Guide

UŽICE GREEN LANE, FROM THE OLD BRIDGE TO STAPARSKA BANJA, SECOND IN EUROPE
Down the Lane of Vanished Trains
In the past, the slow–moving ”Ćira” and ”Ludi Sarajlija” used to clatter there, on a narrow track, and after Šargan, they descended towards Mokra Gora and Višegrad in a miraculous eight. In 2016, the ”Užice Green Trail” was built on that path and the following year it was declared the second in Europe (after the Belgian ”Vennbahn” and ahead of the Portuguese ”Rio Minho”). You may see a lot along those six kilometers. The first European hydroelectric power plant built according to Tesla’s principle (1900), a medieval fortress with an exciting history (14th century), a dam and a waterfall, a mountain lake, a spa, the reconstruction of a Neolithic settlement. You can ride a boat, bike, minibus, fly on a zipline over the canyon, hike. You can also give up, if you are not sorry

Text and Photo: Dragan Bosnić

In Užice you can feel the breath of the Mediterranean, find the remains of a Turkish kasaba and see a large city squeezed into the narrow basin of the Đetinja River. The recently restored old town of the Vojinovićs from the 14th century, at the entrance to the basin, bears witness to its long history. To the south of the city rise the heights of Zlatibor, to the west is the Tara Mountain, whose beauty and uniqueness is protected by the status of a national park. There is also the Ponikve plateau, where the Užice airport is located. The northern side is surrounded by the Povlen and Maljen mountains and the Kadinjača elevation.
Užice has long since outgrown its narrow basin, so the whole town is literally uphill and downhill. Everything is close as the crow flies, but the height difference of 200 meters is problematic for many. The old town is on the hill, the bazaar is below. The railway station is on the ground floor, the tracks on the third floor.
We have not exactly determined the number of surrounding hills. It’s not really worth getting around by car, although taxis are relatively cheap. The best thing to do is to take a komplet lepinja (a famous Užice sandwich) from ”Kod Šuljaga” and go on a tour of the city with that energy bomb. The ”komplet lepinja”, or ”sandwich with everything”, consists of one large flatbread bun well filled with cream, over which fried egg and the pretop, i.e. melted fat from baking, are added. It is usually accompanied by sour milk. One is enough to keep you full for the whole day.
The Đetinja River flows through the city, one of the three components of the West Morava. It used to be called Bioska. Then some children drowned in the swollen river, so it was renamed Đetinja as a lesson. The memory of the old name has been preserved by the settlement of Bioska, in the place where the river is dammed and calmed down. From the newly formed lake, the river flows through a narrow gorge, which is even narrower below the old town, so it is possible that this strait was the reason why the town was named Užice. Let us go back to Đetinja.
The old ”Under the City” hydropower plant, which has already featured in the National Review, is at zero elevation. ”The first one in Europe was built according to Tesla’s principles, back in 1900,” reminds Zoran Plavšić on our pages, in 2010. The foundation stone for the construction of the hydroelectric power plant was laid by King Aleksandar Obrenović. The project was made by engineer Aćim Stevović, from Mokra Gora, and the equipment for the power plant was chosen by the famous prof. Dr. Đorđe Stanojević. Considering the heavy weight of the equipment that had to be transported from Vienna to Užice, the cart was pulled by six pairs of oxen. Work on the installation of equipment in the power plant and the largest part of the electrical network in the city was completed at the end of July 1900. The power plant was ceremonially put into operation on 02 August, on St. Ilia’s Day. They say that ”Siemens” machines were paid for in gold, but when the first light bulbs lit up in the city, and the ”Weaving Workshop” got a cheap source of energy, the cost was forgotten. To celebrate the centenary of its construction in 2000, the Central Station was completely renovated. Old ”Siemens” machines produce electricity again. Now it is the Museum of Technology.

WALK, DRIVE, FLY

The old power plant is located next to a beautifully decorated promenade and there is also a city beach. In addition to the pedestrian bridge, the river is also bridged by the old railway bridge. ”Ćira” used to go on it towards Šargan, then down the miraculous figure eight it descended towards Mokra Gora and further towards Višegrad. The slow–moving ”Ćira” and the ”Crazy Sarajlija”, as the people of Užice called the fast motor train on the narrow-gauge railway, retired, and daring children now dive from the old bridge into Đetinja.
The Užice Green Trail starts from the old bridge. It is actually the asphalted route of the mentioned ”Ćira”. Currently, there is a six–kilometer–long path that leads from the city beach to the Staparska Banja. In 2016, the city of Užice initiated the reconstruction of the first five kilometers, from Užice to Stapar. The very next year, the European Greenways Association awarded Užice a second award, the first of its kind in Serbia. The success is significant, because the first prize went to the Belgian greenway Vennbahn, which is much longer with its 125 kilometers and passes through three countries, and the third–placed trail Rio Minho, from Portugal, is about 50 kilometers long.
Thanks to the elevator, at the beginning of the trail, near the old headquarters, the trail is also accessible to pedestrians, fishermen and cyclists. The more daring ones will go first to the old town or fly along the extended ZIP line from the fortress to the neighboring hill.
The old town of Užice was built in a place typical for such fortifications, which seemed impregnable. The Đetinja River and inaccessible cliffs guarded the fort on three sides, and even the fourth, northern one, strengthened by a powerful tower, did not give much hope to potential invaders. The important road that led from Višegrad to Serbia was guarded from the city. The Užice fortress was the main seat of the powerful medieval Vojinović family, Vojislav and Altoman. Nikola Altomanović was captured in it in 1373, surrounded by the armies of the triple alliance (Prince Lazar, King Tvrtko, Hungarian King Lajos the First). That history is well known, so we won’t repeat it.
There is a tunnel at the very beginning of the Užice Green Trail. It is followed by another dozen of them, mostly illuminated. During the season, a minibus stops at the tunnel to transport people who have not yet discovered the beauty of walking. Unfortunately, they were denied a tour of the dam in Turica, Sunčani vir, Paradise Islands, Kace waterfall... The first break is made at the waterfall, that is, the dam. It is about the first third of the way, by the fountain and the boat (and boatmen) rental kiosk. From the bridge over Đetinja, next to which the kiosk is placed, a narrow path leads above Đetinja to the dam, about a hundred meters long. The river is dammed there, and a beautiful lake was created in the canyon. The river overflows over the dam creating a beautiful waterfall. Right behind the dam is a pier with boats. There, on a calm lake, it is possible to ride kayaks. From the dam, the green trail continues past Paradise Islands and a few more eye–pleasing places by the river. Staparska Banja can be reached in an hour’s easy walk, but the hike usually takes much longer. Even if you are not a fisherman.

