Homolje Potajnica - Mystical Spring of Eastern Serbia | Natural Heritage of Serbia

Serbia is a predominantly mountainous country and is very rich in water sources - from clean and drinkable water, to mineral and medicinal, hot, "acidic," and even unfortunately polluted water.

In addition to the chemical composition of the water, the sources also differ in their abundance or quantity of water. They can be constant, periodic, or seasonal, and they can also be occasional, meaning they only release water occasionally, seemingly without any pattern. These so-called intermittent springs represent a remarkable hydrological rarity and a unique natural phenomenon. There are only about fifty such springs in the world. For example, the United States and the Russian Federation have only one such spring each, while our country has as many as three!

Homoljska Potajnica is a typical representative of these unusual springs. It is located in eastern Serbia, in the Homolje Mountains, 12 kilometers away from Žagubica, in the direction of the villages of Laznica and Selište, where it is situated. At first glance, an ordinary hole in the rock, Potajnica has a very mysterious and changeable nature. Namely, if you visit the spring during the summer, you risk spending hours and hours staring at the mystical crack in the rock without a single drop of water coming out. It happens that this spring remains dormant for weeks, even months, and then suddenly a significant amount of water flows from it.

This "water eruption" usually lasts a little over an hour and gradually decreases in intensity until it completely stops. The period until the next water eruption can be measured in hours, days, weeks, or even months, and the amount of water that flows out will always be the same, interestingly enough!

On the other hand, if you visit the spring in early spring, you can witness a continuous flow of a small river from the same crack that had been almost dry for months. Scientists have not yet thoroughly studied this seemingly inexplicable "behavior" of the spring. The spring is also accompanied by a strange underground noise that precedes each water eruption.

The unpredictable "behavior" of Potajnica, like any unexplained natural phenomenon, leaves room for various folk beliefs and superstitions, which are very characteristic of this part of our country. Thus, some interesting legends have emerged about this spring. According to the beliefs of the older residents of Homolje, the imaginary villager named "Stojan" is responsible for the water flowing from the Potajnica spring, as a reward for his merits.

It is believed that if water starts flowing at the moment of arrival at the spring, the person present can expect good health and prosperity in life. On the other hand, a dry spring indicates a "bad" person. There is also a belief in the miraculous effects of the water from Potajnica, so during your visit and encounters with the locals, you will often hear stories about a blind person who regained their sight or a paralyzed person who started walking. At the spring itself, you will often find flowers, candles, cookies, candies, and numerous other "gifts" intended for "Stojan" to honor the presence of water eruptions. As belief in Stojan dates back centuries, the Homolje Potajnica is also called "Stojanje" among the locals.

You can choose to believe or not believe in legends, but the fact that Homolje Potajnica is a unique natural monument in the world, and therefore in our country, is undeniable. Therefore, if you are a true nature lover and have the courage to visit "Stojan," I highly recommend an exciting day in nature.