Well on Roman Via Militaris – Bela Palanka prepares for construction of EUR 1 million hotel

(future look of the hotel)

For centuries, at the foot of the Stara planina and Suva planina, Bela Palanka has been at the road between “two worlds” where the shortest main road between Europe and Middle East passes. Along the road of the former Roman Military road, Via millitaris, Corridor 10 was drawn, so catering companies continued tradition of road stops and road inns from the old and middle ages.

Along with agriculture, tourism is the gold card for this place. Bela Palanka is one of the least developed municipalities in Serbia with poor economic image: large unemployment rate, numerous bad privatizations and a small number of companies which really operate.

Still, even though rich cultural and historical heritage, pleasant climate and nearness of two natural parks provide huge possibilities for development of different kinds of tourism, the majority of potential has not been used yet. Bela Palanka offers conditions for hunt and fishing, paragliding, mountain climbing, kayaking, riding in nature, fun for the young people and backpackers. In order to even start considering it, investments and accommodation capacity categorization is the things which lack most.

Although the attracting of investors is due, the municipality continued developing the idea of sports-recreational complex within Bela Palanka center. After development of the detailed regulation plan on some 5 ha, in April this year the preliminary design for the hotel was done as well. Since investors now know what to count on and how much funds they would need to set aside for construction on the grounds of ancient Remesiana of a facility the citizens of Bela Palanka have been expecting for a long time.

- The Vrelo hotel will have a ground floor and three floors and will be especially attractive because of the restaurant at the last level with the spacious terrace overlooking the well – Djordje Cvetkovic form the Project team of the Bela Palanka municipality says.

Vrelo will be located between a kindergarten, summer stage and a monument park. There will a hall at the ground floor, a restaurant with 200 places, a bar, offices, a kitchen and warehouses. There will be 24 rooms on the second and the third floor as well as three suites and rest rooms. The restaurant on the third floor will have 100 places and the terrace can host another 50 guests.

According to the preliminary design carried out by Nis-based Stabilprojekt, the facility construction and equipping will cost more than EUR 900.000.

This place was raised at the foundations of the ancient Remesiana and is one of the oldest at the Balkans. According to some sources, the urban center at the place of current Bela Palanka is some 2300 years old. The archeological locality of Remesiana is grouped as a cultural monument of great importance.

Energy-efficient Vrelo

(Suva Planina, at the foot of which Bela Palanka is situated)

At the recently held Novi Sad-based fair Investexpo, the citizens of Bela Palanka have presented the Vrelo hotel project where everybody could find out technical details.

As planned, the capacity will be dimensioned at 22,5x15 meters. The ceiling is semi-assembling of AB „flert“type and the walls will be made of brick block. Carpentry will be aluminum and isolation should be made of mineral wool which will comply with all the latest energy efficiency standards of buildings. The investment totals EUR 903.000 (construction works, installations, heating and air conditioning, terrain development, equipment and interior)

Development of Murica 1 starts

Municipal managers hope that more than modest economical development of Backa Palanka will speed up when investors are offered an industrial zone. The municipal spatial plan defines three locations, Murica , Murica 2 and Balvan, for the purpose.

Murice 1 project is the most developed. The municipality purchased 2, out of 8,5 ha for it. There is a sewerage system towards the location and there is also a detailed regulations plan and the equipping project. Although the industrial zone set up progresses slowly, Bela Palanka is satisfied because the project which was not moving for the last two years started developing.

The municipality provides brown field investments options – section halls of former factory Vesna in Crvena Reka.

Otherwise, footwear and processing industries operate at the moment in Backa Palanka - Obuca Pavle, Grubin Export Import, Todor, Ferstil OD, Swood, Flora-vodni...

M.S.