Loess and geotourism potential of the Braničevo District (NE Serbia): From overexploitation to paleoclimate interpretation

1 Introduction

Approximately 10% of the continental surface is covered by loess and loess-like sediments [1]. Because of its physical and geochemical properties, throughout human history, loess has been exploited for a variety of purposes ranging from agriculture [2], raw material for brick production [3,4], or even housing [5,6] in most regions where it is found. Apart from its “practical” use, loess has also great importance in the reconstruction of the past climate, because of its continuous deposition. The loess–palaeosol sequences (LPSs) are considered to be a valuable terrestrial archive, suitable for detailed investigations, which provide a better understanding of glacial–interglacial variability [7,8] for the last ∼2.6 million years (Quaternary period) [9,10]. The oldest loess accumulations in Europe are located in the Danube River Valley [11,12,13]. Most of the studies about loess, conducted in Serbia, put focus on the loess plateaus situated in the Vojvodina region, northern Serbia. The reasons for this were multiple: continuity, thickness, and accumulation of this sediment, making the paleoenvironmental research far more complete. These studies lead to significant results, which contributed to a better understanding of climate changes during the Pleistocene [14,15]. However, apart from these well-studied LPSs, there are numerous marginal sections situated in the northeastern part of Serbia [12,16,17,18,19]. Here, loess deposits drape the westward slopes of the Carpathian–Balkan Mountain chain and provide a useful insight into the climate dynamics of this region [12,17,20].

In the past 3 decades, new trends in tourism were developed, particularly oriented toward a proximate connection with abiotic elements of nature [21]. Loess represents an important geomorphic landscape that preserves significant data on paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes on the surface of the Earth [22,23,24]. As geotourism disseminates Earth’s science, these elements of the landscape are important assets for the development of nature-based tourism and they have the potential to become attractive geotourism destinations [25]. The connection between geotourism and loess sections is a recent idea that is continuously spreading worldwide [26]. The importance of loess profiles and the tourism potential of the loess landscape, as well as the possibilities of its inclusion in tourism, are presented by several authors in Serbia [25–31], Poland [21,22,32], Italy [33], and China [34,35].

Tourism in loess regions is still a rare phenomenon in the world [26], mainly because this valuable geoheritage is largely ignored by tourism stakeholders, and consequently, the tourist offer is still very limited [21]. One of the best practices in the world is demonstrated by the Luochuan Loess Geopark (the first loess geopark in China and in the world), which is mostly focused on the promotion of loess geomorphic landscapes. The geopark is well known for its LPSs and loess landscape formations such as loess columns, loess walls, and loess bridges. This geopark has great scientific and aesthetic values, and it attracts many tourists because of the well-developed and diverse loess landscape [35]. Likewise, loess sections are well presented in Huoshi Chai, Kungdongshan, Jingtai, Yellow River geoparks of China [36], and the White Dear Plateau (Chines Loess Plateau) [13]. Besides China, there are also some practices in Austria (the Krems-Wachtberg and Willendorf Paleolithic sites, Strazing loess profile), the UK (English Riviera Geopark), and Novohrad-Nógrád Geopark (Hungary – Slovakia) [28].

In Serbia, a project was initiated in 2008 by the Municipality of Inđija, which is still in its initial phase, due to the lack of funding. This project, named “Loessland,” was intended to be set at the “Čot” loess profile, along the Danube River near the village of Stari Slankamen. The envisioned loess-themed museum, with a modern multifunctional visitor and research center, is planned to have an educational, scientific, and touristic function [37]. Recent landslide activation in 2022, on the 50 m tall loess cliff, definitely prolonged the first steps toward the Loessland creation, as the municipality focuses on new problems related to the stabilization of moved terrain.

The aim of this study was to investigate the geotourism potentials of the LPSs in the Braničevo District, in northeastern Serbia, which can be transformed into significant socio-economic values. The study was conducted using geotourism evaluation via the Modified Geoheritage Assessment Model (M-GAM) method. However, only three sites are currently available for further studies, as the Nosak LPS was levelled during the operation of the Drmno coal mine. Thus, Nosak will not be included in the evaluation process. In addition to the Braničevo District, there are numerous LPSs in other parts of Serbia, which have been studied for the purpose of paleoclimatic research and also have certain geotourism potentials. However, one of the advantages of this region is the existing archaeological and paleontological park Viminacium (located near the former Nosak LPS), which is already (to some degree) touristically and educationally utilized, making it a solid base for further development. Moreover, the inclusion of paleoclimatic interpretation, as an integral part of the tourist content of the city of Požarevac and its surroundings, would provide further scientific and educational information, which would satisfy already existing tourists who visit the archaeological and paleontological park Viminacium. Given the evidently rich geological resources used for paleoclimatic reconstruction, the potential for geotourism affirmation of this area is reflected in the potential for the establishment of sustainable scientific and educational interpretive values that can be highly positioned in the tourism market. Using the M-GAM method, the current state and perspectives of geotourism development will be determined on the basis of three loess profiles (Kisiljevo, Požarevac A and B), i.e., two geotourism sites.

