Đetinja Canyon May 23, 2020
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| "Banditosi" and Ćira |
During the chaos surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the "endless" hours spent at home under curfew, I stumbled upon the following video (make sure to check it out—if not the whole thing, at least skip through it a bit 🙂): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tmcle-kXjo
Naturally, the idea immediately popped into my head: it would be great to ride a bike through that area.
I mapped out the route—92 km: BB - Tara (Kaluđerske Bare) - Kremna - Bioska - Đetinja Canyon - Kadinjača - BB, and consulted my BB Amigos (Mentor and Lauda) for their opinion and details about the canyon (especially the unpaved part).
We agreed it could be done, but you’d need a mountain bike (possibly a trekking bike) since the section from the dam to just before Staparska Banja isn’t paved. I thought, "OK, if that’s the case: LET'S DO IT—no problem, it’ll be a mountain/trekking ride."
I didn’t let the idea cool off, and within a few days, the opportunity to tackle this route came up. To avoid confusion—conditions at that time were terrible! The pandemic was at its peak (author’s note: at least, that’s how it seemed at the time—this text was written in May 2020—and in hindsight, the measures we took back then seem laughable, considering the number of new daily cases), curfews were being enforced from every angle, weekends and holidays were completely "locked down," and if anything went wrong with the bikes during the ride, we’d have a real problem because of the curfew. Time was tight, but of course, that didn’t deter us one bit—quite the opposite...
April 28, 2020: Curfew from 5 PM to 5 AM every weekday. Weekends were entirely "locked down." I was in Nova Varoš, waking up at 4 AM (honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten up earlier… even when we went fishing, which naturally requires an early start, I don’t think I got up at 4 AM...), getting ready, packing the car, and loading the bike. At 5:02 AM, I set off for Bajina Bašta. According to Google Maps, it’s a 1 hour and 45-minute drive, and I arrived in Bašta. On the way, I saw a total of two cars, and that was only when I got close to Bajina Bašta.
I arrived in front of Mentor’s house, changed clothes, and prepared for the ride. We set off around 7:30 AM!!! First stop: the bakery—for a complete lepinja (you can't go wrong with that). After the lepinja, the climb up to Tara began. I’d done it many times before, and it wasn’t too bad. As we climbed, the views of the surrounding mountains and the Drina River in the distance were breathtaking.
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| The landscapes were stunning |
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| Amigosi in action |
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| In the distance, you can see the top of the climb up to Tara |
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| A characteristic Tara rock |
We reached Kaluđerske Bare (the peak of Tara on our route) without much effort, put on our windbreakers, and descended into Kremna. We merged onto the main road from Užice to Višegrad and headed toward Užice. After less than 2 km, we turned off toward the village of Bioska.
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| As soon as we left the main road, the landscapes opened up again |
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| Lauda in action |
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| First break |
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| A view toward Tara |
Mentor suggested we make a small "detour" to visit the Rujan Monastery, which was about 300–400 meters off our route. Naturally, we agreed. We arrived at the monastery, and to my surprise, it was new—actually, still under construction. The original was submerged when the dam on the Đetinja River was built. The Vrutci reservoir flooded the original monastery, so a new one was being built above the lake.
One interesting detail about the Rujan Monastery is that it’s known for being the site where the first book in Serbia was printed (way back in 1537). If that’s the case, I thought, it’s only right they build a new monastery to make sure such things aren’t forgotten.
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| Lauda next to the monument dedicated to the first printed book in Serbia |
After the monastery, we descended directly to the Vrutci dam.
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| The dam |
The Vrutci reservoir, in addition to submerging the monastery, also swallowed up a good part of the route that the Ćira train used to run along.
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| The last hairpin before the dam |
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| A view of the lake from the dam |
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| Đetinja downstream from the dam, taken from a small bridge |
We descended from the dam toward Đetinja. The road was no longer paved, and it was quite bumpy, covered in loose stones that were unstable under the wheels, so I went slowly while Lauda and Mentor sped off at a pace I couldn’t keep up with. They waited for me at the small bridge over the Đetinja, and the road improved slightly there, though it was still too bumpy for my taste (and my trekking bike).
We were keeping a good pace—better than we should have—but today’s ride was, in a way, a race against time.
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| Once, the "Ćira" train passed through here, running between Sarajevo, Užice, and Belgrade |
The railway that Ćira used to travel has long since been removed, leaving only rough gravel behind.
