Weekend travel idea: what does Potpeć Cave hide?

Location and access

• Located 14 kilometers from Užice is one of the most impressive natural monuments of western Serbia — Potpeć Cave.
• Local guide Željko Matijević shared route details and features of this unique site on the broadcast of the program “150 minutes.”

Main impressions and features

• The main entrance portal, horseshoe-shaped and 50 meters high, is the tallest cave entrance in the country. It is carved into a sheer 72-meter limestone cliff.
• The speleological complex, formed by the waters of underground rivers, is divided into two main levels — the old and the new.
• The old section houses the famous Hall of Dragons and other natural formations. When viewed from inside the cave, the outline of the entrance portal resembles the silhouette of a mammoth.
• The new sector attracts visitors with unusual natural sculptures: under certain lighting conditions you can make out the shapes of a crawling baby and an eagle perched on the rock. This section also contains the Jovan Cvijić Hall.
• The total length of the cave passages is estimated at roughly 8–10 kilometers, however a safe visitor route of 555 meters has been equipped. To traverse it fully, tourists need to climb more than 700 steps in total for the ascent and descent.
• The underground galleries maintain a stable temperature of around 9–9.5 °C year-round. Local legends and scientific observations add color to the place:

According to legend, everyone who enters adds one day to their life.

• Guide Željko Matijević also claims that the oxygen concentration in the new part of the cave is higher, which has a beneficial effect on a person’s well-being (however, there is no independent verification of the figures he cited).

Opening hours and visits in October

In October the cave is open for tours from Wednesday to Sunday (Monday and Tuesday are closed):

• Wednesday — Friday: 4 tour sessions per day.
• Saturday and Sunday: 8 sessions per day.

Ticket prices

• Adults: 400 dinars (organized groups — 350 dinars).
• Children (7 to 14 years): 300 dinars (organized groups — 250 dinars).
• Children under 7 years: free.