Uvac for one day: kayaking, meanders and a picnic by the water
Green meanders that twist as if someone were drawing, a griffon vulture overhead and silence that is not disturbed by a kayak — Uvac opens only to those who enter the water.
Withthe Prayer viewpointUvac looks as if someone folded the river until he was tired — the meanders twist into each other, the water is emerald as it is only when it is cold and deep. And then you go down, sit in the kayak, and the same image surrounds you from all sides. The top photo is a postcard. Kayaking is an experience.
ReserveUvaclies in the southwest of Serbia, between Nova Varoša, Sjenica and Zlatar, approx1,000 m above sea level. The canyon is up to 100 meters deep, and a colony hovers over it500 griffon vultures— one of the largest in Europe. A bird with a wingspan close to three meters passing over your head while you're paddling is not something you forget until lunchtime.
Why a kayak and not just a boat
Tour boats take the meanders and it's a nice, lazy way to see the canyon. But the ship goes where the captain says and stops where everyone stops. The kayak lets you into thin backwaters, to rocks where the water calms into a mirror, to beaches where the boat does not dock. The pace is yours: a two-hour tour through the first two or three meanders is enough for an average fit person who hasn't paddled since last summer.
The water is clear butcold — rarely above 18–20 °C even in August, because it comes from the depth of the accumulation. That's why a vest is not a recommendation but a rule, and a spare dry shirt in a waterproof bag is not paranoia. The wind in the canyon can pick up after noon, so it's best to row in the morning, when the water is glass.
Viewpoint before or after the water
The rise ofGreat Lookout (Prayer)is about a 30-45 minute walk uphill from the coast, the path is marked but steep towards the end. Our advice from experience: climb upbeforekayak, while the legs are fresh and while the morning light is at an angle that brings out the green color in the water. After paddling, arms tired from the paddle, that climb seems twice as long as it is.
Reserve Uvac lies in the southwest of Serbia, between Nova Varoša, Sjenica and Zlatar, approx 1,000 m above sea level .
If you have time and a little more adventure in your legs, it's nearbyIce cave— bring a sweatshirt, it's cold inside even in the summer. But for one day, the meanders plus the viewpoint plus the picnic are exactly enough to stop full, not empty.
A picnic that Uvac deserves
The shores have gravel bays where you can dock a kayak and spread out a blanket. There are no kiosks, no taverns on the water — everything you eat, you brought. It's an opportunity, not a disadvantage. Uvac is in the heartof the Sjenica-Peshter region, so it makes sense that the basket should be local:šenići cheese, young cream, homemade bread, dry neck. If you are planning a wider tour through the region, it is worth combining it withthe cheese road through western Serbia— buy cheese for the picnic directly from the household, the day before.
Cool the drink in the river itself: a bottle tied with a string and lowered into the water for half an hour works better than any refrigerator. Alcohol and kayaking don't mix — save the beer or wine for the blanket, after the last stroke.
Uvac also fits nicely into a wider loop in the southwest; if you're making an extended weekend, see how it fits inroutes for an extended weekend, and for the second mountain dose there is alsoOld mountain in summer.
Questions & answers
short and to the point- How long does a kayak tour on Uvac take?
- A standard tour through the first two or three meanders takes about two hours and is manageable even for inexperienced paddlers. For the entire circle of meanders, count half a day.
- What is the water temperature in Uvac in summer?
- The water comes from the depth of the reservoir and rarely exceeds 18–20 °C even in August, so a vest is mandatory and a spare dry shirt is desirable.
- Is it possible to reach the Molitva viewpoint by car?
- The coast can be reached by car (the last kilometers are macadam), but the Veliki vidikovac can be climbed on foot — about 30–45 minutes uphill on a marked path.