2 Study area

Loess is aeolian sediment that can act as a detailed archive of past climate and environments [38]. Because it is one of few types of sediment that is deposited directly from the atmosphere on land, loess is special as a record of Quaternary climate change [39]. It is a product of polygenetic origin formed by weathering and pedogenesis in semiarid areas in grasslands and forested steppes and is a deposition of silt and clay triggered and caused by wind erosion, with full of minerals and in general, drains water very well. Loess is easily cultivated for planting seeds. Pedogenetic processes may take place in three different ways: (1) epigenesis, an accumulation of a mineral mass without loess properties, with high silt and lime content; (2) syngenesis, the accumulation of a mineral mass that is mainly of eolian origin; and (3) protogenesis, the accumulated mineral matter already has all the main loess properties because transport occurred subsequent to weathering and soil formation [40,41]. Loess deposits include sandy loam, loamy sand, loamy loam, clayey loam, and loam altered during the soil formation process. These deposits are often mixed with other types of sediment that include loess loam, loess silt, loess-bearing rock debris, and layered loess.

Loess is rather ill-consolidated sediment of low compressive strength. It is stable, however, as long as it remains dry. Parting surfaces are vertical because capillary incrustations of lime developed around the roots of a grassy plant cover, lend a vertical texture to loess [42]. Loess usually erodes very slowly. As seen in China within the Watershed of the Yellow River, the Loess Plateau has been cultivated for centuries, but it is still used for agriculture today, and the erosion processes of land degradation did not exclude this area from agricultural production. On the other hand, loess is suspended in the water coloring the waters in the rivers and it is a well-known fact that the Yellow River gets its name from the coloring of loess material from the nearby plains.

Wind erosion as a process of land degradation is mostly recorded in deserts and coastal dunes and beaches, but also on the mountain peaks exposed to strong winds. Some wind erosion is recorded in the area under the Loess Plateau. Wind erosion is causing land degradation and problems to the plants to some extent in certain land conditions in agricultural areas. Type of land use is very important for the protection of loess from wind erosion, and those plots of land can be prevented by keeping the ground covered with plants. Contrary to loess, some dry and bare soils are more easily blown away by the wind. Wetting decreases cohesion between grains by two-thirds, and the angle of internal friction also decreases. Groundwater flow in loess will carry away fine, insoluble mineral particles, and this mechanical separation in loess can be accompanied by the solution of mineral particles. This process gives rise to depressions, sinkholes, loess wells, and collapse ravines and is much accelerated by gully erosion.

The Braničevo District is located in the northeastern parts of Serbia, about 60 km southeastern of the capital city of Belgrade. The administrative center and the largest city of this territory is Požarevac (latitude 44°37′ and longitude 21°11′), which is situated between three major rivers: Danube, Velika Morava, and Mlava. Approximately 12 km north of Požarevac lays Viminacium, an ancient Roman city and military camp, which represents one of the most unique archaeological sites in Serbia and is widely recognized as a valuable touristic attraction of this region [43,44,45,46].

The early geological and geomorphological studies around the city of Požarevac were conducted in the late 19th century [47]. Neogene sediments, which separate the modern alluvial plains of the Velika Morava and Mlava Rivers, form the uplifted geological structure Požarevačka greda (PG), on which the loess sediments are preserved and protected from fluvial erosion. According to the Central Paratethys stratigraphy [48], the Pannonian sands lay over the brackish lower Sarmatian clayey sands. The Pontian sands with coal layers are present in the north of the PG. Although they are about 150 m thick, they are tilted toward the Velika Morava River and are covered by its alluvial sediments [49]. PG is more than 100 m higher than the surrounding river terraces and presents a remarkable landscape on the eastern side of the city of Požarevac. Some smaller streams cut the PG perpendicularly and form alluvial fans as they enter lower terrain. In the northernmost part of the study area, on the right Danube Bank, the geological setting is very different. Neogene sediments cover the Devonian crystalline schist, which lies in the base of this structure [50] and reaches a height of 272 m a.s.l. near the Ram village. The position of the loess geosites Kisiljevo, Požarevac A, and Požarevac B investigated in this study is presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1

(a) Distribution of loess, loess derivatives, aeolian sand, and alluvium is shown according to Lehmkuhl et al. [52]. The LGM glacial extent and Digital Elevation Model shown according to Ehlers et al. [53] and JAXA EORC [54], respectively. Modified from Perić et al. [17] and (b) position of the evaluated sites near Požarevac city.

