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Hidden from view from the road, Potpećka Pećina is a grandiose monument of nature and the most singular speleological site in western Serbia. It is one of the five caves in Serbia that has been made up for tourist visits. Its entrance is one of the largest among the caves in the Balkans.
The cave was cut out by underground streams of the Dreznik valley. Leaving the underground, these streams surface at the cave and the springs in front of it come together to form the Petnica River, which continues along its 1,200-meter course until it flows into the Djetinja River.
The monumentality of the Potpećka Pećina entrance is indeed captivating. The gigantic, horse-shoe shaped portal, cut out in the limestone bluff is fifty meters tall and twelve meters wide at the bottom and twenty-two at the top. A total of 555 meters have been explored and made up to be made available to visitors, along with a stairway numbering over 700 steep steps.
 As regards its geological structure, this Serbia’s underground jewel is made of Middle Triassic limestone, whitish in color with fine mosaic-like fabric characterized by crack porosity. There are two main levels of cave passages: the older - Gornja Pećina (Upper Cave) and the younger -Donja Pećina (Lower Cave). The upper level was where once the underground stream used to flow and had cut out a waterfall, while the lower level accommodated people. Once the floor of the upper level gave way under the weight of water, the roles were reversed. The water then flowed along the lower level, while the people cut their way into the rocks to make the upper level habitable. The very difficult approach owing to the steep and sharp sides has rendered food and water supply virtually impossible so that the upper level was soon abandoned by the cave dwellers.
The wealth of cave decoration is among the rare ones in karst caves. Potpećka Pećina in its halls and hallways holds fascinating treasures – luscious stalactite figures called Jovan Cvijić & Speleolozi (Jovan Cvijić & Speleologists), Kalem (Coil), Palma (Palm), Snežana & Sedam Patuljaka (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), Oktopod (Octopus); the translucent white stalagmite drapery -Nevestinski Veo (Bridal Veil); the 3.5-meter tall Stub -Don Kihot (Column – Don Quixote); then there is also the Sala Makarona, (The Macaroni Hall), Zmajeva Dvorana (The Dragon’s Hall); Prolaz Slepih Miševa (The Bats’ Passage)... Bats were attributed special magical effects in ancient folk beliefs. According to some stories, a maiden could enchant a fellow if she ground wing of a bat dwelling deep in the cave, snake’s skin and inula, a flower growing near the cave, and blew this powder onto her chosen one while chanting an incantation.
In the 1980s, the Užice Municipality secured the funds to make up walking paths and install lighting along the way. Statistics from that time says this natural jewel was each year visited by up to ten thousand tourists.
 There are two archeological sites in the cave that have not as yet been fully explored. The first, at the very entrance to the cave hall, relates to the life of the cave’s dwellers over time, while the second, deep in the cave’s interior, is of interest primarily for studying the age of the Earth.
Apart from the exceptionally rich and very rare decorations, evidence was found indicating that the cave had been peopled since the Neolithic. The long, dark passages offered safe haven, while the presence of drinkable water and constant temperature offered additional a sense of security. During the exploration of the cave, some thirty odd years ago, an abundance of ceramics, antlers, various tools, weapons and other valuable objects were found and sent to Sarajevo for further analysis, but were never returned.
It does not appear that the early cave’s dwellers performed religious rites in the cave, but the modern-day frequent visitors to the cave gladly leave small coins ‘for luck’ in the unusual embrasure in the main hall.
In 1893, one of the most prominent Serbian speleologists and explorers Jovan Žujović wrote about this monument of nature, as did also renowned naturalist Jovan Cvijić, after whom one of the cave halls was named. In the more recent years, Professor Radenko Lazarević offered a highly detailed study describing Potpećka Pećina as the most valuable speleological jewel in western Serbia.
The average air temperature throughout the year in the cave is 9.5 degrees Celsius. The beneficent effect of the cave climate is felt also in its immediate environs.
Village tourism is highly developed in this region. The Petnica River originating from the cave fills the fishponds in which the locals grow trout. The first in the area’s series of fishponds is the colorful coffeehouse located at the very cave entrance. The cave’s arch almost covers its well-groomed lawn, the fishponds and the ethno-style restaurant offering, naturally, fresh trout. Noteworthy hospitality, healthy food, the fine and spacious houses and the fairytale-like landscape make Potpeć an increasingly attractive tourist site, the cave above the village playing a special role. | 
