Meanwhile it grew up into the tourist attraction visited by our and international tourists. There are old crafts demonstrated in this happening, traditionally manufactured goods, as well as knitwear and wavered products are exhibited there.

The whole happening is followed by delicious cuisine of this region ( smoked ham, cheese, plum brandy ) and already known brass orchestra music.

Geological content – According to J. Cvijić ( 1914. ) , the Potpeć cave was built in the middle Triassic limestones, ” which lie on the verfenic slates… Detailed geological research and entering on a map of this area were done by B. Marković ( in 1957. and 1968 ) . The Triassic limestone, of which the cave was built, is whitish, with porosity as of cracks and fine mosaic structure.

Speleological characteristics – In the Potpeć cave two main floors of the cave channels can be distinguished: the older one – the Upper cave and the younger one – the Lower cave. The entrance channel is common for the both horizons; since it originated by destruction of the mezzanine construction and their merging. The riches of the cave ornaments is regarded as very rare among karst caves… In the morph – speleological sense, twelve units should be observed in the Potpeće cave.

Hydrological characteristics – According to the morph – hydrographic evolution, three groups of channels are distinguished in the Potpeće cave: the fossil ( the Upper cave ) , the active periodic flow ( the longer part of the Lower Cave ) and the constantly active ( the newest subterranean flow ) .

Climatic characteristics – The average annual temperature of the air is 9.5 C

The Potpeće cave and the man – It is estimated that the cave used to be man’s habitat even during the Neolith. Plenty of ceramics, deer horns and stone tools. In any case its inhabitants knew how to make the best of its favourable natural characteristics.

Sargan’ s Eigh

Building the railroad from 1921 to 1925, the designers of the railroad bridged the difference in level of Mokra Gora and Sargan ( about 300 m of altitude, 3. 5 kilometers long ) by the famous ” Eight ” - the loop of 13. 5 km above bottom of Jatare, with 20 tunnels, several bridges and viaducts ” Cira “ railway steamed up to this railways in distant 1925 year, and the last time it was about 20 years ago, on the 28th of February 1974, when the railroad was no longer in use.

The idea of building the railway dates around the First World War. Austro – Hungarian Empire had the opinion that occupied Serbia was finally one of their parts. In the spring of 1916 the first works to connect Vardiste with Uzice started. Nine kilometers of railways was built up to the bottom of Sargan Mountain. The place to which the rail tracks were put is still carrying the name ” the Ninth Kilometer “. Then the railway station was built in Mokra Gora. A terrible accident happened during the works about the tunnel under the Budim Hill. All the workers of one shift were buried due to the stone slide. The Russian and Italian prisoners died. The exact number of how many people died then is still not known, but according to the natives witnessing, the shift consisted of about 200 workers. A modest monument was made on the hill Budim as a remembrance to this tragedy, with the year of 1916 as the only inscription. After this day the works on this railway stopped up to 1st of March 1921 when the Head Office from Sarajevo continued with it. One of the major engineers who made the project for the railways and carried it out was Hugo Keinzl, the former Inspector of Bosnia – Herzegovina railways.

Besides the attractive technical solution on the slopes of Sargan Mountain, the Sargan’s Eight, which was used as an example of the solution for the railways on the short distance and great altitude difference, had some other peculiarities. The railway station Jatare was used only as a place where two trains had a junction and not a single ticket was ever sold there.
stanica Golubići / train station Golubia

The Railway-Museum Complex has its ethno-tourist value. Railways of Serbia from Belgrade started the restoration of Sargan’s Eight in 1999 for the tourist purposes and today the whole railroad is revitalized, with authentic station buildings and original old coaches. The train “Nostalgia”, consisting of two steam engines and four coaches, one of which is for panorama viewing, today is used for tourist sightseeing, and Jatare and Mokra Gora railway stations have been renovated into inns where tourists can take a break and refreshment during their trip.
Besides Sargan’ s Eight, whose rail track is 750 mm wide, the old Forest Rail has also been restored, which communicated between the site of Jatare along the valley of Kamesina River for about 2 kilometers. This part of the rail track is of 600 mm width. On the starting station of the Forest railway, near the spring of white water, there is a club ” Homeland Association of Mokra Gora and its Friends ” with summer stage, two restaurant-coaches and the souvenir shop. The picnic grounds ” Jatarice “ has been made a place for resting with barbecue, drinking fountain and covered tables at tourist disposal.