2.1 Kisiljevo loess–paleosol profile

GS1 – Kisiljevo (latitude 44°44′0″, longitude 21°25′0″) is the easternmost LPS in the Carpathian Basin so far investigated (Figure 2) [19]. It is named after the village it is located in. Not so many loess profiles are located in such diverse surrounding. The profile is exposed cca. 1 km south of the lake named Srebrno jezero (Silver Lake). After the building of the Iron Gate I Hydroelectric Power Station, to protect the village of Kisiljevo from the rising water level of the Danube River, this part of the river bed was artificially separated from the Danube River main course, becoming the Silver Lake. It exists today in a former river bed, shaped like the natural oxbow lake [51]. A few kilometers west of Kisiljevo is Zatonje sandy area, and about 25 km eastern from it, starts the Danube gorge. The loess section is 11 m thick of which the upper 8 m of the profile was investigated by means of environmental magnetic analyses, pedostratigraphy, and quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OLS) dating. According to the published ages [19], the profile accumulated during the last 32 ± 3 ky. The loess section in Kisiljevo probably covered a much wider area, but it was most likely reduced to the present dimensions by fluvial erosion. The profile is unique because it was revealed that the Kisiljevo LPS preserves some of the most extensive loess accumulation during the Holocene and Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 thus far discovered in this part of Europe [19]. Such high accumulation rates are usually not observed in the well-investigated loess profiles in the Vojvodina region (north Serbia). This implies that the atmospheric mineral dust activity in this region during the last cca. 12 ka was considerably higher than that according to the accepted model and that the Holocene climate was much more variable than previously assumed. Another surprising finding was the absence of MIS3 soil formation, which is not common for the Pannonian loess [19].

Figure 2

Kisiljevo loess–paleosol profile (Source: Perić et al. [19]).

2.2 Požarevac A and B loess–paleosol profiles

GS2 – The Požarevac A and B loess–paleosol profiles (Figure 3) are located at the PG brickyard (latitude 44°37.755′, longitude 21°12.245′). Profile A is 9.35 m high, and B is 6.35 m. Together, they cover the last four glacial–interglacial cycles, and they are, therefore, the oldest of all the geosites in this study. At both profiles, the penultimate glacial loess is only 50 cm thick, and the antepenultimate is twice as thick. They have been studied for magnetic susceptibility, malacology, amino acid racemization, and grain size. Additionally, a luminescence-based chronology has been constructed, which suggests that the two profiles were formed during the last 264 ± 24 ky [18,55,56,57]. This profile is the only LPS in this region to have obtained July paleo temperatures (°C) based on malaco fauna assemblage covering the last 350 ky, using the malaco-paleothermometer method [58]. This implies that the longest existing record of unique paleotemperature in Serbia covers the Braničevo District. Paleo-ecological context based on published results is very detailed, which adds to the value of the geosite. Relatively warm temperatures that were obtained even in the glacial conditions make this location a refugium for thermophilous species. Older loess horizons are thin, and younger loesses are thicker. Still, younger loess is thinner in Požarevac, compared to the same layers in Nosak or Kisiljevo LPS. This can be explained by the southward migration of the main source of aeolian material, which is the Danube River. Nosak and Kisiljevo LPS had a higher accumulation rate for the Last Glacial, and Požarevac lags due to their closeness to the Danube [16].

Figure 3

Požarevac A and B loess–paleosol profiles (Photo: Aleksandar Antić).

Near Požarevac, there was also Nosak LPS, which was levelled during the operation of the Drmno coal mine. Thus, Nosak will not be included in the evaluation process. It was famous for the number of bones from Pleistocene mammals (300 and more), which were found in the Paleo river not more than 1.3 m deep. Due to the importance of found bones, the first paleontological park is made not far away from the place where they were found and was opened for tourism in 2014 [57].

