Lake Bešenovo

Lake Bešenovo (Bešenovačko jezero, also called Beli kamen, “white stone”) lies near Bešenovački Prnjavor on the southern side of Fruška Gora, in the municipality of Sremska Mitrovica. From Stari Rakovac it is about 25 minutes by car over the mountain. Of all the quarry lakes around Fruška Gora it is the most visited, and people call it the “Caribbean of Srem”.

How the lake formed

The Beočin cement works quarried marl here. During the digging the workers broke into a water-bearing layer, and the pit began to fill (Kurir). Production at the “Beli kamen” quarry stopped in 1996, and in 2016 the cement company sold the land to a private owner (021.rs). The water started rising in the 1980s (Fruškać). Published depths differ, from about 15 m to more than 50 m (021.rs, Kurir): what matters is that near the steep walls the bottom drops away fast.

Swimming

This is the lake to come to with small children. Unlike Lake Ledinci, where the water is deep almost everywhere right at the shore, Lake Bešenovo has gently sloping, shallow places along the beach.

In 2026 a lounge area with sun loungers appeared on the shore, and bars are open in the season. The press in 2023–2024 reported no lifeguards, little shade and drownings in the past (Kurir, 021.rs): swim near the shore, keep an eye on children, and don’t swim out into the deep middle.

Out of season

In autumn and winter the lake is empty and quiet. At sunset the terraced quarry walls glow gold and are mirrored in the still water: the photo at the top was taken on a clear winter evening.