Nerodimka River Bifurcation

 The Nerodimka River in the Nerodim region of Kosovo is the only river in Europe that flows into two different seas, a phenomenon known as bifurcation. The left branch flows into the Black Sea, and the right branch into the Aegean Sea.

The Nerodimka River originates in the Nerodimka mountain range as the Golema Reka, formed by two primary tributaries, the Golema (Velika) Reka and the Mala Reka, which meet near the village of Nerodim e Eparme. It then flows in a west-east direction, whose basin divides on the outskirts of Ferizaj. The northern branch flows into the Sitnica River, which eventually connects to the Black Sea via the Ibar, Morava and Danube rivers. Meanwhile, the primary southern branch merges with the second branch of the Nerodimka River, and continues its journey towards the Aegean Sea via the Lepensk and Vardar rivers.

The bifurcation itself is an engineering feature, facilitated by the construction of an artificial canal, although the downstream flow remains natural. In the 14th century, during the reign of King Milutin, a canal was excavated to connect the Szaliya Pond to the Nerodimka River, effectively creating an artificial divide. This canal diverted water from Nerodimka southwards into the Lepenek River, which is part of the Aegean Sea drainage basin. Meanwhile, the Sitnica River, originating from the Szaliya Pond, flows north into the Ibar River, belonging to the Black Sea drainage basin.

The Nerodimka division has been under state protection since 1979, and has been declared a strict wildlife sanctuary.