and Roman settlements for those interested in history. The ruins of the ancient town Solotnik, the log cabin church in the village Dub and Rača Monastery are important parts of Serbia's cultural legacy. In Tara National Park, Kaluđerske bare and the hotels Omorika (spruce), Javor (maple) and Beli bor (white pine), as well as the children's resort of Mitrovac, are the representative tourist destination which offer swimming pools, skiing and sports facilities.