Both the renovated rail tracks and the accompanying objects of railway stations and exhibition coaches are a museum complex in the open air, which is not only depicting the history of railway transport but is also showing one important part of the history of Mokra Cora area. The great significance of this museum complex is that the whole railroad with its stations and coaches is being authentically made, with preserved technical way of steam engine maneuvering.

Riding in the Sargan’ s Eight was an attraction even at the times when it was used as a general means of transport. ” The steam machine wound its way up through gauges and cliffs between Sargan and Mokra Gora, the route which made unusual path line resembling the number 8, so from several places the travelers could see the three tracks in different levels. Many of them panicked when they saw another steam machine coming towards them, but there was no danger as that other train was in different part of the railways. ” Traveling the route of the famous ” Eight “, 13.5 kilometers long, it is impossible for the traveler to guess by which direction the train has already passed and where it should go next.

Far from the busy everyday of modern life, enriched with the beauties of Mokra Gora, this unique railway can, today with the nostalgic whistle of the steam engine bring back the romantic spirit of the good old days.

Wildness, slalom through curves, tunnels. . .  The adventure that recalls the almost forgotten warmth of shaking in the train.

A picturesque gorge of the river Đetinja, which creates an attractive canyon in its central part, begins no farther than 3 km from the centre of the city. The gorge of the river Đetinja has been proclaimed as the Area of extraordinary beauty and has been marked as the natural resource of great importance. The whole area characterized by a very dynamic morphology with numerous caves, depressions, crevices…. The gorge of the Đetinja is considered an area with a series of ecological peculiarities, both in the biologic and biogeographic sense. Its autochthonous feature and riches can be seen through the presence of a large number of endemic, sub – endemic and relic species of plants , and in terms of the animal world the fauna of daily butterflies is especially significant which represents one of the richest in Serbia – 17 species which are on the list of the Register of daily butterflies in Serbia.

Đetinja is a real mountain pearl with numerous rapids, waterfalls and whirlpools which are a hiding place of the capital samples of stream trout. Mladica and lipljan can also be found there , and 6 kilometers from the city musicarski revir as well.

On the wider territory of the gorge there is also a rich heritage in monuments: well preserved settlement from the period of neolith ” Gradina ” , which is one of the most significant settlements in south – western Serbia , as well as the medieval town and necropolis on the site ” Mala gradina ” .

The beach on the Đetinja under the Old Town is a separate area of unique beauty .It is at the same time the walking area and the health path. This place is an oasis of joy and enjoyment in the very centre of the city.

WATER PLANT ON ĐETINJA

The water plant on the river Đetinja is situated at the bottom of the Užice Old Town, it was made in 1900 and is one of the symbols of the town of Užice, It was the first electrical plant made according to Tesla’s principles of an alternating current in Serbia, just one year after the first of its kind was built on the river Niagara in America.

And how did it all start? When did the first idea to use power of the water of Đetinja to make electricity appear in Užice?

According to the registered data from XIX century, everything started when the bakers, who paid a lot of money for the steam mill in Čačak, decided to make their own steam mill. They asked for the advice from their fellow man Stevan Čađević the first engineer among people of Užice who worked at that time in the Ministry of Civil Engineering of Kingdom of Serbia. The answer was very interesting. ” No way to build a steam mill! You have no coal, and the steam machines are bound to break down very often. You should build a mill that is using the water turbine. For the turbine you have the water from Đetinja, even more than you would need!”

The bakers of Užice estimated that to build that Mnd of industrial mill would cost them a fortune, that it perhaps would not be payable and decided to delay the whole thing for scfne time. Lots of water ran through the Đetinja River before its power started to be used for industrial purposes. The deed was attributed to the textile workers of Užice.

In the year of 1891 there was opened, or, as it is said in the records, there was established the State Wavering School. Then the idea to build the factory for wavering was born. On the national meeting held on 14th November in 1897, the Joint stock Company was founded, which decided to build the wavering factory. The rules and regulations were accepted for the Stock Company, and from the Ministry of Commerce, according to the existing laws for supporting crafts and workshops they even got some benefits, the first shares were issued and the building of the factory could have started.

To provide cheap and safe flow of energy, the shareholders decided to use waterpower of Đetinja for the machines in the factory. As a representative of the Ministry of National Commerce, the reputable professor of The Grand School and the pioneer of electrification in Serbia, Đorđe Stanojević, visited Užice in 1898.He visited canyon of Đetinja and the place they supposed to build the factory and he found out that there is enough water in the river bed of Đetinja to provide power for the turbines to make electrical currency, and then which would not only be used for tlm wavering machines but also for the city electrification, so then they decided to build the water plant.

