Pedestrian tracks to connect Zlatibor and Mokra Gora - new tourist offer in Užice

Natural pearls of the Užice region, kilometers away from each others, will be connected by pedestrian tracks. In that way, tourists will be able to walk from Zlatibor to Zlakusa, from Mokra Gora to Kadinjača, or from Jelova Gora to the canyon of the Derventa river. Pedestrian tracks 200 kilometers long will attract tourists and help economic development of neighboring villages.

Pedestrian tracks that will soon lead walkers through the areas of untouched nature are being routed by Tourism Organization "Užice" and Mountain Club "Rujno". As the people from these organizations explain, the idea is to improve the tourist offer and to enable the tourists who like walking to see the beauties of the region. Organized and marked mountain tracks will, thus, connect Zlatibor and Zlakusa, Mokra Gora and Kadinjača, Jelova Gora and the Derventa canyon. This project is backed by the state, which set aside 1.6m RSD from the fund for public works for that purpose, and the logistic support to the project is provided by Mountain Club "Rujno" whose activists are working on organization of the tracks. They are removing weeds and trash, installing trash cans and signposts, marking centenary trees...

- We will soon get 200 kilometers of mountain tracks, which are expected to improve the tourist offer of Užice. In addition to the fact that we want to advertise the tracks as an attraction, our wish is, also, to stimulate development of rural tourism and accompanying activities in that way. Each of the branches is routed by the plan, so that the walkers can have a lunch in one village, buy milk cream or brandy in the second village, have fun watching natural notabilities in the third village, and spend the night in the fourth village. Those who have no conditions for accommodation of guests or catering business can always offer accompanying services, such as renting equipment for mountain climbing or making souvenirs of natural materials. Some households from the village of Ćitića Bukva have recognized this opportunity and purchased mountain horses to rent them to tourists - Radomir Smiljanić, the CEO of TO "Užice", told "Blic".

The Secretary of MC "Rujno", Ivan Obućina, says that new 200 km of mountain tracks, along with 60 km of existing tracks in the area of Zlakusa, will make "the magic circle of natural beauty", which will have economic, environmental, sports and recreational significance. Walks in the nature and healthy living trends are the standards that Europe accepted long time ago as the precondition for tourism business.

- We are creating the real network of mutually connected paths, so that tourists can now walk from Mokra Gora to Zlakusa, that is, from one end to another end of the territory of city of Užice. One can see many beautiful things during that walk: belvederes on Jelova Gora, various species of flora and fauna, 500-year-old oaks, numerous water springs, Roman bridge, waterfall on the Derventa river, etc. These tracks will also create the opportunity for development of equestrian sport, mountain biking, paragliding, Nordic sports, etc. - says Obućina.

(Note: complete text is taken over from newspaper "Blic" of September 2nd, 2009)