Babina Reka ethno-village is paradise on earth - Slavisa Zivkovic spent ten years making shelter from hectic everyday life

He wanted to make a shelter for himself, a place where he can commit to painting, sculpting, photography, but people then started visiting this interesting natural ambiance frequently, causing him to lose his peace and privacy. Then he decided to build a tourist complex in Trbusnica, a village situated between Lazarevac and Arandjelovac. The owner of this architecturally unique ethno-village is Slavisa Zivkovic.

- I started building the village about 10 years ago, bit by bit, and I opened it to guests in June 2010. The idea was to move with my family from Arandjelovac to Trbusnica, the place where I was born, and to commit myself to painting, sculpting and photography - Slavisa Zivkovic, owner of Babina Reka ethno-village, says at the beginning of an interview for eKapija.

Babina Reka (Grandma's River) is situated at the very edge of the village, isolated by nature from all urban things. It is surrounded by hills, brooks, river, woods, and there is also a lake only 50 meters away from the village. The complex was named after a brook that flows alongside the lake. Those who love fishing can go fishing in this lake, which is also the place where fishing and fish stew contests are organized every July.

Babin Dorucak (Grandma's Breakfast), Babin Zlatni Medaljon (Grandma's Golden Medallion), Stek Babina Reka (Grandma's River Steak), Babina Pastrmka (Grandma's Trout) are only some of the specialties on the local restaurant's menu, which also includes homemade bread and various chicken, pork, young beef and fish specialties, as well as grilled meat. The restaurant is of semicircular shape and it has windows on both of its sides so that guests can enjoy a beautiful view and the ambiance wherever they sit. With the lake and woods on one side and a unique garden with stone retaining walls, wooden sculptures and fountains on the other side, the guests at this restaurant are guaranteed a full pleasure. It is also possible to organize various types of celebrations at the restaurant, for about 130 people.

The complex also comprises a restaurant-gallery with 30 seats. This space with a fireplace is filled with art paintings of Sumadija and photos of old Serbian houses, of which author is Slavisa Zivkovic. There is also an open-air restaurant with fountains and natural shade, and it is big enough for over 200 people. The complex also includes a stage for cultural and music performances, a parking lot, and a souvenir shop. Construction of a big homeland museum has also started recently.

- We want to preserve old items from this region in the future museum. Only the foundations have been finished so far, and the works should be resumed very soon - says Zivkovic.

As our interlocutor explains, the complex comprises four suites that are rented at the price of RSD 3,000 a day, while one suite is big enough for two families.

Visitors can relax by simply enjoying the nature, picking mushrooms, going fishing, walking or playing basketball, mini football or table tennis. There is also a mini swimming pool in the yard.

When leaving this complex, guests are never indifferent. One of them, Dobrica Eric, write the following about this village: "If you still don't know where it is hiding, this heaven on earth awaiting you, to bring your dearest to Babina Reka is the thing that you should do."