3 Overexploitation, brickyards, and temporal environmental dynamics

Loess is seen as a construction material and was exploited in numerous brickyards in northern Serbia, but also in the vicinity of the city of Požarevac. It was noted in earlier research [28] that unlike more durable limestone or magmatic rocks, loess and Quaternary deposits can easily be removed, (bio)turbated, exploited, and the original loess geomorphology ruined. This is why geosites related to such fine-grained sediment are very prone to natural or human-induced erosion, and their “life expectancy” is shorter compared to geosites in other types of rocks. One of the characteristics of the loess is that it collapses vertically, leaving cliffs of newly exposed LPS behind it. These cliffs can today be seen on the right bank of the Danube River in Serbia, along with many houses built on and under the cliff. Having in mind the human activities around the loess profile, Marković et al. [59] published a proposal for cliff conservation where they wrote how the exploitation of these loess sequences for building bricks should be forbidden. Unfortunately, 25 years later, the number of houses increased.

Due to massive exploitation, many existing formations within the loess layers are ruined, and it is too late to explore them. On the other hand, extraction of the sediments can reveal evidence of paleo relief, which might not be in consistent with current topography, and thus provide information on the fast-changing environment, appealing to scientific research. This was the case in the exploitation of Ruma brickyard (Serbia), where the exposed paleosols were formed in depressions not existing on the modern topographic surface [7]. This extraordinary formation was visited by 60 experts in loess research in a single excursion organized after the most important loess conference called “Loess fest ’09,” which was held that year in Serbia.

4 Methodology

Studies associated with the assessment of geoheritage are relatively recent and fast-growing [60]. The assessment of geoheritage is an important step in the process of geotourism development [61], and it is widely accepted as a tool for the effective protection, development, and management of geological heritage [62]. The evaluation methodology has been constantly developing in the past two decades. The methodology applied in this study is based on the M-GAM model developed by Tomić and Božić [63]. This method represents a synthesis of previous geosite assessment methods [64–73] and is based on the importance factor (Im) introduced by Tomić [74]. The method considers the opinion of both tourists and experts, and neither is favored in the assessment process. The M-GAM was successfully applied in numerous studies for the evaluation of geoheritage in Serbia, Hungary, Iran, India, Slovenia, Greece, and USA [75–85].

The M-GAM model consists of two key indicators: main values (MVs) and additional values (AVs), which are divided into 12 and 15 indicators, each of them individually marked in a discrete way from 0 to 1. The distribution is based on two general types of values: MVs (mostly generated on the basis of geosite’s natural attributes) and AVs (related to mostly human-induced factors). The MVs comprise three groups of indicators: scientific/educational (VSE), scenic/aesthetical values (VSA), and protection (VPr). However, the AVs are divided into two groups of indicators: functional (VFn) and touristic values (VTr). The MVs and AVs are presented in detail in Table 1. In total, there are 12 sub-indicators of MV and 15 sub-indicators of AV, which are ranging from 0 to 1, thus defining the M-GAM as a simple equation:

Since MV and AV consist of three and two groups of indicators, respectively, their two equations are defined as:

Each group of indicators consists of several sub-indicators, so equations (2) and (3) can be described as follows:

Values SIMV _i and SIAV _j represent 12 sub-indicators of MVs (i = 1, …, 12) and 15 sub-indicators (j = 1, …, 15) of AVs. The main characteristic of M-GAM is that its focus is on both experts’ and visitors’ evaluation regarding the importance of each indicator in the assessment process. Visitors’ participation in the assessment process is assessed through a survey where each respondent rated the Im of all 27 sub-indicators (from 0.00 to 1.00) in the M-GAM model (Table 1). The Im permits visitors to express their judgment about each sub-indicator in the model and to show how significant it is for them when choosing and deciding between several geosites that they wish to visit. After each respondent rates the importance of every sub-indicator, the average value of each sub-indicator is calculated and the final value of that sub-indicator is the Im. Then, the value of the Im is multiplied with the value that was given by experts (also from 0.00 to 1.00) who assessed the current state and value of each sub-indicator (Table 2).

