Although no one has ever disputed its beauty, uniqueness, and natural values, which transcend the national level, the Mrtvica River and its surroundings have been waiting for formal protection and the status of a Nature Park for the third year.
The river connected and separated, as the locals say, it was both mother and stepmother, and supposedly, once upon a time, carrying everything before it, "gave itself a name". It has long since captivated tourists from all over the world, a challenge for adventurers, inspiration for travel writers, relaxation for those tired of the fast life, a part of tradition and folk imagination...
All this did not save from misunderstanding when it comes to the importance and need for formal protection. Some of the locals of the Kolašin region experienced the nature park status for Mrtvica as a limitation of their rights, and the institutions were often not convincing enough to break down prejudices about a process that should benefit those who claim to love and know Mrtvica and its surroundings the most.
The initiative to protect the Mrtvica River and the upper reaches of the Morača River was launched in 2022 by the eco-team and The Nature Conservancy, with the support of the then Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism, and accepted by the Municipality of Kolašin. The initiative is part of a broader, multi-year campaign to protect the rivers of Southeast Europe. The campaign was launched by The Nature Conservancy, one of the world's leading nature conservation organizations, in cooperation with local partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Two protection zones
In 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency prepared a Study that envisages placing the area under protection as a Nature Park with a total area of over seven thousand hectares. The future nature park should include the cadastral municipalities of Velje Duboko and Liješnje, Osreci (a small part), Međuriječje, Vlahovići and Bulatovići. The marathon public debate on the draft Study once again showed that not everyone understands that the status of a nature park does not mean a ban, but respect for both this jewel of nature and the people around Mrtvica.
However, as Milovan Vlahović, Secretary for Environmental Protection, told "Vijesti", it is expected that the protection procedure will be completed by the end of the year, and a compromise with the locals will be reached. In the meantime, he says, in relation to the previously proposed boundaries, some private plots have been excluded from the protected area at the insistence of the owners.
122 species of moss have been registered in the canyon, which makes up a fifth of the total moss flora of Montenegro.
The draft Study stated that the Mrtvica River Canyon is one of the most beautiful in Montenegro and the Dinarides. Two protection zones have been designated in the proposed nature park - a zone with a level II protection regime and a zone with a level III regime, while the zone with the strictest protection regime has not been proposed, in order to avoid potential conflicts with the needs of local communities.
“The Mrtvica is a right tributary of the Morača, 20 km long, flowing along the foot of the northern and northeastern sides of the Maganik mountain. The sources of the Mrtvica are located on the slopes of Vojinovac, above the village of Višnja, at an altitude of 1650 m above sea level. In the village of Velje Duboko, the Mrtvica receives two streams that drain water from the areas of Rogođeda and Jablanova vrh. The valley is widened in this part of the flow, three kilometers long, and during the summer the Mrtvica partly flows underground.
Leaving Velje Duboko, Mrtvica has cut a deep canyon valley through Jurassic and Cretaceous limestones for a length of 7,5 km, the sides of which reach a height of 1.100 meters," the draft Study states.
The canyon was given special value by man, with the construction of a hiking trail in the vertical rocks of Mrtvički grede, which, for the first time in the 70s, allowed the residents of Velji Duboko to reach Međurečje. This demanding work was carried out by the Army of the former Yugoslavia, and the breaching of the cliff was led by General Danilo Jauković. The people of Rovač have not forgotten this feat, and the trail, which is one of the most popular among tourists, is still called Danilov put today.
The study showed that “the Mrtvica Canyon is not only a geomorphological and hydrogeological phenomenon, but also a very specific set of diverse communities of living things, in which physical, chemical and biological systems are integrated.” It is recognized as an Important Plant Area (IPA). For example, among other things, 122 species of mosses have been registered in the canyon - which makes up a fifth of the total moss flora of Montenegro.
The fairy from Maganika fulfills pure wishes
The surroundings and the Mrtvica River have been a living inspiration for centuries for those who collect historical facts, as well as legends and myths. Some of the most beautiful folk legends are associated with this part of the Kolašin municipality. The Gate of Wishes is particularly interesting in the canyon, a place where it is believed that the fairy from Maganika fulfills pure wishes.
