Ab o u t   M t.  Z l a t i b o r - g e o g r a p h i c a ll y


       Zlatibor is a vast rolling plateau in western Serbia. Under the name of Zlatibor two concepts are meant, the geographical and the touristic one, which are territorially not identical: 
    "...Zlatibor as a geographical unit encircles the territory between the rivers Sušica and Uvac and the eastern slopes of mt.Tara and western slopes of Murtenica. The villages Kremna and Mokra gora belong to it in the northwest, mt. Murtenica, Zlatibor piedmont area, that forms a pass towards the nearby Tara and the Sandžak mountains, belong to it in the southeast.
     Under the touristic concept of Zlatibor we mean the vast plateau 3O km long and 12 km wide, which spreads from northwest towards southeast, bordered by the mountain peaks of Gradina, Crni Vrh, Čigota, Murtenica, Tornik, Čavlovac, Vijogor and the upper course of the river Sušica. On this place touristic settlements like Ribnica, Kraljeva Voda, Palisad, Oko and Čajetina started developing at the end of last and the beginning of this century...." ("Zlatibor from the old album" -Snežana Đenić Ajdanić") 
      The everage height of mt.Zlatibor is about 1OOO m above sea level. It is intersected by numerous rivers, streams and ravines.
      Nature was generous with Mt.Zlatibor giving it its beautiful scenery, rolling heights overgrown with pine, fir, and spruce forests here and there, vast meadows decorated with white narcissuses and other colourful flowers, very pleasant and mild climate, a great number of sunny days, unpolluted air and other amenities.     
 

       
        Mo u n t a i n  p e a k s 

     A description of Mt.Zlatibor peaks from the book "On the fragrant Mt.Zlatibor", written by Sreta A.Popović, published in Belgrade in the year 19O8.


   "...Putting aside those braids of mountain saddles and hights we notice immediatelly, that on the very top of Zlatibor, in Dobroselica, Tornik raises proudly, decorated 
by a thick coniferous forest.On the north there is Šargan across which a road leads from Užice to Bosnia and Hercegovina, and where the remainders of a Turkish bridge are still standing.
      On the southeast there is Murtenica, a famous mountain 6O km in the scope, richest with forests. It consists of many parts with special names and it is overgrown with fir forest, pine forest and hasel grove at the  borders.
On the northwest side of Zlatibor plateau there is Gruda with its stunted forests of cerris, oak and hornbeam and there is a nice view of Zlatibor from there.
    Another bigger peak is Gradina above Čajetina. As the air is as clear as crystal our glance pointed towards the south - west exceeds the present borders of Serbia and stops at the magnificent top of Durmitor. 

 

  
   Th e  r i v e r s

    Mt.Zlatibor plateau inclines towards the north and northwest, which caused that all the water flows off to the Black Sea basin by the Drina, the Đetinja and 
the Moravica. The rivers and streams are rich with various kinds of fish such as chub, gudgeon, traut, "mladica" and "lipljan".
   The strong river Uvac with its deep river bed and very nice canyons flows through the southern part of Zlatibor. Its tributaries are: the Šupljica in Negbina, the Rasnički potok (brook) in Rasnica, the Dobroselički and the Šaranski potok in Dobroselica, and the Tisovica at Ojkovica. The Uvac flows into the Lim and later into the Drina.
The Crni Rzav has its headwaters under the northwestern parts of mt. Murtenica in Carevo Polje and flows through the central part of mt. Zlatibor plateau. On some
parts there are some very beautiful and interesting canyons. Its tributaries are: the Ribnica, the Obudovica, the Bele Vode, the Jablanička Reka. It joins the
Beli Rzav and they form the Rzav which flows into the Drina.
There are no other rivers in the northern part of mt.Zlatibor except the Sušica, that has got its name because its water disapears into limestone during the summer. Its source is under Gruda and it flows into the Đetinja. The biggest
tributaries are The Džambica potok, the Grabovica, the Kriva Reka, the Prijanski potok and the Balašica.
The Veliki Rzav flows along the eastern border of Zlatibor. Its tributaries are: The Bela Reka, the Ljubišnica, the Katušnica with its two tributaries the Rakovički
and the Gostiljski Potok (where there is the waterfall from the picture, located behind the football field), and the Prištavica with the Ponor.

       


       

          Th e  L a k e s

    On mt.Zlatibor there are two artificial lakes. The bigger one is in Ribnica on the river Crni Rzav. Its area is about 1O square km. It's rich with all kinds of fish, such as:chub, gudeon, traut, carp, tench and sheatfish.
     In the very centre of the tourist town Zlatibor, the smaller lake, intended for tourist needs, is situated. It is surrounded by pleasant paths and benches for 
the visitors to have a rest. In summer they can swim and sunbathe there, and they 
can skate on its icy surface in winter.(It is called "The Zlatibor Sea")

            Th e  F o u n t a i n s


     Zlatibor is rich in excellent drinking waters, some of which are the best in Serbia. Kulaševac, the source of the best Zlatibor water, gave its name to the place that spreads on the rich pastures of Obudovica. At the end of last century
this place was famous for just one object - Jovan Mićić's "Čardak" in which he was spending fragrant summers with his family and friends. The duke Miloš Obrenović was a frequent guest there.


            T h e   K i n g ' s   F o u n t a i n


    In the year 1893 another noble guest, the King Aleksandar I-st Obrenović came to Kulaševac. Many notices confirm that it was an extraordinal event.A warm welcome
was aranged to the Sovereign. In the name of people from Zlatibor the mayor of Čajetina, mr.Petar Mićić proposed a toast and asked the ruler to let the water in Kulaševac be called "King's water","and that this inexhaustible source becomes an eternal memory of the king's arival to Zlatibor". This way Kulasevac got its new name and the King built the fauntain on which it was engraved:"Kralj Aleksandar I, 2O.avgusta 1893".
   In 1931 Kraljeva Voda (today's town Zlatibor) got its water supply when the water from the fountain Đurkovac and the one that King Aleksandar had built was pumped into the reservoir.
Besides Đurkovac and Kraljeve vode the healthiest and the coldest waters are: Hajdučka česma and Hajdučica in Murtenica, Zauglina under Čigota, Jovanova voda in 
Alin Potok, Dunjica vrelo in Stublo, Pašica vrelo in Čajetina, Oko, Đurovića česma on Tornik, Ćirovića česma in Mušvete, Bukvica vrelo in Zova and Stublina on Vranjevina.

                      "Zlatibor in the past" Milisav R. Đenić  

             
     S t u b l i n e (hollow tree trunks)

    Walking around Zlatibor you'll often come across a tree trunk digged in the ground filled with clear spring water called "stubline". At the bottom of "stublina" (usually made of beech tree) there are small stones to filter water.
Beside "stublina" there are usually two big stones to lean on while drinking.