The seventh Return to Watermills event in Treskavac near the municipality of Ribnik. This year again it gathered inhabitants of this village and attracted visitors from various parts.

In this almost deserted village at the foot of Dimitor Mountain, time seems to have stopped. Even today, more than a century old stone wooden houses are still standing. This ethno mark is precisely why many gladly come to Treskavac, even for a day.

– It is very nice for me, maybe because of my generation, the youth have a hard time accepting it. It is ideal for us – said Bojan Ćoćkalo from Mrkonjić Grad.

Slavko Stanarević from Slovenia states that this is a really beautiful event.

There was dancing, and playing today, but also eating. On the tables we had traditional culinary specialties. More than a hundred springs adorn this area, and stream burble spreads through the village. The old watermills are still part of it today, although there are only three left, they are still working. Those no longer living here are also keeping the memory of them, by making their miniature versions.

– I started doing this simply to keep it from being forgotten. To preserve that tradition of our old watermills and I hope that it will be preserved – stated Đuro Ivanović from Rastoka, Ribnik.

The objectives of the event are to preserve the autochthonous appearance of this village, old crafts and cultural heritage.

– First of all, to preserve this village, the buildings – stated Kosana Todorović, president of the Ecological Ethnological Movement Dimitor-Previja.

Milan Grabež, president of the organizing committee of the Return to Watermills event, stated that the objective of the event was to gather the citizens and people who had scattered around the world.

Today, only 17 inhabitants live in this autochthonous ethno village. The local community strives to encourage village development by developing tourism.

– It is of particular importance that through this we are returning to our roots, maintaining the tradition, trying to pass on to our future generations everything about how life used to be and how our ancestors lived – said Daliborka Davidović, deputy mayor of Ribnik.

The organizers of this year’s event are the organizing committee of the village of Treskavac and the Ecological Ethnological Movement Dimitor, with the support of the municipality of Ribnik.

Source and photo: RTRS