Stopića Cave – Rožanstvo, Serbia - Atlas Obscura

Stopića Cave

Rožanstvo, Serbia

Through the colossal entrance to this cave you'll find limestone tubs and an underground waterfall. 

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Stopića Cave is a limestone cave on the northeastern side of Zlatibor Mountain in Serbia, near the village of Sirogojno. The cave is 1,691 meters (5,548 feet) long and its entrance is located 711 meters (2332 feet) above sea level, near the Prištavica River. The cave consists of five units: the Bright Hall, the Dark Hall, the Great Hall with Tubs, the Tub Canal and the River Canal. 

Though Stopića Cave is not rich with speleothems—structures like stalactites and stalagmites made from mineral deposits in water—it does have some unique geological features. The cave is home to a number of “siga,” or limestone tubs, of different sizes and depths. They are some of the largest of their kind, with some as deep as seven meters (23 feet). A number of these tubs form a slanted wall from which water constantly overflows.

A pathway from the tubs leads deeper inside the cave, eventually reaching a 10-meter (33-foot) underground waterfall known as the Source of Life. The deafening roar of falling water makes it impossible to hear the person talking to you. The cave climate depends of the weather conditions—it is warm in summer and cold in winter. The water from the Trnavski stream, which flows through the cave, contributes to the micro-climate. 

Know Before You Go

Stopića Cave is located about 250 kilometers (150 miles) from Belgrade. The best way to reach the cave from the capital is to take the main road to Montenegro via Zlatibor. Buses run frequently from major cities in Serbia to Zlatibor. Taxi transfer is recommended from Zlatibor to the cave. Stopića Cave is open every day, according to the following schedule: from October 24 to April 5: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; from April 6 to July 15: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; from July 16 to September 10: 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; from September 11 to October 23: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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