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| The tunnels are quite unusual—narrower than the ones for cars |
After about 6 or 7 kilometers of gravel (some parts better, some worse, with potholes and bumps, puddles, and everything else that "attacked" us along the way), new asphalt appeared. What a difference, and what a joy it was to switch to smooth asphalt. After a few hundred meters, we reached Staparska Banja. A quick stop for photos, then we continued on to Užice.
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| Staparska Banja—now on smooth asphalt |
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| The canyon is truly beautiful |
To be honest, I expected the Đetinja to be a larger river, considering the canyon is really impressive at times. Then again, the size of the river now depends on how much water the power plant releases to its generators, so how big the Đetinja was before the dam was built will remain a mystery to me.
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| Đetinja—a truly unspoiled natural beauty |
Once we hit the asphalt, our pace picked up significantly, and in no time, we were in Užice. We cruised down to the city lake, and from there, we headed straight for Kadinjača (without stopping).
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| A View of the Kadinjača Memorial from Afar |
We reached Kadinjača in one go (no stops or breaks). As we rode, I snapped a few pictures "on the fly."
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| We Arrive at the Top |
We took a 2-minute break, snapped a few photos, and then continued toward Bajina Bašta.
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| View from Kadinjača |
After Kadinjača, a fantastic descent followed (though the road was a bit bumpy at times). I closely followed Lauda and Mentor on the way down because, as I jokingly said, "they know every stone by name—and some even by surname." So, we made the descent as fast as possible, and now we only had one little climb (called: Nikolići) between us and Bašta.
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| The Famous House on the Drina |
We handled all of that with no problems, and we even extended the route a bit so I could take pictures of the little house on the Drina. By around 1:30 PM, we were back in front of Mentor’s house. Time to pack, change clothes, and share a drink with my two friends (to honor them and briefly recap the day’s ride).
A glance at my watch reminded me there was no time for anything more than one drink, a few words, and some impressions. By 2 PM, I was back on the road to Novi Sad (with exactly 3 hours until curfew).
I arrived home at 4:45 PM—just in time. The ride fully met my expectations. OK, that's it! As soon as the whole virus situation normalizes, we’ll have to organize this ride with a larger group.
About ten days after this test ride with the Banditosi, the curfew was lifted (May 7, 2020)! I immediately began planning and organizing the event with the Banditosi. The response was excellent, actually much better than I expected. AWESOME!
In talking with friends who were preparing for the ride through the canyon, I could feel that everyone was eager to gather and ride together. Honestly, I wanted the same. All those restrictions, curfews, bans on gatherings, and limitations on socializing had left us all longing for freedom, company, and togetherness.
As the departure day approached, the situation slowly started to fall into place (who’s driving which car, how many bikes each car can carry, who will ride with whom, when we’re leaving, etc.).
The plan was simple:
- Friday, May 22, 2020: Gathering and dinner
- Saturday, May 23, 2020: Ride + a communal barbecue and gathering in the evening
- Sunday, May 24, 2020: A short morning ride, walk, lunch, and return home
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| "Buckle Up, We're Taking Off" |
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| Vincina Voda, 1093m (the highest point of Debelo Brdo you can reach by asphalt) |
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| Kapija Podrinja Viewpoint - Mentor, Laki, and I posing |
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| View from the Kapija Podrinja Viewpoint |
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| We arrived in Bajina Bašta just as the day was ending. |
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| The Crew is All Here |
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| Karađorđe’s Schnitzel |
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| Smoked Trout Fillets |
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| Fresh Trout |
The mood was high, and we ate, drank, and laughed until we cried. It was clear that we all needed this. We closed the restaurant at 11:30 PM (it officially closed at 11), and then we went to sleep.
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| The Living Room at Hostel "Mystic River" (full of bikes) |
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Wake up, military style—everyone was at breakfast at Studenac at 7:30 AM, dressed and ready with their bikes. Honestly, I was surprised no one was late; everything went exactly as planned.
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| Complete Lepinja |
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| Complete Lepinja with a View of the "Essentials" |
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| Breakfast at Tif... uh, I mean Studenac |
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| This Time, We Didn't Miss the View of the House, hehehe |
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| The Legend of the Blue Bidon (water bottle) is Still Being Told... |
Breakfast consisted of complete lepinjas, eggs with bacon or omelets, and "Zapis Tare" yogurt (my favorite). No one was left hungry—in fact, quite the opposite.
As a precaution, we bought additional (half for each person) complete lepinjas at the bakery in case we got hungry along the way, as a good part of the route went through "wilderness" with no food available.
