Serbian paradise on Petnica's banks: Waterfalls, cascades and ponds along one of our shortest rivers

Photo: RINA

Known for a cave that has the largest entrance in the Balkans, the village of Potpec is on the map of domestic tourists this year as well. It is 14 kilometers away from the center of Uzice and is very often visited by people on their way to Mt. Zlatibor or to Montenegro.

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The road first takes you through the picturesque Zlakusa, widely known for its excellent potters, after which you arrive in Potpec, tucked away in greenery. It is located on the banks of the River Petnica, which springs from the cave.

"It is a subterranean river that comes out of the cave and flows through the village, to eventually flow into the Djetinja River," Ana Lazaravec from Uzice, who likes to spend her weekends in this village, tells RINA.

"Throughout its course, it creates picturesque landscapes, phenomenal for a vacation in the hot summer days. The river's sound relaxes and calms you. It has always been the source of life in this area, even though it is less than two kilometers long. Rich in fish, it was the only salvation for our people who hid from the enemy in the Potpec cave during the rule of the Turks."

There is a particular type of cascades on the upper course of the river, at first very small, to grow into very beautiful waterfalls after a few hundred meters. The largest of the waterfalls is about eight meters tall. It is widely known as extremely clean and rich in fish, so several ponds have been lining up its banks for decades.

"There have been fishponds here for decades, and I continued the family tradition, as have my cousins. The Petnica River is very suitable for fish farming, due to its temperature, which ranges between eight and 12 degrees even in the winter months. It never freezes and that is very important for the survival of the fish. Although there are as many as 16 fishponds along Petnica, there is work for all of us. In order for the fish to be of good quality, it must be fed regularly and well, and the hygiene and cleanliness of the pool must be taken care of all 12 months in a year," says Milica.

Judging by the occupancy and how hard it is to find a parking space here, all the fishponds are doing great, and the owners, not wanting to waste a great potential, have opened their own restaurants that are full during the season.

The village of Potpec is certainly the most visited during Lent when there are queues at most fishponds and appointments are scheduled in advance, so that buyers would not go home empty-handed.

"The demand is convincingly the greatest around the feast of St. Nicholas, and very often all the fishponds are left empty. Everything is sold. People from all nearby cities and municipalities order here, but we also have buyers from Belgrade and Novi Sad," Milica said.

(Telegraf.rs)