A weekend in Loznica
The most famous person from this region is Vuk Stefanović Karadžić – the Serbian language and script reformer, born in Tršić village near Loznica. The victorious battles of the “Drina Operation” which were won by the Serbian army in World War I were fought on the nearby Cer and Gučevo mountains. Royal Koviljača Spa, with its waters, mud and mild air, is the pride of the town, and the Drina River is the thread that connects all…
The last image Kursula saw
At the beginning of April, we were the guests of the Tourism Organization of Loznica. Our hosts took us to visit the selected places in the town and its surroundings, which are considered as the backbone of the tourism offer. We set off to Gučevo. Climbing towards the top, we stopped on a belvedere, from which we had a view of the town and the Drina River. From this place, we perfectly see the flow of the impetuous river meandering in the shape of a clef. This place became a legend thanks to the cult film “March to the Drina”, made in the 1970s, whose theme are the famous battles fought at the beginning of World War I. The main character, Major Kursula – a jovial and mischievous guy, gets killed in the battle here and, in while magnificently-tragically departing with his life, looking towards the Clef, completely in the spirit of his nature, utters his last words: “Drina, I fuck you.”
Battle underneath the clouds
We reached the top of Gučevo, with its Memorial Mausoleum, where the Serbian and Austrian-Hungarian warriors killed in the battles lasting for two months in the autumn of 1914 rest. “Gučevo Battle is known as ‘The Battle Underneath the Clouds’”, explains Danijela Milutinović, an expert tourismologist. “A crucial battle was being fought and it was one of the first trench battles in the world. The opposing armies were trenched and barely 10 meters or so away from one another. Convinced that the victory was theirs, the Austrian-Hungarians began to construct this memorial hallmark for their dead; ultimately, however, their eagle was replaced with our two-headed eagle.” The traces of the trenches have not disappeared until today, and people come to Gučevo to pay reverence to the souls of the heroes and to also enjoy the view, flying kites, paragliding…
The sunny river
We continued towards the Drina riverbank where The Sunny River Ethno Village lies. At the entrance there is a billboard with a scene from the TV series Her Mother’s Sin and this is just one of the riddles when speaking about the messages and the names of the places we were passing by. Zoran Mirković, the owner, clarified it to us: apart from that series, our famous director made here many other films and series, so after him the beach was named Šotra. A street was named after Robert De Niro because he had given his daughter the name of Drina. We were invited to give the name to the fountain that was just being built. It will be named after Vesna, a waitress. The dilemma was whether it would be Vesna’s Well or the Fountain of Wishes. We do not know which idea was accepted and unfortunately, we had no time to see all The Sunny River offers, but we saw the log church, the park, the farm…
King Peter’s Kur-salon and Bath
The sun began to go down when we arrived in Koviljača Spa. “We call it the Beauty of the Drina Basin. It’s one of the Serbian royal spas, and the Kur-Salon, built for the spa’s guests, is its symbol. There’s a magnificent ball room in it, where the annual king’s ball was held,” says Danijela and continues: “The Spa has a special microclimate, a spacious park surrounded by a forest, and it has two natural medicinal factors: water and mud. The best known is King Peter’s Sulphuric Bath, and when speaking about the diseases treated here, these are, first of all, rheumatism and post-traumatic conditions. The children’s ward is in the “Herzegovina” Villa; there is also the Wellness Center, which provides the highest-quality services.” While drinking refreshments in a café with a view of the Spa’s park, we suddenly felt as if bathed by the mild air.
Vuk’s Tršić
On the second day, we moved on, following in the steps of our famous linguist, Vuk Karadžić. His native village of Tršić is well-preserved for future generations. The ambience exudes the spirit of folk architecture; there is Vuk’s memorial house and the amphitheater, where “Vuk’s Gathering”, the biggest cultural event in the country, is held. The spirit of the man who left an enormous legacy to the Serbs is felt all around the place. The wooden boards bear the folk wisdoms that he was collecting all his life. We also visited the Educational-Cultural Center, which is about to open. It is built of stone and wood, and is nicely fitted into the landscape. Inside, everything is modern – from the congress halls, via the rooms, the Internet corners, to the restaurant. The Center is run as part of the Ministry of Education and will primarily be used for educational gatherings.
Candles Of Tronoša Monastery
In the public Tronoša Monastery is known as the first place where Vuk Karadžić was receiving his education. According to the records, he ran away from here since he had been spending more time with the cattle than with the book, but he left part of his fame to the monastery. We arrived in this pleasant place just at the beginning of the great folk festival of giving “farmers’ candles” as a gift. The villagers of the surrounding places bring beeswax, which is remelted into two big candles which are lit during the services and church holidays throughout the year. It is believed that they bring luck and protect the harvest. “It’s a particular skill which is conveyed from father to son. What remains from the old candles is remelted into new ones. In that way, the spirit of the past times is conveyed,” Mother Magdalina explains to us.
Town intermezzo
Full of impressions, we returned to Loznica, which was buzzing with life. Cafés, restaurants, small shops are all open. Our main host Snežana Perić, director of the TO of the Town of Loznica, and her associate Zoran Despotović were showing us the town. We became aware of the so many things that we would not have time to see: the Jadar Museum, Painter Mića Popović’s Gallery and Legacy, Vuk’s Culture Home. We were talking about jadarite, the unique ore discovered here; about the findings of the Paulje Archaeological Site, the Botanical Garden in Lipnica, Čokešina Monastery… We bid farewell to each other in a belief that we had just scratched the surface.
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