"The gate consists of two rocks joined at the top, covered with moss and trees. To make a wish come true, you need to throw a stone into the river in complete silence, without bad intentions, otherwise it will return with misfortune," says local chronicler Branislav Jeknić.
Even today, there are few who have reached the Wishing Gate without checking the "truth" of that story.
In the vicinity of Mrtvica is the former Velja Lazba katun, which even today is only accessible to the most skilled mountaineers. The legend of how a certain Bulatović from Rovaci reached a fertile patch of land in a cliff in the mid-1904th century was published in XNUMX in “Glas Crnogorca”. It is a story of human endurance, stubbornness and keeping one’s word.
"The place is both interesting and strange in its location. Between Mrtvi Duboki and Velji Duboki, a cliff rises, whose western end connects with the peaks of Mount Maganika. Right in the middle of that cliff, at an altitude of 400 to 450 meters, there is a terrace (lastvica, lazba), and that is exactly what "Velja Lazba" is. The place is flat; there are seven or eight acres of land for cultivation, there is plenty of running water, and there is quite a bit of grass for livestock... Necessity drives people to do all sorts of things, and nothing has escaped the greed of the rich - today we see that a man from Rov has built a home here, although this homesteading really cost him a lot of effort and sweat," the newspaper writes.
And the people of Rovča told the journalist that, in tribal conversations, the question was asked several times: "Thank God, could anyone climb up there?" While most claimed that it was not possible, "once among them the thought flashed in their heads to try to climb it." They say that he "studied the cliff for a long time", and when he saw that on one side "there were a few sprouts, a few cracks in the rock, and there were, although few, even a few hornbeams whose roots were growing into some crevice, he would have sworn a thousand times to God that they were sticking out of the solid rock."
"All this encouraged our peasant, and, convinced that he would achieve his intended goal, he confided his intention first to his relatives, and then to his neighbors. This quickly spread throughout the village, and at meetings and other places of conversation there was nothing but this. Some mocked him, some made jokes about him, but it did not bother him at all, but, as they said, he became even more determined to do what he had set out to do," writes "Glas Crnogorca" from 120 years ago.
Danilov Bridge on Mrtvica
In the end, Rovčanin allegedly managed to reach a piece of fertile land that was unattainable for others, so "he first lived there himself, and later he brought his family there and took care of the entire farm, and for a whole year he did not go down there, except perhaps to cultivate the little land that was in the village."
"Once, when Grand Duke Mirko Petrović was passing near that place, he saw smoke on that swallow and asked one of his companions what it was smoking and whether it was possible for anyone to live there. The companion told him everything in detail about that settlement, and when the Grand Duke understood it, he ordered that the man never pay any taxes on that property, neither on land nor on livestock, and that order has remained to this day," writes in "Glas Crnogorca" from 120 years ago.
Jeknić also recalls the significance of Danilo's Bridge on Mrtvica, built in 1858. This bridge, built by Prince Danilo I Petrović for the soul of his mother Krstinja, has been a cultural and historical monument since 1957. Nearby is an old wooden bridge connecting the villages of Mrtvo Duboko and Međuriječje.
This is just part of the story about the treasure of Mrtvica and its surroundings. There is a long list of reasons why the state should protect this part of the Kolašin municipality. Formal protection would be a barrier to anything that could harm the harsh, but in the face of carelessness and ignorance, fragile natural system. It is also necessary for the locals to be aware that preserving Mrtvica is actually preserving their own cultural, ecological and economic heritage and identity. Only then will they see the protection of the river not as an obligation and an “imposition by the state”, but as a common pride.
Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
In Mrtvo Duboko there is also the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
“It is assumed that it was transferred from Međuriječje during the time of Ban Ivaniš in 1737. It was renovated for the second time during the time of hieromonk Josif Bulatović, who resided in that church from 1826-1876. He also built a dormitory called čardak next to the church. It was renovated for the third time in 1897 by order of Mitrofan Ban, and from the funds that Josif left for the renovation of the church. Not far from the church is the Vranštica cave, at 580 meters above sea level, 756 meters long and 45 meters deep. It is rich in cave sediments of various colors, sizes and shapes,” says Jeknić.
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