The cornerstone was placed by the King Aleksandar Obrenović himself on 15th of May ( it was the 3rd may in Julian Calendar ) 1899. According to the custom in those days; the godfather should place the cornerstone of the house. By placing a cornerstone for the water plant, the King Aleksandar has become its godfather.   The project for building the water plant on Đetinja was made by engineer Aćim Stevović who was originally from Mokra Gora ( at that time he was employed at railways workshop in Niš ). Đorđe Stanojević chose the equipment that would provide application of Tesla’s principles in the work of the water plant and the transfer of electric current. Taking into account how heavy the equipment was which should have been brought from Vienna to Užice, there were six oxen – drawn wagon used to do that. Up to the time, no one had seen such a thing in Serbia. The works on the adjustment of the equipment in the water plant and the major part of the electrification network in the town have finished at the end of July 1900.

The water plant had its pompous opening on 2nd of august, on the Holy Elias Day, one the same date when His Majesty the King was born. The citizen have enjoyed in ” the sea of lights in which whole town was bathing ” .

For its Hundredth Annual, the water plant has been renovated and on the day of Holy Elias in 2000 it was repaired to work again. The old machines by Siemens can make electricity again. In this beautiful building now there is the Technical Museum.

The theatre hall is one of the best in Serbia and can host 560 visitors. The Theatre is situated in the town centre, on the large town square.

The contest of the most successful theatre performances from Serbia and Montenegro is held at its stage every year, as a part of the Yugoslav Theatre Festival.

The National Theatre from Užice is the organiser and host of the festival, which takes place every year in the second week of November.

As a memory on their resistance in 1952 the memorial was unveiled – the pyramid under which is the crypt where the remains of the majority of fallen soldiers who lost their lives on Kadinjača were placed.

In 1979 a new memorial was unveiled, when the Worker’ s battalion was given the medal of Order of The National Hero. The authentic situation of the battle on Kadinjača, the idea of the memorial monument and the building of the Memorial Home were given by the sculptor Miodrag ŽivkoviĆ and the architect Aleksandar Đokić from Belgrade.

Within this memorial, at about 15 acres, there is a memorial home where visitors can get information on the monument and the battle on Kadinjača. There is a permanent exhibition taking place in memorial home ” Workers’ Battalion and the Battle on Kadinjača ” at the area of about 150 m2 with more than 300 exhibited items. In one of the rooms for exhibitions there is an exhibition ” Užice Region in NATO Aggression Against Yugoslavia” .

In these buildings, in the autumn of 1941 the general headquarters of NOPOJ and the Central Committee of KPJ were placed there, and underground, in the rooms of so – called ” Trezor ” ( vaults ) , was the public shelter and partisan ammunition and arms factory.

Museum was founded in 1947 and the activities were based on collecting and studying material significant for cultural and political history of the town and surrounding. Today there are about 70.000 musicological units in the collections and depots of this museum. The buildings of national Museum are under protection of the government as an estate of cultural significance. The visitors can see two permanent museum exhibitions and the Legacy of the painter Mihailo Milovanović, and from time to time there are interesting thematic exhibitions. The Display of Museum of Uprising of 1941 scopes the period from March 1941 in Yugoslavia till the fall of Republic of Užice. The permanent exhibition Užice Foundation and Development includes period since pre -   history up to the modern times.

Legacy of the painter Mihailo Milovanović, the first academy painter from Užice, includes 15 paintings ( oil on canvas ), photographs, documents, medals and the parts of the home furniture from the heritage of the Milovanovićs family. For this Legacy, national Museum Užice was awarded the greatest museum award – prize Mihailo Valtrović.

Taking into account the material remains; the area of Užice was inhabited since pre – historical times. The findings of Neolithic period have been found in large number of localities ( cave Megara in southern part of Stapari village, Potpećka Pećina in the village of Potpeć ) .

