Drijetanj: Protected Area and Village History

Drijetanj combines a protected landscape with several specific memorial sites. Parts of the area belong to “Klisura Đetinje”; a memorial fountain, stone monuments, a memorial plaque and a former school building also tell of different historical traces. This gives you two distinct interests to consider when planning your trip: nature and local history. Depending on which subject you would like to spend more time on, you can consider Drijetanj as a starting point for a nature-focused or culturally oriented trip.

Landscape and Protected Area

Since the 2023 protection decision, parts of the Drijetanj area have been included in the “Klisura Đetinje” protected landscape area. The protected area includes a karst gorge with caves. Within the area, the “Suvodol – Karajčića stene” section in the Drijetanj cadastral municipality is subject to protection regime II. The landscape of the protected area and this specifically named section, with its protection regime, therefore serve as distinct points of reference.

A hiking route called “Drijetanj - walk around the village” runs around Drijetanj. It was uploaded in March 2024. If you include this route in your plans, check the current route and conditions in advance. This named circular walk offers a specific point of reference for anyone who wants to include nature in their trip.

Memorial Sites and Local History

The memorial sites also commemorate different aspects of the past. The Popova Voda memorial fountain was built in 1935 in honour of King Alexander and the local soldiers who fell in the wars of 1912 to 1918. A stone monument in Drijetanj bears an inscription stating that the national hero Željimir-Željo Đurić died there on 29 November 1941; the inscription also identifies him as secretary of the OK KPJ. Another stone monument commemorates the death of the national hero Dragoljub Dugić and identifies him as chairman of the Main NOO of Serbia. A memorial plaque on a commercial building bears the names of 21 fallen fighters.

The forms of commemoration differ: the fountain is a dedication, the stone monuments name individuals and their roles, and the plaque lists 21 names. If you are interested in the history of the area, these names, inscriptions and dates offer different specific points of reference.

The Former School as a Historical Timeline

The former primary school building offers another trace of the past. It was built in 1936 and housed a school until 1948; a new school was then built in the village. The former school was one of the first schools in the Užice area and was a kind of monument. Its year of construction, the end of its use as a school and the subsequent construction of a new school form a connected chronology. This differs from the memorial sites, which focus on individual people, dedications and a specific date.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Drijetanj, consider whether you would like to give more prominence in your trip plans to nature and the protected area or to the history of the memorial sites. The hiking route complements the nature focus, while the chronology of the former school building broadens the picture beyond individual memorial markers.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Kaludjerske Bare, Kremna, Rosići, Bajina Bašta, Zlatibor, Priboj, Mokra Gora, Ponikovica.

For the broader travel overview: Zlatibor District.