Usacki cave system - the most important information
Near the village of Gornje Lopize, in the settlement of Usak, there is an unusual creation of nature. It testifies to what can happen when, at the meeting place, water hits the rocks. Stream Usacki potok, a tributary of the river Uvac, here passes through the limestone plateau of the canyon and plunges into a playful cave system. This system is called the Usacki cave system and consists of three parts:
With a length of over 6,000 meters, it is one of the longest cave systems in Serbia.
Characteristics of the cave Usacka pecina
The largest part of the entire Usacki system makes the cave Usacka pecina with more than 2,000 meters in length. Two entrances lead to its depths, one from the very bed of the river Uvac and the other near the village of Gornja Lopiza. In addition to the two entrances to the Usacka pecina, there are two other entrances to other parts of this system. As soon as you step here, you will find yourself in a long tunnel through which stream Dubok potok flows. It occasionally sinks and springs from cracks, but it keeps following visitors on their way through corridors and canals. The longest part of the cave Usacka pecina is this main passage, while the side branches decorate the space.
What to see
The cave is adorned by many things that water flow has been sculpturing for years, so here you can see a lot of beautiful cave jewelry. The cave, however, hides its true magnificent splendor deeper in its hollow. If you go through the dark twisted canals all the way to the other part of the cave Usacka pecina, you will see a large number of limestone sculptures like:
- Stalactites and stalagmites - limestone deposited over the years create very large specimens of stalactites and stalagmites, which look like massive cave subs.
- Draperies, flowstones and travertine terraces - sculptural works of water and limestone that decorate the spacious cave halls.
The space decorated in this way looks like the work of an unnamed artist, so it is worth coming and seeing these sculptural works of water and limestone. After the rich cave Usacka pecina, the corridors will take you to the cave Ledena pecina and the pit Bezdana jama, which are upgrading this real underground castle.
How to get to the cave Usacka pecina
The Usacki system, with several levels, from wide halls to the narrowest vertical channels, built a unique natural curiosity. As such, it got under the protection of the Special Nature Reserve "Uvac".
Tours of this system and other caves in the area are being organized by various nature groups, tourist organizations, and the "Uvac" reserve itself.
- By boat: Some parts of the caves are flooded and some entrances can only be reached by boat.
- On foot: in organized tours
Ticket price
- Ticket price to the "Uvac" reserve: 100 dinars for visitors older than 18, or 50 dinars for young visitors aged 8 to 18.
- Ticket price to the Usacki cave system: 150 dinars per person.
Organized tours are being paid additionally, and prices can vary from 1,000 dinars to 13,000 dinars, depending on the number of visitors, the duration of the tour, the boat ride service, the service of organizing walking tours, rafting, etc.On average, 2 hours of rafting on lake Uvacko jezero costs 7,000 dinars, and 3 hours of rafting with a tour of the cave Ledena pecina costs 10,000 dinars.
Additional information
Although luxurious, the Usacka pecina shyly hides its beauties in the dark, so you can't go here without a good lamp. As the guides introduce you to the name of each canal and cave hall, under the beams of light the whole experience becomes even more beautiful.
- Equipment: Before entering the cave system, it is recommended that you wear waterproof clothes, rubber boots, a helmet, and a lamp. You can often get some of the equipment from the tour organizer.