Categories: Cultural Diversity

KADINJACA MONUMENTAL PARK

THE MEDIEVAL FORTRESS UŽICE

The remains of the fortress, also known as Old town of Užice lie on a rocky ridge, which almost divides the riverbed of Đetinja at the place where it flows out of the gorge and flows into a gentle valley. The history of the fortress dates back to Middle ages when the first reliable historical sources could be tracked in the 14th century. At that time, it was in the possession of the noble family Vojinović. The fortress was demolished several times and re-fortified. It was finally disabled as a military facility and destroyed in January 1863, at the time of the expulsion of the Turks from the city.

The fortification was built on a high, almost inaccessible ridge surrounded on three sides by the river. To the west, south and east, vertical cliffs, up to 50 m high, descend to the river like strong natural ramparts. Access to the city was possible only from the north. From the fortification, the road connecting Bosnia with Serbia could be monitored and defended. For centuries and today the fortress and especially its location on top of the steep hill just above the city centre, has attracted attention of numerous travelers and adventurous climbers.

 

KREMNA VILLAGE and the famous Serbian prophets

Kremna is a strange and mysterious village in western Serbia that can offer a unique cultural experience. It is located at an ideal altitude for an air spa (800 m) surrounded by a pine forest that does not allow fog to peek into the Kreman field. The space of the mysterious stone on which Kremna lays for a long time could not be filmed even from satellites and planes.

We heard the story of the two prophets Miloš and Mitar Tarabić, who had the power to foresee the new times in the 19th century, weaved their visions into our cultural heritage. In the village there is also the Memorial Home of the Kremna Prophets, to which many curious people flock. These wise elders said: A man will make a chest and there a falcon will arrive with images in it. With the help of that box with a falcon, a person will be able to see what is happening everywhere on this globe. But the more vigilant is known, the less people will love and care for each other. There will be such hatred that various falcons will be more important to them than their closest ones. This is just a fragment of their visions coming from a so-called "cosmic ball", and many other different relics that can be found in their memorial home, built all in wood and traditional ethno style, ready to tell the future to all interested to know their destiny.

The village Kremna is also known for hospitality of local people, housewives in particular who offer tasty local gastronomic specialties, such as cheese pie, corn palenta, smoked ham, slow cooked dishes in clay pots of exceptional taste, roast piglet and lamb, homemade raspberry juices, the best brandy, and certainly various cakes.

 

MEĆAVNIK – DRVENGRAD

Mećavnik and Drvengrad – exceptional cultural tourism sites situated near Uzice and Zlatibor are definitely worth exploring.  Refurbished old wooden houses built in harmony with a traditional architecture of rural tradition in western Serbia are a part of a vision of perfect living outside of the box by the award-winning film director Emir Kusturica who created here a city-hotel. The only village (in the world as some would say) that has its own city. Drvengrad has a central square with a church, a library, a cinema, a gallery, a national restaurant, a pastry shop and a souvenir shop, squares and market place. There is also a sports center on Diego Armando Maradona Square, about whom Kusturica made a film, and a long list of famous film directors, producers and actors who got a street to be named after them. Fascinating landscape of a nature protected area surrounding Drvengrad is memorable and healing for all those who need artistic and creative inspiration.

 

HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT ON THE RIVER ĐETINJA

Impressive view from the bridge over Djetinja we had on the hydroelectric power plant located below the fortress or Old Town of Užice and is one of the most important symbols of cultural heritage of the city. It is the first power plant built according to Tesla's principles of polyphase currents in Europe and was built as the second in the world, only five years after the construction of the same one on the Niagara River in America.

The cornerstone for the construction of the hydroelectric power plant on Đetinja river was laid by King Aleksandar Obrenović, in 1899., while the works on the installation of equipment in the power plant and the largest part of the electrical network in the city were completed at the end of July 1900. The power plant was ceremoniously put into operation on August 2, on His Majesty's birthday. That evening, the citizens enjoyed "the sea of ​​light in which the city bathed". Today, the building of power plant situated in the gorge at the river bank and the nearby bridge over the Djetinja river from which the athletes are jumping into deep waters – form a unique tourist attraction situated in the heart of the city.