We split into two teams: those starting from Bašta (who would ride up Tara and cover the full route—12 cyclists) and those starting from Kaluđerske Bare (to save their legs a bit, so they’d have enough strength for the rest of the route), the remaining 5.
WE’RE OFF!
The climb up Tara wasn’t too bad; it was more long than steep, so it took us about 1:15 to 1:30 to reach Kaluđerske Bare.
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| Climbing Tara - View Toward Perućac |
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| Climbing Tara - View Toward Kaluđerske Bare |
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| Climbing Tara - View Toward Rača Monastery |
We made it to the top, where it was a "pleasant" 10°C. A small misunderstanding about the timing of the meeting at the top of Tara led to some of the group who started from Kaluđerske Bare having to wait a bit longer.
We waited... We froze and completely cooled down...
Finally, everyone was together, and we continued. A lovely descent followed toward Kremna. About halfway down, we stopped to visit the Kremansko Prophecy complex. We took a short break, and Lauda, being the perfect guide, explained many interesting details about the area, the prophecy, and the Tarabić family.
Of course, we all "did the ritual" with the miraculous stone and continued the descent toward the village of Kremna.
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| Kremansko Prophecy |
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| Laki and the King in a Barrel |
We arrived in Kremna, where we joined the main road from Užice to Višegrad. At the monument to Ćira, we stopped for a group photo.
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| Banditosi and Ćira |
After the Ćira "photo session," we continued toward Bioska. The road to Bioska was mostly downhill. We passed through Bioska, and the ascent began. As we climbed, Tara Mountain gradually came into view. About 800 meters before the turnoff for the Rujan Monastery, we stopped (at the store "Zrno") to gather the group so no one would miss the turn.
Since we were stopped, we took advantage of the store and the benches and tables it offered. A few beers and Coca-Colas were cracked open.
Back together... We continued on.
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| View of Tara in the Distance... |
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| The Monastery in Sight—Everyone Wanted to Take Pictures (I’d done my photo shoot last time, so I was more entertained by the group’s excitement over the monastery) |
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| A Well-Deserved Break |
We reached the monastery and took a break for about 45 minutes. Breakfast had mostly worn off, so we decided it was the perfect time to calm our stomachs with half a lepinja each (as allocated to each person)...
We basked in the sun, chatted, and enjoyed the moment.
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| Rest, Half a Lepinja, and a View of the Lake |
We continued, and unlike the test ride with the Banditosi, we returned to the asphalt and, via Stapar, enjoyed a FANTASTIC descent into Užice. We arrived at the city lake and entered the Đetinja Canyon.
As I mentioned before, Đetinja isn’t a big river, but it has a beautiful canyon. The tunnels were narrow (built for Ćira), some lit, some not—all in all, a fantastic contrast to the earlier part of the ride where the views and landscapes "exploded" in every direction.
For those less familiar with the history of this route (the narrow-gauge railway that Ćira used to run on, actually called Ćiro), here are a few words on the subject:
"Roads—whether land, river, sea, air, bridges, or railways—have always connected people, serving as a means for the exchange of goods and services. In other words, roads mean life, opportunities for work, livelihoods, and the chance for people to remain in the areas through which these roads and railways pass.
One of the most famous and well-known railways in the former Yugoslavia was the narrow-gauge railway from Sarajevo to Višegrad, which continued through Užice and on to Belgrade. Built during the Austro-Hungarian rule, the Sarajevo to Višegrad section was completed in 1906, and the line was finally connected to Belgrade via Užice in 1928, with a total length of 405 kilometers. It served as the lifeline for the eastern part of Bosnia and the western part of Serbia, particularly the Podrinje region. It’s likely that no one from Bosnia or Serbia, especially in the west, hasn’t heard the story of the famous 'Ćiro' train, either from their own memories or from tales passed down by older generations.
Though many viewed the Austro-Hungarian period in these lands as an occupation and something negative, the contribution to construction works, and the feats that remain in excellent condition to this day, are undeniable. The terrain the railway passed through was quite unique, necessitating the construction of 134 tunnels—an impressive achievement given the technology of that time. It also highlights the slowness and arrogance of today's authorities, who take decades to complete a single tunnel.
However, on August 1, 1978, 'Ćiro' ceased operating, a decision that deeply saddened the residents of the regions it served. This inexplicable act by the authorities impoverished parts of both Bosnia and Serbia. In time, it has become clear that the loss of this connection, coupled with poor road infrastructure, contributed to population migrations, as people lost access to other regions of what was still one country."
