Steep, exciting relief covered with dense pine forests between Mt. Tara and Mt. Zlatibor was once known as “Markovo polje” (Marko’s field), a place where Marko Kraljević, a Serbian medieval knight and a hero of epic poetry, threw maces from one hill to another, according to traditional folk stories.
Today, however, Mokra Gora (eng. Wet Mountain) is better known for its tourist attractions and breathtaking nature surrounded with valleys and gorges of the White and the Black Rzav and the Kamiška River.
I lost my city [Sarajevo] during the war. That is why I wished to build my own village. It bears a German name : Küstendorf. I will organize seminars there, for people who want to learn how to make cinema, concerts, ceramics, painting. It is the place where I will live and where some people will be able to come from time to time. There will be of course some other inhabitants who will work. I dream of an open place with cultural diversity which sets up against globalization. – Emir Kusturica
Drvengrad is also known as Küstendorf, as a word play on German “dorf” (village) and Kusturica’s nickname, “Kusta”. Also, “Küste” is German for coast. Kusturica has also been known to call it Mećavnik, which is the name of the neighbouring village.
Drvengrad has a library, named the Ivo Andrić Library; an artist gallery named Macola in honor of sculptor Dragan Jovićević (it was previously known as Anika, after a character from Ivo Andrić’s prose); Stanley Kubrick Cinema; a main house which houses a cinema-hall in the cellar, a living room, a guest room, a closed yard, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a sauna and private rooms for the Kusturica family; a sports hall; a restaurant; a cake shop, as well as a souvenir shop; and finally, a Church dedicated to St. Sava.
Since 2008, the village hosts the annual Küstendorf Film and Music Festival, which showcases films and music from all around the world. The festival is known for not having a red carpet as well as none of the popular Hollywood festival artifacts. In 2010, it was visited by actor Johnny Depp. During his visit, a statue dedicated to him was unveiled.
Nevertheless, the most beautiful way to experience this lush landscape is to take a train ride on old “Ćira” on the “Šargan Eight”, a truly unique narrow railway track.
8-shaped railway cuts through steep and rocky landscape and passes through 22 tunnels and crosses over a dozen of bridges, making passengers unaware of having crossed this unusual winding track from Mokra Gora to Šargan.
Mineral waters spring out deep in forest, and the best known spring is “Bele vode” (White water). It is said that its miraculous water cures eye diseases, therefore once at Mokra Gora numerous tourist will also come here to invigorate their eyes.
All these beauties of Mokra Gora won’t leave anyone indifferent as the landscape connecting two nature’s perfections, Mt. Tara and Mt. Zlatibor, must truly be something outstanding.