At the end of XII century Užice and its suburbs joined Nemanja’s Medieval Feudal State, which is proved by the charter from Studenica Monastery issued in the year of 1196. The first significant mentioning of Užice was found in the document from Dubrovnik Archive, dated 9th October 1329. By the mid XIV century the wider part of Užice was under the reign of Vojislav Vojinović, and after his death, the sovereignty was taken by Nikola Altomanović. By broadening his territory and power, he endangered Dubrovnik, Governor of Bosnian Banovina, Tvrtko and the Prince Duke Lazar. By joined forces Prince Duke Lazar and Bosnian Tvrtko seized Nikola Altomanović in 1373 and made him blind. Since that day Užice Region had become part of the country of Lazar the Prince Duke. After the decline of Serbian Despotic State it was conquered by the Turks. In XVI century Užice was the headquarters of Nahi and Qadi, and during XVII century it has become significant cultural and craftsmen center.
 
During Austro – Turkish Wars, by the end of XVII and XVIII centuries, the city has become an important military base, and during the times of The First Serbian Uprising the very important military and strategic place. Serbian uprisings liberated the city of Užice in 1805, and soon after that in 1807 the fort was liberated. Užice has become very important uprising center. After the defeat of The First Serbian Uprising in 1813, it fell into Turkish hands again. Užice was finally liberated in 1862.

According to the first preserved statistics on population after the Turkish emigration, there were 3163 citizens in Užice. By approval of Urban Plan in 1871, its intensive development started. The town was economically empowered, the crafts and commerce flourished, the guilds were founded.

On the 3rd of May in 1899, the King Aleksandar Obrenović placed the first cornerstone for the water plant on Đetinja River. The city got electrification on 2nd of August 1900, and in May of 1901 the Wavering Workshop started with its experimental work. Developing industry and merchandise, made positive conditions for the foundation of the first banks: Citizen bank ( 1884 ), Commercial Bank ( 1908 ) and Cooperative Credit Bank of Užice ( 1911 ). Telegraph was installed in 1860, and the first telephone in 1904.

Patriotic, cultural and sport associations were founded by the end of XIX and the beginning of XX century: Home Reserve, Cavalry Association ” Knez Mihailo ” , Archery Club ” Napredak ” , Choral Group ” Zlatiborska Vila ” , Gym Club ” Dušan Silni ” and many others. After the end of Balkan wars and the First World War, the industry and production were soon restored in Užice. The Industry for Hide Processing in Vrela was founded, railcars workshop, and finally, in the year 1928 the arms factory by Jakov Pošinger from Slovenia was moved to Užice ( today it is ” Prvi Partizan ” – Ammunition Factory ) The old banks were renewed, and some of the new were founded: Bank of Commerce, Market Bank of Užice and Užice Regional Bank. The railways and roads network developed: railways Užice – Vardište, road Užice – Kraljeve Vode on Zlatibor, road Užice – Kadinjača – Bajina Bašta.

During the period of the Second World War 1941 – 1945, Užice was the center of significant historical moments ( Republic of Užice ). After the Second World War, Užice slowly developed and has become a great commercial and cultural center of Western Serbia. There are Primary Schools, High Schools and Teacher’s College, National Theatre, National Museum, Historical Archives, City Gallery and National Library.

THE OLD TOWN

The remains of the Old Town lie on the rocky cliff, which separates the river bed of the Đetinja at the place where it flows out of the gorge into the tame valley .The fortification was built on a high cliff, rather difficult of access, which is surrounded by the river Đetinja on all three sides. To the west, south and east steep cliffs, up to 50 m high, as well as strong natural ramparts, descend to the river The town was possible to approach only from the north, from the ridge towards the adjoining elevation, but even there the vertical slopes defended the entrance to the highest part of the elevation, making it impregnable. The road, linking Bosnia to Serbia, could be monitored and defended from the fortress. Over the centuries, the position of the town caused admiration among the travellers and unexpected guests passing by its ramparts.

The first reliable sources about the fortress of Užice date back to the middle of the 14th century. Then it was the property of the feudal family Vojinović, and from 1366. to 1373. it belonged to Nikola Altomanović. Ahistorian from Dubrovnik Mavro Obrini mentions Užice in his description of the events about the conflict of the prince Lazar and king Tvrtko with Nikola Altomanović, who was captured, imprisoned and made blind in the fortress on that occasion, in the summer of 1373.

The geographic position and its strategic influence affected the look of the fortress. In its upper part it had a semi – circular tower, in the middle part objects for hosting the military regiments, equipment and food supplies, and in the lower, the so called Watery tower it was linked to the river. Several times the fortress was destroyed and fortified anew. Significan enlargements and fortifications were made in 1478, then during the Austrian – Turkish wars in 1688. and in the period from 1737 – 1839. Finally, during the First Serbian Insurrection and soon after the Second Serbian insurrection, from 1813 – 1819. At last, being the military object, it was made useless and ruined in January 1863, at the time of driving the Turks out of Užice.

