Stopića Cave, a unique Zlatibor attraction

Are you planning to spend a weekend somewhere in Serbia?
Think about Zlatibor, but also visit Stopića cave, Sirogojno village and Gostilje waterfall.
All three locations can be visited in a one-day trip.

👉 You can read more about the old Sigorojno Village and Gostilje waterfall here.

 

A trip to the Stopića Cave

Stopića Cave (Stopića pećina) is the most visited cave in Serbia.

It is known for its unique tufa bathtubs, vigledes (specific openings in cave ceilings), waterfall, and the Trnavski stream.
The cave is declared as the Monument of Nature of the first category in Serbia. The Tourist Organisation of Zlatibor is in charge of it, and every year, something new is done and arranged.

So, if you are already on Zlatibor mountain or want to escape somewhere for a weekend, visit the Stopića Cave, one of the must-see attractions in Serbia 🙂

How to get to the Stopića Cave?

The cave is located on the north-eastern side of the Zlatibor mountain, between the villages of Rožanstvo and Trnava. It is 19 km from the tourist centre of Zlatibor on the way to Sirogojno village and 220 km far from Belgrade.

It got its name after the hamlet Stopići. The cave is situated at 711 meters above sea level, on the right bank of the river Prištevica.
The first written information can be found in the Record of the Serbian Geological Society from 1901. The famous Serbian geographer Jovan Cvijić made the first speleological investigations from 1909 to 1913.

The cave and access were arranged and opened to visitors in 2009.  A small market with local products from Zlatibor mountain is next to the parking. The maintained footpath leads from the parking lot through the wood, and then the narrow stoned path to the cave’s entrance. Take care when you go down because it is very slippery.

 

The fascinating rock formation surrounds the entrance, one of the largest cave openings in Serbia.
Actually, it is 18-metre high, 30-40 metres wide, and it looks unbelievable!

 

 

 

Five parts of Stopića cave

Visitors can enjoy a 1,691-metre-long walk through the cave passing by 10 top points. And I am sure you will be impressed with the various cave decorations.

There are five parts of the cave: the Light Hall, the Dark Hall, the Hall with Baths, the Canal with Baths and the River Canal.
In fact, the first three parts are part of the Grand Canal, which is arranged part of the cave, together with the Canal with Baths. On the left side is the River Canal.

 

The Light Hall

The first unit is the Light Hall which covers the part from the entrance to about 76 meters, or as far as daylight reaches.

 

A sipar cup with a diameter of 15-20 meters and a height of 8 meters is located on the left side of the hall. Above the cup, there is one of six vigleds, the openings in the cave ceiling, known as “dugure”. Vigleds are of various sizes and they are connected with canals to the cave.

The Trnava Stream flows through the right side of the Light Hall. Depending on the water level, this part could be flooded. So, the stream flows down from the cave making a small waterfall and going to the Prištavica River.

 

The Dark Hall

From the Light Hall, the metal-constructed path leads to the Dark Hall.

It covers an area of 1,200 square meters. The walking became more interesting, even the walls didn’t have many cave decorations because of the large airflow. The hall is 98,5m long, and the biggest height of the cave is 25.5 meters.

By the way, it takes 100 years to make only 1 cm of a hanging decoration.

 

The Hall with tubs

Well, the third part of the cave is simply marvellous!

 

The view of the unique tufa pools takes your breath away🤩

 

Deposits of dissolved calcium carbonate created tufa bathtubs. The large terraces of unusual shapes are of various sizes. For example, the shallowest tube is about 15 cm, and the largest bathtub is 12.5 meters long and 3 meters wide. Most tubs are up to a depth of 2 meters.

The LED lighting in different colours was installed in 2016. This spectacle of colours gives an amazing look at the interior of the cave.

 

The water comes through the creek and fills the baths with water. Actually, during heavy rains, the water spills over the tub, creating an authentic view. Only a few tubs are filled with water making little lakes. So, they have to be seen twice, with and without water 🙂

In a word, you think that you are somewhere in a science fiction movie 🙂

 

The Canal with tubs 

In the extension of the Hall with tubs, the Canal with tubs continues, and it fills from rain or snow on the top. It is the old Trnavski stream that lost the water and changed its way due to geological changes. It is 587 metres long and it is called Pećinica.

There are two small platforms from which you can enjoy the view of stunning cave decorations.

 

Generally, depending on the weather conditions and during the rain periods, there is more water in the tubs, otherwise, they are drained.
There are various columns, stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites that grow in the opposite direction of stalactites, from the floor to the ceiling.

 

At the end of the Canal, there is the deepest tub of 7,2 metres. The massive stalactite hangs over the bathtub; it is 6 meters long and it has a diameter of 60 cm.

 

The River Canal and waterfall

Before the River Canal located on the left side of the cave, there is one of the cave landmarks. It is a subterranean waterfall known as “The Well of Life”.
This waterfall is 9,44 metres high and goes into the Trnavski stream at the exit of the cave. Since we visited the cave in the dry period, we couldn’t see it in its magnificent form. But the sound of the water drops hall echo and rocks, create a specific atmosphere in the cave.

 

The River Canal is 795 metres long and you can see many cave decorations around. Very interesting are large areas known as the giant pots, with water overflowing its edges.

 

Opening hours and price tickets 

The cave is open every day during the year during opening hours in the following periods:

24th October – 5th April:                09.30 – 16.30
6th April – 15th July:                        09.30 – 18.00
16th July – 10th September:           09.30 – 19.00
11th September – 23rd October:   09.30 – 18.00.

👉 The price ticket is 400 RSD (approximately 3.4 EUR) for adults, and 250 RSD (2 EUR) for kids 7-15 years.
You can buy it in the ticket office in front of the cave or online on the Visit Serbia online platform, click here.

Also, there is a possibility to take a combo ticket for four locations in Zlatibor Mountain.
“The Four Pearls of Zlatibor” include Stopića Cave, Sirogojno village, Museum of Knitters in Sirogojno, and Gostilje waterfall.
👉 The ticket costs 950 RSD (approximately 8.2 EUR), and 650 RSD (5,50 EUR) for children.
Click here to get combo tickets.

The parking fee is 70 RSD (0.6 EUR).

 

 

TIPS for visit:

♦ Wear comfortable shoes because the path to the cave is narrow and slippery.
Also, be careful inside the cave. The path can be flooded and mostly you walk on the metal construction and narrow stairs.
The cave is not yet wheelchair-accessible.
◊ Dress appropriately because the temperature changes regarding the weather outside. It means that is pleasant during summer, but it is cold during winter.
♦ The visit lasts approximately 20-25 minutes.
◊Taking photos is allowed inside the cave.
♦ Don’t touch cave decorations and tufa bathtubs, and follow the maintained path.
◊ An audio guide is available in the cave.
♦ You can download the mobile application: Stopića Cave – audio guide.

 

Back to the nature

Every year more and more tourists from Serbia and worldwide visit Stopića cave and Zlatibor.

Full of impressions, we continued our excursion to the Sirogojno village and Gostilje Waterfall. But it is another story.
So, stay tuned and follow me on the new adventure across Serbia in the following post.

Beside these interesting places, you can visit the other Zlatibor attractions, such as its tourist centre and Gold gondola, ethno villages Drvengrad and Mokra Gora, or take a ride on the famous Šargan eight railway.