STUDENI POTOK
The Legend of the Petrified Dragon
For centuries, local residents have preserved a legend that explains the unusual shape of the stream. According to legend, a huge dragon emerged from the Rakitnica canyon and headed towards the village. As it crawled up the hill, its massive body left a deep, winding mark in the ground. The frightened locals fled to a nearby rock and prayed to God for salvation – hence the name of the village Umoljani. The prayer was answered: the monster was petrified on a cliff above the valley, where a rock resembling the jaw and body of a dragon can still be seen today, while its mark was filled with water and created today’s Studeni stream.
Geographical and tourist attraction
The stream is located at an altitude of about 1,350 meters. Its most important characteristics are:
Meanders: The incredible bends of the stream are most beautiful from the viewpoint on Gradina hill.
Waterfall: At the end of its course, the stream falls into the deep canyon of Rakitnica, forming a series of cascades and a waterfall several hundred meters high, visible only to the most skilled mountaineers.
Route: The tour from Umoljan to the stream is considered easy and ideal for families, with a total length of about 6 kilometers.
Dance of the Meanders
What makes Studeni Potok a world phenomenon are its perfect meanders. While most mountain streams rush down steep slopes, this stream, located in a vast valley, decides to slow down. It winds in incredibly regular, narrow bends that from the air look like a moving snake or a silver ornament on the green velvet of a pasture.
These meanders are a testament to the calm power of water that, despite its altitude of over 1,350 meters, has managed to carve its winding path in the soft soil of the valley. For the best experience, visitors must climb the nearby Gradina (around 1,450 meters above sea level). From there, the view is breathtaking: a blue strip of the stream shimmering in the sun, surrounded by the peaks of Obalje and Visočica in the distance.
Authenticity that disappears
At the very beginning of the stream are the old Umoljanje watermills. Although most have succumbed to the ravages of time, a few have been restored and serve as monuments to the mountain tradition of grain milling. The water from the stream is drinkable, icy (as its name suggests) and, according to local belief, has invigorating properties.
When to go: The best time is late spring (May/June) when the stream is full of water from melting snow, or autumn when the grass turns golden and the morning mists give the valley a mystical look.
Getting there: The path begins in the village of Umoljani, which is reached by a paved road. From the mosque with a stone minaret (which is a cultural monument in itself), follow the marked trail towards “Meanders”.
Hiking ethics: This is an ecologically sensitive area. Leave no traces, because Studeni potok belongs to legends, and we are only its temporary guests.