This is conducted for each sub-indicator in the M-GAM model after which the values are added up according to the M-GAM equation, however, in this instance with more objective and accurate final results due to the addition of the Im. This parameter is determined by visitors and tourists who rate it in the same way as experts rate the sub-indicators for MVs and AVs by awarding them one of the following numerical values: 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00, marked as points. According to this, the Im is defined as:

where Iv _k is the assessment/score of one visitor for each sub-indicator and K is the total number of visitors. Note that the Im parameter can have any value in the range from 0.00 to 1.00. Finally, the M-GAM equation is defined and presented in the following form:

The value of the Im, which is rated by visitors, for each sub-indicator separately, is multiplied by the value given by experts, separately for each sub-indicator. This is performed for each sub-indicator in the model.

The Im (Table 2) is calculated for each sub-indicator in the M-GAM model related to Serbian tourists according to Božić and Tomić [75]. For the purposes of this research, the values of the Im have been adopted from the mentioned article. Tomić and Božić [63] conducted a survey among the visitors of the Lazar Canyon area (East Serbia) in July and August of 2013. The questionnaire consisted of 27 sub-indicators from M-GAM. Each of the visitors was asked to assess the Im of every sub-indicator on a five-point Likert-type scale by rating it from zero to one (where 0 = not at all important; 0.25 = not very important; 0.50 = neutral; 0.75 = somewhat important; and 1.00 = very important). A total of 96 visitors filled out the questionnaire.

Based on the obtained results, a matrix of MVs (X-axes) and AVs (Y axes) is created (Figure 4). The matrix is divided into nine fields represented by Z(i, j), (i, j = 1,2,3). Depending on the final score, each geosite will fit into a certain field. For example, if a geosite’s MVs are 9 and AVs are 8, the geosite will fit into the field Z ₂₃.

Figure 4

M-GAM matrix.

5 Results

6 Discussion

Loess profiles of Požarevac certainly have potential for inclusion in the (geo)tourism offer of the city, even though they present very specific landscape elements. The evaluated loess profiles provide a possibility to disseminate scientific knowledge to a wider audience. This study presents a preliminary evaluation of loess geoheritage of Požarevac, which represents an initial step for loess geotourism development in this area. As the loess sections of Požarevac have suffered serious damage and ruination due to human activities and erosion, legal protection and conservation is an important step for geotourism development. Currently, evaluated geosites are not recognized as important geoheritage by Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia, and they are not on the list of geoheritage of Serbia, so, first they need to be listed as valuable geoheritage and then need to be legally protected. However, some conservation measures have to be implemented in order to prevent further destruction of these scientifically valuable resources.

As loess landscape, formations, and processes are usually not recognizable to a wider public as a tourist attraction, interpretation is of a crucial significance for geotourism. Effective interpretation is important for animating and informing general public about the processes that are not easy to explain to common visitors. The interpretation can be implemented on the site (in situ interpretation) via information panels, guided tours, brochures, thematic maps, or linking similar geosites in a thematic route. On the other hand, dissemination of Earth’s science can be presented in related facilities through lecturing, audio and video presentation, or laboratory demonstration.

The most common way of geoheritage interpretation is via information panels, as they do not require high resource investment. The interpretation of loess geoheritage demands accurate scientific knowledge of loess and should be intellectually accessible to a wider public. Also, the interpretation through information panels should be effective, inclusive, storytelling, with strong visual display, and to be able to provoke active learning [86]. The interpretative panels have to include information about loess sections, loess formations, and chronostratigraphic units. The text needs to be bilingual (both Serbian and English), so foreign tourist can also be educated, illustrations have to be colored, and the construction material should be nature-friendly. Also, the position of the panels is very important. They should be placed in such a position that provides the best view on the geosite. Thus, high-quality interpretive panels are of a very high significance for self-guided tours.

Another popular way of geoheritage interpretation that does not demand huge investments is a guided tour. Effective verbal interpretation is very important for the overall tourist experience. High-quality and multi-lingual guide service is required to explain complex processes, as geotourists are usually visitors that seek knowledge about geological and geomorphological processes. One of the tasks of tour guides is to improve the visitor’s knowledge and raise the public awareness on the importance of natural heritage and their protection and conservation. Investing in the education of tour guides about geology and geomorphology would most certainly result in a greater tourist experience.

On the other hand, modern technologies, such as mobile applications and geographical information system, provide the best experience for the visitors during self-guided tours. The promotion of geotourism and the interpretation of geoheritage through mobile applications are successfully applied in Sesia Val Grande UNESCO Global Geopark [87], Torino [88], Rome [89], and Lausanne [90].