HEALING AND EDUCATIONAL

The spa resort in Stapari is located right next to Đetinja. It is actually a spring of medicinal water that is good for skin diseases. In the beginning, people came to the mud that they made themselves, and then concreted pools, two small and one larger, were dug and paths were arranged and canopies were built. Thus, the spa has become a pleasant place even without inpatients. Visitors are informed about the method of use and the allowed time they can spend in the spa water. The spa is also frequented by fishermen, who say that the part of Đetinja next to Stapar is the best fishing area.
The biggest attraction on the Užice Green Trail is the replica of the Neolithic settlement Stapark, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the spa baths. Six buildings were built in the park. Four houses are faithful copies of Vinča buildings, one semi–dungeon and one contemporary building. The latter has primarily an educational purpose. Houses are made of mud, with roofs of straw or tree bark. They have built–in Neolithic air conditioning, that is, they are pleasantly fresh in the summer and tolerable in the winter without a fire. The settlement is surrounded by wooden palisades in the Neolithic style, more as a protection against beasts than against the attacks of other tribes. Let us remember, it was a period of long peace.
One of the motives for building this settlement was the proximity of the archaeological site of Staparska Gradina, a settlement that lasted from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. All buildings in Stapark were built by local masters, otherwise famous builders, under the supervision of experts. And the figures of people in this settlement are done at a high level. An elderly man called the god at the entrance to the first hut and wished the figure of a man making an ax happy work. Luckily, I had my glasses on so I didn’t do the same. Thus, next to the aforementioned craftsman preparing an ax, you can see a woman kneading bread with her daughter, a father and daughter sculpting vessels and figurines from clay, a child lighting a fire, a man shaping stone, a weaver, a woman sewing clothes, a mother bathing a baby... Everything visible and clear as if you were really in the Neolithic Age. And if something is not clear, the curator is there to explain and show. The project New Life of Neolithic Heritage in Recognized Natural Areas of Great Importance was jointly implemented by the cities of Užice and Tuzla, the Secondary Art School ”Užice” and the Municipality of Milići. The value of the project is 600 thousand euros.
The Užice Green Trail currently ends there. It is expected that the road to Lake Vrutci and Rujno Monastery will be repaired soon. Admittedly, Rujno Monastery can still be reached on foot and even by bicycle, but the broken road and unlit wet tunnels do not seem very safe.

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Storm in the Tower
I was caught in the tower of the rebuilt town of Užice during a strong storm. The high cliffs in front of the tower amplified the burst of thunder many times over and the wind forcefully injected jets of rain through the numerous openings. It was not pleasant, but I thought about how Nikola Altomanov endured his last fight and his last days in freedom here. Yes, it was on the day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

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”Ertses”
The inhabitants of the Užice region are called Eras or Ertses. In fact, they inhabit the areas of the Old Wallachian Highlands, from Mount Tara almost to the Tara River. There are several interesting interpretations of how they got that nickname. They say that when the inhabitants of Herzegovina came to enslaved Serbia, there was a rule that common people must not look the Turks in the eyes, but look down toward the black soil. However, the people of Herzegovina still looked at the Turks from the corner of their eyes, which is what you would call eravo, and that’s why they called them Eras. According to another assumption, simpler and perhaps more probable, the people of Herzegovina were simply addressed in diminutives, and that is how they became Ertses. Et cetera.

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Drillers
It is said here that the Ertses are known as bright and witty people. They also say that Prince Miloš, who himself had some Ertsian genetics, respected them. It is said that he asked for the representatives of the district to send him the wisest among the wise. Only for the people of Užice, he did not have that condition: ”Send anyone from Užice, because they are all smart.” It is apocryphal and not very modest, but it sounds good. People of Užice are, in fact, a subspecies of Eras known as ”drillers”. They say that the ”Užice drill” solves all problems. By the way, the main brands of Užice are ”sandwich with everything”, Užice prosciutto, Užice juniper brandy, Užice circle dance and, above all, people of Užice.