A village of pottery – Zlakusa, Potpec, Krvavci, Potocanje
There is almost no craft in Serbia that has survived for so long and remained unchanged as is the case with the making of pottery in Zlakusa. Here, in a unique way, using special materials (clay and calcite) earthen pots and other dishes have been made on the hand operated pottery wheel and these objects are baked in the open fire. This skill has been passed on from father to son. Even today the pottery craftsmen make their products in the same way their ancestors did. And the number of young people who have decided to take up this craft is growing. This village has been heard of worldwide – every summer the international colony of fine arts ceramics takes place in this village, as a fine link of traditional pottery and modern trends in ceramics. And those who come here on holiday have a chance to visit some of the workshops and see how the earthenware which is so popular in the market is made, for the bon vivants know that the food prepared in the pottery from Zlakusa has a special taste.
Nowhere is to be found such a small space with such an abundance of interesting items and beauty. Halfway on the road from Uzice to Pozega there are several timid villages in the valley and in the hilly area around the river Djetinja, leaning one against another, and in them there is unique pottery, the loveliest Serbian garden, a cave with the largest portal in the Balkans, the biggest number of fishponds that can be found on a small river, the best trumpet players of the whole region… And everywhere there are lovely houses and good hosts, already accustomed to being hospitable towards both the domestic and foreign guest.
It’s not difficult to guess that the above mentioned refers to Zlakusa, the village of pottery and the neighbouring villages Potpeć, Krvavci, Potočanje. It is an area with hard – working people and rich tradition, fertile fields, cattle and juicy fruits, ruddy pork and tasty cabbage prepared in the earthenware, maize bread made of maize flour from the water mill, dairy products and healthy trout… and all the rest offered unselfishly to the guests by the diligent housewives.
The loveliest Serbian garden is located in this village, too. That’s what is thought of the attractive ethno park, a museum built in the style typical of the old Serbian households. Its name is Terzica garden and it is visited by tourists from all parts of the world. On the ancestors’ hearth, the old buildings were made alive again and a new form of village tourism was developed. Everything is new here, with the scents of the past, and it reminds of the old Serbian garden from the old times, but with full comfort that a modern guest demands. The museum with ethno exhibition, wooden cabins, summer houses, a well, streams flowing through the garden and the bridges over them, fireplaces inside the houses, bake houses for bread and meat, earthenware, tranquility of the pine trees, suites in the old houses but with modern tiles on the roof… And plenty of cultural events, ethno performances, exhibitions of handicrafts. And of course, the selected home-made food, which even the diplomats enjoyed eating as well as different artists, including the guests from distant Australia and Cuba. And everybody is immensely satisfied with the environment.
Over there, above Zlakusa, in a nearby hill, a giant portal can be seen from a great distance. That is the entrance into a famous Potpec Cave, the most significant speleological object of western Serbia. It is, as the scientists have recorded, a monumental work of nature, with the highest portal in the Balkans, which is 50 m high. This cave has been reconstructed and opened for visitors with the illuminated tracks, the length of which is more than 500 m. The cave is rich in cave ornaments and interesting for all those visiting this region.
The river Petnica, which is perfectly clean, flows out of the cave. The venturesome inhabitants of the village of Potpec made a series of fishponds with good quality trout on this rather short river. They made a dam on the river and created the pools in which the fish wriggle during the whole year, making a real blessing for the whole area. And they also reconstructed old windmills by the river, for the sake of tourism; furnished the households to suit the needs of those who wish to come here. And once they have come, they want to taste the fried trout, just taken out of the fishpond, which is best prepared by the women of Potpece.
In the village of Potocanje which is not far away there is an unusual stone bridge on the river Derventa. It is said that it is several centuries old, it is called both the Roman and the Turkish bridge. And the village of Krvavci has always been famous for its brilliant trumpet players, the self-taught maestros of this metal instrument, who have left their mark in the competitions of brass orchestras in Guca for decades. Here in Zlakusa, some families such as the Ostojic, Babic, Stanimirovic, have become famous far and wide. A little of agricultural for the green market in Uzice, a bit of trumpet music for the celebrations and competitions, and recently a household to the lovers of village tourism – and life flows, just like the river Djetinja.