Zlatibor - the most beautiful mountain in Serbia

Hello dear friends,
I mentioned this mountain in one of the previous posts. That was when I wrote about staying at the sea and that we spent the night on Zlatibor on the way back. Now we were going via Zlatibor, for a short rest, in order to extend the journey to my hometown.
Zlatibor, one of the most visited mountains in Serbia, has turned into a city. The famous air spa, the most beautiful mountain with huge forests, pastures, springs, waterfalls, became an attraction. A large amount of trees were cut down to create residential buildings, markets, shopping centers, a zoo, a dino park and the Cowboy-Indian town of Vodice.
When I was a child, a girl, we went to Zlatibor to breathe clean air while staying in the forest, walking along forest paths. Now, wide streets, parking lots, a large number of vehicles are polluting what Zlatibor was famous for.
The only thing left authentic on Zlatibor is the Stopića cave and the Gostiljski cave.
Now, we have the center of Zlatibor, with the surrounding picnic areas.
The village of Sirogojno, which was the first ethnic village in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, has become an Indian-cowboy village, and the other side of the village is still in ethnic style, with the widely known woolen sweaters, socks and carved Serbian peasants in national costume.
We spent 4 days on Zlatibor, staying in a hotel that has 5 floors. That was our first mistake. We should have rented an old house and kept that old Zlatibor in us as much as possible.

I am aware that I should say something nice to you, but I cannot shake my impression and disappointment. A little further from the center, I see something happening. Crowd, line, murmur. We get to that place, when it, the opening of the Dino Park. Okay. Interesting for children. But what surprised me even more is that within the Dino Park we have a zoo, with rabbits, which were the only bright spot for me that day.

We went to the hotel, I was visibly disappointed and angry because of the destruction of natural beauty and wealth, I stood by the window and found one bright spot of staying in the hotel, which is the view of the Zlatibor peaks and villages.

The next day we planned to visit the Stopića cave, what remained natural, as much as possible. Part of the way to the cave goes through the forest, along a path that is beautifully landscaped. That's when my mood improved a little. Yes, the cave became commercial and a source of income, but it remained what it is - a cave.

On the third day, we left for Sirogojno. I just wanted to go buy woolen socks, eat a homemade bun with cream and come back. My husband insisted that we also go to Vodice and see El Passo, a town in the middle of the countryside, a town of cowboys and Indians who have nothing to do with Serbia. When I read that it covers several hectares of former forest and pasture, I really didn't feel well. I went around everything properly and silently took photos. An inexplicable feeling of emptiness, sadness, anger... Why this? For money and commercial? The entrance to the city is of course paid, as well as the entrance to the cave where I played with my sister as a child, because our aunt lived in the village of Gostilje, near the cave. Sirogojno, the first village before Gostilje, where we went to get cream and cheese. Disappointment at its best. In the end, I cried.
I will post pictures and you will recognize where they are. Yes, I forgot the untouched stream with a small lake, which miraculously has not been touched, and is located only 2 km from the "center" of Zlatibor.

Bitter taste in the mouth. I didn't even want to stop by Gostilje, because my childhood waterfall has become an attraction and commercial.
We returned to my hometown in Loznica. I was telling my mother what happened to our dear mountain. I could not describe everything.
However, whenever I say the word Zlatibor, warmth and a feeling of joy, associated with nostalgia, arise around the heart.
Those of you who have never been to Serbia, I invite you to still go to Zlatibor, without thinking about what I wrote about in anger. I am like that. What I think, I must say. These are just my impressions, because I know where I stayed for years.
Since the Zlatibor mountain is big, spacious, there is a lot to see, without going to those commercial places.
Take a walk, breathe fresh air, go to a cave, a waterfall. You will surely like it, and it will be interesting for foreign tourists to visit El Passo.
I love Serbia and I invite you that whenever you have the opportunity or desire to come, this mountain should be written on your wish list, of what is worth visiting.

Thanks for reading my post and once again I apologize for the honesty and bias!