The collaboration between the local community and tourism managers, planners, and tourist organizations is a vital part of tourism development. Community volunteerism, participation, and involvement would lead to idea exchange and a closer connection between locals, protected areas, and officials. Such connection would bring locals closer to the tourism practices and lead to economic development of local communities. A good example is the Luochuan Loess National Geopark in China, where thousands of locals were trained, educated, and involved in tourism practices within the area of the geopark [34].

6.1 Loess-based geotourism and georoute potentials

Loess-based geotourism includes a very specific form of geoheritage interpretation. Nevertheless, through the affirmation of paleoclimatic indicators, it is possible to reach a large number of interested geotourists, bearing in mind the popularity of the topic of climate change in the world.

Along the Danube River, there are several loess areas near Titel, Stari Slankamen, Surduk, Batajnica, and Zemun, significant for geoeducation and geotourism. Linking those areas in a unique thematic route would create a new tourism product and popularize such geoheritage, as well as raise public awareness of the need for their protection and conservation. Georoutes are one of the most widespread forms of modern geotourism interpretation methods [91]. They are an emerging trend that links geosites, natural, and cultural features in a unique tourism product [92]. Loess-based georoute would allow geotourists to gain insight into the sites that allowed scientists to reconstruct paleoclimates as well as to learn about the methods scientists used.

The geology of northern Serbia and Požarevac can be closely linked to the deposition of Quaternary sediments. Here, we propose a touristic route (Figure 5), including the most diverse, yet related sedimentary sequences. The route links evaluated site Požarevac A and B (due to high representativeness) from this article and other loess profiles. The trip lasts for 2 days, and there is a combination of transportations: one bus that drives and follows the group during the trip and two boats (one for Danube River and second for Tisza River). The target groups are students of geosciences and nature lovers. The route starts at one of the oldest sediments at Požarevac brickyard, and on the same day, geotourist can see the oldest LPS in Serbia, covering almost 1 Ma – Stari Slankamen [11]. The bus leaves the tourists in Zemun where the tourist boat takes them by the Danube next to the biggest cliffs on the northern side of the Srem Loess Plateau: Zemun [93,94], Batajnica [8], and Surduk [95] LPS. At Stari Slankamen, the tourists switch to another boat that takes them to the Titel Loess Plateau. Here, they witness 620 ka old loess deposits [96] and continue by bus to Zrenjanin, the biggest city near the profile. The group have overnight. On the next day, the Tamiš Loess Plateau with the Orolovat section is visited, and the tourist is getting into younger terrain, as this LPS is only 160 ka old [97]. After this, they are taken to the youngest part of Quaternary sediments, the Deliblato Sand area, where the cross-section of the sand dune is exposed. Close to this area are the Zagajica Hills (Zagajička brda in Serbian), very attractive grass-covered accumulations of sand and loess up to 250 m high, where the tourists go on foot. The bus waits for them on the other side of the hills and takes them through the Deliblato Sand area toward the Požarevac, where they can visit a mammoth park in Viminacium [97]. This route covers the 1 Ma of Quaternary deposits in Serbia.

Figure 5

Loess-based georoute in Serbia.

7 Conclusion

Paleoclimatic geotourism interpretation includes a wide range of scientific and educational content. Most often, nature museums are the ones that institutionally promote the field of paleoclimate to the general public. Nevertheless, the creation of specific facilities for the promotion, affirmation, and interpretation of paleoclimatic knowledge and research is a significant and unique step that certainly has the potential to grow into a tourism product of exceptional value. In this study, for the first time, loess geosites in the Braničevo District are presented as indicators of the development of geotourism with an emphasis on paleoclimatic interpretation in Serbia. Although the human impact on the loess sediments in Serbia was linked to exploitation, this process made a degraded landscape, which can serve as a touristic destination with appropriate interpretation.

The research results were obtained using the reliable and reputable M-GAM method. The obtained data indicate evident geotourism potential that, with minimal investment, can become significant geotourism values with significant socio-economic advantages. The primary advantages of the researched loess geosites are reflected in their proximity to the urban environment and their reasonable accessibility. The proximity of hotels and restaurants, other cultural sites, and important roads was also recorded as an exceptional advantage, as it indicates the possibility of visitors to visit a greater number of attractive places in the area of Braničevo District. Of particular value are the already existing paleoclimatic research and the exploitation of the mammoth paleontological heritage in the Viminacium paleontological park, not far from the city of Požarevac. The main shortcomings are reflected in the current lack of appropriate infrastructure for the development of geotourism, as well as the complete lack of initiatives and marketing strategies that would affirm geotourism and paleoclimate interpretation.