Owing to the archeological explorations, partial reconstruction and conservation work by the Heritage Authority from Kraljevo and the National Museum from Užice lasting from 1973 – 1984, a century long erosion and disappearance of the Old Town was stopped.

ST. MARKO’S CHURCH

The old church in Užice is situated in the town centre , in the part of the town known as Carina . The church was mentioned for the first time in the third decade of the 18th century as a small church – wattle house, built in the style of wooden churches and located in the Serbian part of the town .. feliks Kanic mentions Marko’s church in Užice which is said to have been built in 1928, in the ” bondruk ” style, with steep and high roof, covered with shingles, with a small wooden tower on the west side. A wooden bell – tower, 22 m, high, was built next to the church. By its harmonious forms and beauty it is unique in Serbia. 

The church contains precious icons and numerous valuables and relics, including the parts of the old iconostasis, the work of the iconographer Simeon Lazarević. The icons were made in 1851, probably by Dimitrije Posniković. The church contains a collection of engravings made from the 17th to 19th century, as well as the works of applied art and those made by Užice coppersmiths.

ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH

At the initiative of well – off merchants and distinguished citizens of Užice , the main church , dedicated to St.
George was built from 1842 – 1844.lt is situated in the town centre, not far from the Grammar school. The iconostasis and the frescoes were made between 1851. and 1856. by the painters Dimitrije Posniković and Milija Marković.

The church used to have three bell – towers of which two have been preserved. One of the preserved towers was a gift of prince Alexander Karađorđević to the town. The missing bell is the one taken by the Austrians in World War I. In 1859. the first public clock was placed on the church tower.

JOKANOVIĆA KUĆA ( THE JOKANOVIĆS’ HOUSE )

Jokanovića Kuća was the property of the one of the richest merchant families of Užice in the second half of XIX century – the Jokanovics family. It is also known under the name ” peccara ” (The Jokanovics family traded, besides other things, with wine and brandy and owned a couple of inns in Užice). This house is one of the rare representative houses from XIX century, not only in Užice but wider as well. Due to its emphasized ethnography characteristics, the building has been declared a national cultural heritage.

Jokanovića Kuća is in the very center of the town, next to the City Art gallery. There is a museum exhibition of ambient character under the title: ” City House in Užice in the XIX and the beginning of XX century ” . Within this exhibition it is able to be seen the total transformation of Užice from the oriental settlement ” sheher ” into the Serbian small town.

The exhibition consists of three ambient parts ( three interiors ):  the first one, so – called ” Oriental Room ” where you can see the way citizen of Užice lived in XIX century. ” Maiden’ s – City Room ” shows the beginning of the new ” Serbian ” time, when after the liberation against the Turks,  Serbian craftsmen and merchants needed more comfortable things and flats, European suits, jewelry etc.

The saloon of the town house from the end of XIX and the beginning of XX century depicts time when in Užice started distinctive separation of rich class people, the merchants, who wanted to show their wealth by living under luxurious conditions.

THE TOWN GALLERY

The town gallery of Užice was founded in 1990.

The activities of the gallery are displaying the works of modern and contemporary Yugoslav art, as well as organising the exhibitions of foreign authors. The gallery covers the exhibition space of 185 ml, with modern illumination and display equipment.
The activities of the gallery include a very important international even – The International graphic Biennial ” Dry point ” , of which the gallery is an initiator, founder and organiser. Within the Krakov graphic Triennial it has been classified among the 22 prestigious events in the world and it is represented at the exhibition of Intergraph within the Triennial. So far 6 Biennials have taken place. At the international graphic Biennial ” Dry point ” artists from 34 countries of the world have taken part, so far.
More than 150 exhibitions have been held in the City gallery in the last 14 years. All fields of fine arts have been included in the programme.

THE TOWN SQUARE

Partisan square takes the central place in the town. The architectural solution of the town square as a unique and exceptional scenic area fits perfectly into the need of the citizens to have the place of the most diverse – cultural, amusement and political gatherings.

Starting with the Theatre and the Library on the front, the square, by its full width, descends by means of several levels towards the main street and extends to the hotel ” Zlatibor ” .
Scenic performances takes place on the square, but it is also a favourite place of get – togethers of all generations.