Mount Rtanj in Serbia is known for its mystical properties, and the village of the same name, located in its vicinity, began to develop rapidly since the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to the rich deposits of minerals in this area. A coal mine operated here in the 1910s. a railway was built that connected the two richest Serbian regions. The period of economic development continued until the collapse of Yugoslavia, and even after two world wars, the region quickly recovered and developed, but since the 1990s. with the cessation of the mine, the destruction of all economic ties, residents began to leave their homes in search of work. Entire streets of abandoned houses began to appear in the village, all the buildings of the mine were looted. Today, they are trying to breathe new life into this region by developing tourism.
We will walk through an abandoned village, show the empty buildings of a coal mine and tell the story of the railway, which once played a decisive role in the development of these places. We will also go to an abandoned tunnel, built back in 1912.