Leskovac (Serbia) 2025, part 7 (Vučje, Turekovac)
Less than a andkilometre along a narrow asphalt road from the place where I briefly left the car to go with my cousin and her husband to the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Vučje, we reached a regular parking area, where the Small Hydroelectric Plant Vučje is also located. It is the second oldest hydroelectric plant in Serbia (after the "Pod gradom" plant in Užice) and it is still operational today.
It was built in 1903 on the Vučjanka River and from there a transmission line, the first in the Kingdom of Serbia, was extended towards Leskovac, 17 km away.
The person most responsible for the construction of the Small Hydroelectric Plant Vučje was Đorđe Stanojević (1858–1921), a physicist, professor, and rector of the University of Belgrade, who was also a friend of Nikola Tesla and a great admirer of his work. Since the hydroelectric plant was built in accordance with Tesla’s ideas, it is fitting that there are two monuments here dedicated to this Serbian-American scientist.
This hydroelectric plant is characterised by an authentic canal that can be seen in one of the upcoming photos. It is nearly 1 km long and carries water to the accumulation station. From there, the water falls from a height of almost 200 m and powers the generators.
Due to its significance for the nation and the state, the Small Hydroelectric Plant Vučje was declared a cultural monument a few years ago. However, the importance of this hydroelectric plant goes beyond national borders. In 2005, the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) included it on its list of sites, inventions and achievements of global importance for the development and history of electrical engineering.
The Vučjanka Recreational Area is also located here, where a small reservoir lake has been formed. This is the very lake I used to come to as a child in order to swim there. Judging by the slides that have been installed here, it remains popular among children today.
Then I headed back towards the parking area and along the way I captured the suspension bridge. On one side are the facilities of the hydroelectric plant, while on the other are the facilities belonging to the recreational area.
There is also a very beautiful walking path that leads slightly uphill along the right bank of the Vučjanka River, in a section where the canyon widens a bit, making room for it. Heading in that direction with Dule, my cousin-in-law, I once again passed alongside the Small Hydroelectric Plant Vučje.
However, the path does not continue further, as it enters the narrower part of the Vučjanka canyon.
Here, Dule and I crossed over some rocks, and although it wasn’t too difficult or demanding, we didn’t have the most suitable footwear. Still, we reached a beautiful spot from which you can enjoy the view of the Vučjanka waterfall.
Above this waterfall, there are also two natural "pools" in the river called Đokini virovi (Đoka’s (whirl)pools). A long time ago, when I was little, I even climbed up there with my brother. Now, looking at the rocks beside the waterfall, I can't for the life of me understand how I, as a child, with shorter legs and no hiking experience, managed to climb up to them, and then back down. I'm almost certain our mom had no idea what we were doing or where we had gone.
Talking about it with my cousin-in-law, Dule, he also remembered that as a child he used to jump into those pools from one of the nearby rocks. Now, as he told me, if he saw his grandson doing the same, he thinks his heart would stop instantly. That’s the difference between cautious old age and unrestrained youth.
After reminiscing about the wildness of youth, we returned to Svetlana, then got back into the car and drove along the road leading to the top of Mount Kukavica. We specifically wanted to visit a newly built observation platform that serves as a viewpoint, named after the place where it was erected – Stena Sokolica (Sokolica Rock).
From here, there is truly an outstanding view of the Vučjanka canyon, as well as the valley where Leskovac is located a bit further away.
You can also see the canal that carries water to the hydroelectric plant (on the left side of the next photo).
As the visitor moves to different parts of the platform, various details come into view, such as the section of the rock on which the viewpoint is built or the rocky bed of the Vučjanka River.
Right from the widened part of the asphalt road where you stop in order to reach the observation deck, there is also a dirt road that is actually part of the circular trail around the surroundings of the Vučjanka canyon.
We set out on that path with the intention of reaching another cultural monument – the medieval settlement "Skobaljić Town," built before the defeat of the aforementioned Serbian medieval hero Nikola Skobaljić by the Turks in 1454. He had his town (castle) on the hill above present-day Vučje. So, there are the remains of that fortification, but I can report right away that we didn’t reach it. I didn’t have a clear idea of where exactly it was located, while the map on my phone indicated we should climb uphill from the dirt road, but we never saw a trail leading to the ruins. So, in the end, we just enjoyed a nice walk through nature, which certainly wasn’t bad. Along the way, we also crossed over to the other bank of the Vučjanka River.
Occasionally glancing towards the heights of Kukavica, I could only guess where Skobaljić Town might be located.
And in one spot, I was sure I saw a fragment of that fortification, but I couldn’t (easily) reach it. At least, at that moment, I didn’t know how.