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| A View of Zlatibor from Afar (Near the Monastery) |
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| Užice - Another Serious and Steep Descent, and We've Arrived |
At one point, Užice came into view—a nice lookout, followed by a steep descent into the city. Under Mentor’s impeccable guidance, we reached the pedestrian/bike path through the canyon.
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| Everyone Wants to Take Pictures of the Big Dam |
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| The Big Dam |
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| The First Ćira Tunnel—Well-Maintained and Lit (which can’t be said for all the tunnels we passed through) |
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| Scenic Views Everywhere, Snapping Pictures and Enjoying Nature |
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| Đetinja and the Canyon Cliffs in the Background |
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| At Several Points, Đetinja Forms Rapids, but Here the Roar is the Most Impressive |
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| Arriving at Staparska Banja |
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| And Then—A "Bath" |
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| The braver part of the group decided to cool off in the Đetinja. |
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| We’re Slowly Heading Back |
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| Užice Beach |
Little by little, we arrived at Užice Beach, descended, and after gathering together, we set off towards Kadinjača.
Out of Užice
The whole way to Kadinjača is uphill, at first gradual, but towards the end, it steepens to 7-8%. But we all had a goal in mind. Near the end of the climb, I had arranged with the Amigos for a break at the "Tri Bora" restaurant, where I pre-ordered a local spread (prosciutto, smoked pork, cheese, kajmak, cornbread)—you just can’t go wrong with that.
A break followed, with more socializing, eating, drinking, and chatting... We were hungry, and a rest is always welcome.
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| Out of Užice, with Beautiful Views Again |
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| In the Distance, Kadinjača—We’re Almost There |
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| A Very Distinctive Monument |
Now, a bit of history about the Kadinjača monument. The monument commemorates the fallen fighters during the Battle of Kadinjača:
"The Battle of Kadinjača took place as part of the First Enemy Offensive on November 29, 1941, on the Kadinjača pass, 14 kilometers northwest of Užice. It is renowned in both our national and world history as an unparalleled act of bravery, comparable to the courage of the 300 Spartans who perished at Thermopylae. It was fought between German occupation troops and the Užice Workers' Battalion, along with several other partisan detachments.
The battle was more of a sacrifice than a defense. All the fighters of the Workers' Battalion perished, protecting the retreat of the Supreme Command, which was withdrawing from Užice towards Sandžak. With this defeat, the Užice Republic—the first liberated territory in occupied Europe and a thorn in Hitler's side—was no more."
The monument was built in two stages:
"In memory of the defenders of Užice, the Pyramid Monument was unveiled in 1952, beneath which is a crypt containing the remains of most of the fighters who died at Kadinjača. In 1979, a new memorial complex was unveiled, and the Workers' Battalion was posthumously awarded the Order of the People's Hero."
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| Tri Bora and ~20 Banditosi—Just in Time |
We cleaned the platters in no time, but that was the plan—to have a little snack without overeating. In coordination with Mentor, we had arranged a barbecue dinner in his yard.
Refreshed, we set off for the final leg of the route, the descent from Kadinjača to Bašta. Mentor parted from us briefly (he sped ahead to get home and start preparing the barbecue).
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| View from Kadinjača |
We quickly arrived in Bašta, as nearly the entire route from Kadinjača to Bašta is downhill. Our speed was impressive, and the effort minimal. I have to give special credit to Lauda, who completed the entire route with a broken arm (in a cast)!
We arrived at our accommodation, showered, and changed clothes.
Meanwhile, the charcoal for the barbecue at Mentor’s house was ready, and the grilling had already begun.
The Team, Refreshed, Arrives at Mentor’s Hungry and Ready for Barbecue
I must give special thanks to Mentor and Igor for the perfect barbecue, and no less to Jovanka and Mira for the wonderful salads, as well as Zorica (Lauda’s wife) for the amazing cake.
With barbecue, salads, beer, and juice, we recounted the fun and memorable moments from this ride and previous ones. There was no shortage of laughter and good vibes the entire time
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| Zoka (Lauda's Wife) Made a Delicious Cake |
What can I say—it couldn’t have been better or more enjoyable. It was simply S U P E R.
All in all, 17 cyclists rode and completed the route. Two cars and five people were our support team, and they enjoyed it as well. I managed to introduce a hidden gem, previously unknown to many, to everyone who participated in this event.
Based on past gatherings, I’ve come to realize that every event like this has its own unique emotion, and each time it’s different. This time, the emotion was the best yet, without a doubt.
We definitely won’t stop here—onward and upward!
Until the next adventure,
D.
P.S. Sunday dawned gloomy and rainy, so the planned morning ride was canceled.
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