Potpeće Cave

The Potpeć cave is situated in the Potpeć village 14 m away from Užice, in the northern valley of Drežnička Gradina ( 932 m altitude ) . The entrance to the Potpeć Cave is a monumental work of nature. The giant portal in the form of a horseshoe, 50 m high ( from the bed of the flow to the confluence ) , 12 m wide at the bottom, and 22 m at the top, is the highest cave entrance in Serbia. It is carved into a lime cliff, whose vertical part is 72 m high. The explored and arranged length for visitors is 555 m. The falling path at the entrance has over 700 steps.

Geological content – According to J. Cvijić ( 1914. ) , the Potpeć cave was built in the middle Triassic limestones, ” which lie on the verfenic slates… Detailed geological research and entering on a map of this area were done by B. Marković ( in 1957. and 1968 ) . The Triassic limestone, of which the cave was built, is whitish, with porosity as of cracks and fine mosaic structure.

Speleological characteristics – In the Potpeć cave two main floors of the cave channels can be distinguished: the older one – the Upper cave and the younger one – the Lower cave. The entrance channel is common for the both horizons; since it originated by destruction of the mezzanine construction and their merging. The riches of the cave ornaments is regarded as very rare among karst caves… In the morph – speleological sense, twelve units should be observed in the Potpeće cave.

Hydrological characteristics – According to the morph – hydrographic evolution, three groups of channels are distinguished in the Potpeće cave: the fossil ( the Upper cave ) , the active periodic flow ( the longer part of the Lower Cave ) and the constantly active ( the newest subterranean flow ) .

Climatic characteristics – The average annual temperature of the air is 9.5 C

The Potpeće cave and the man – It is estimated that the cave used to be man’s habitat even during the Neolith. Plenty of ceramics, deer horns and stone tools. In any case its inhabitants knew how to make the best of its favourable natural characteristics.