Potpec Cave

Potpec Cave lies in the neighbouring village of Potpece, on the road that runs through Zlakusa. Its mouth is the tallest cave entrance in Serbia: fifty metres high, twelve metres wide at the base and twenty-two at the top. It is protected as a natural monument.

Entrance height

50 m — tallest in Serbia

Entrance width

12 m at base, 22 m at top

Laid-out path

555 m

Estimated system

8—10 km, two levels

Status

Protected natural monument

Village

Potpece, City of Uzice

What is inside

About 555 metres of path are laid out for visitors, while the whole system is estimated at eight to ten kilometres across two main levels. The halls are named for the formations that fill them — the Hall of Dragons, Don Quixote, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

More than a cave

The protection is not only geological. Neolithic human remains were found inside, so its cultural and historical value is cited alongside the aesthetic and the geological. That is part of why it is described as the most significant speleological site in western Serbia.

Getting there from Zlakusa

The cave is right next to Zlakusa, in the village of Potpece, about 14 km south-east of Uzice. A marked circular trail from Zlakusa also leads to it, linking the fish ponds, old watermills and Petnica waterfalls along the way, so the cave and the village fit easily into one outing.