Later, I realised the exact route I should have taken, but my visit to Skobaljić Town will have to wait until my next stay in Leskovac. Then I’ll share more about this interesting and important site.
We found some comfort in the wild blackberries we came across.
On the way back to the place where we left the car, I also saw the observation deck.
After a very nice excursion where we visited a lot of sites, we returned to Leskovac and decided to go for the barbecue the city is famous for. Every time I go to Leskovac, I hear about a different place that supposedly has the “best barbecue” at that moment and this time it was a place selling grilled meat as a kind of “fast food.” There is a seating area, but it’s not a proper restaurant.
What inspired me to mention this is the name of the place – “LeLe.”
Everyone familiar with Leskovac and its people, as well as the rest of southern Serbia, knows that one of the favourite expressions or exclamations from this area is exactly “Le-le” (pronounced as: Leh-leh). By the way, this expression is also used in other regions and countries across the Balkans, but considering that the abbreviation for Leskovac on license plates is “LE,” I think it’s perfectly fitting to talk about it while describing my stay in this city.
The meaning of this emotional exclamation ranges from expressing surprise or shock, to worry or regret, admiration or excitement, and even to threat or criticism. So, it’s quite an important expression with almost universal application. But the situational context can call for variations. For instance, it’s one thing to say, “Le-leee...” (veeery long second “leh”) and quite another to start with, “Le-le-le-le-le-le-le...” (where you pronounce it like a seesaw – you emphasise every odd syllable, making the pronunciation going sort of up and down),
Jokes aside, our improvised lunch was excellent and we soon returned home.
As I’ve mentioned at the beginning of these stories, I didn’t stay long in Leskovac, only 4-5 days, and during that time I saw my family and visited various cultural monuments and interesting places in the city and its surroundings.
But eventually, my stay came to an end and I had to return home. I decided to make a stop on the way at the village of Turekovac to visit another immovable cultural monument – the Church of the Holy Apostles.
By the way, here is a map showing the locations of all these places and cultural monuments I’ve mentioned.
In order to reach this church, I first passed through the town, then headed west until I eventually turned towards Turekovac. There, I arrived at the churchyard and parked the car.
Although the church is definitely what catches a visitor’s eye, I would first like to mention a building that has clearly lost its purpose and is slowly falling apart. I can’t help but think it’s a shame. I don’t know what it was used for or what it could be used for, but I liked some of its features and thought that with proper restoration, it could really shine. Maybe yes, maybe not.
As for the church itself, it was built in 1845 on the ruins of an old church, according to the oral tradition.
It was built using a combination of stone and wood (wattle), with a rectangular base featuring three naves. At the front, on the western side, there is an open porch that was constructed in 1899 after the original porch had collapsed. It includes four pillars connected by semicircular arches, above which rise three domes that are higher than the central nave of the church.
On the east side is the altar apse that is polygonal on the outside, but semicircular on the inside. In the central section of the apse near the top, there is a decorative relief featuring two stylised fantastic animals placed symmetrically. They can be partially discerned in the following photo.
So, the naos consists of three naves, with the central one being taller than the side aisles, from which it is separated by two rows of columns (three on each side) that also provide support. Like the exterior of the church, the interior is mostly painted white. Previously, the floor in the naos and altar was covered with square bricks, but that has since been changed.
The central nave is vaulted with blind domes, while the entire width of the naos is separated from the altar area by a very beautiful wooden iconostasis carved in relief.
The icons were painted on wood in 1856.
After examining and photographing some details, I was ready to leave the church, but I also recorded the entrance area, which is interesting because it features a gallery.
As a farewell, I saw several barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) flying around the church, while one even perched in a perfect spot and posed nicely for me.
By then, I was definitely ready to head home, which meant about 280 km north. To start with, I stopped at a shop to buy a bottle of cold, refreshing drink, then continued along the old road towards Niš. I didn’t want to go straight to the section of the former “motorway” that once passed through the outskirts of the city and now serves as a connection between the city and the proper motorway.
I took the road we used take in order to go to the village of Brejanovce, where my father’s uncle, Grandpa Žika, used to live. But there’s no one left from the family there anymore and I’m not as attached to that village as my father was. He spent a good part of his childhood there and always loved to return. Though usually just for 15-20 minutes, just to remember where he used to run as a child when visiting his own grandfather.
As for me, as I left the city of Leskovac and headed north, the romantic memories tied to my childhood slowly faded away, and I simply enjoyed the beautiful summer day and the pleasant drive.
And Leskovac seemed to wave goodbye to me driving through pepper fields lining the way, as if going through an espalier, reminding me not to let years pass again before I return.