Traveling through the smoke of history | Exploring the Užice Bullet Hole Monument

🌀Basic Information The Užice Bullet Hole Memorial, officially known as the Kadinjaca Memorial Complex, is located on Kadinjaca Mountain, 14 kilometers northwest of Užice, Serbia. The monument was inaugurated on September 23, 1979, with the ceremony presided over by Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito himself. It was to commemorate the soldiers who died in the Battle of Kardinjaca in 1941, and their remains were also buried here. 🚕Transportation Guide ✈️External transportation: If you depart from Belgrade, you can choose to take a train or bus to Užice. The train journey takes about 3.5 hours, and you can enjoy the scenery along the way, but the train runs less frequently; the bus runs more frequently and is more convenient. After arriving in Užice, head to the Bullet Hole Monument. •🚌Internal transportation: There is no direct bus from Užice city to the monument. The taxi fare is about 30-50 euros and the journey takes about 30 minutes. You can also take a bus from Užice bus station to Kadinjaca. The fare is about 215 dinars (including handling fees). You can buy 120 dinars directly from the driver when you get on the bus. 🌀Visit Guide • Opening hours: Usually open all day, it is recommended to visit during the day when there is plenty of light, and in the evening you can enjoy the magnificent view of the monument under the sunset. • Ticket 🎫 Information: Free admission. • Tour route: When you enter the monument area, the first thing that catches your eye is the undulating white concrete group. Walking along the trail, you can appreciate these powerful buildings up close. Then head to the most eye-catching bullet hole-shaped concrete tower column to experience its unique design from different angles. You can also walk into the bullet hole and observe the abstract human face shape on the inner wall. Finally, you can climb up the memorial tower to overlook the entire monument complex and the surrounding mountains. • Visiting time: It is recommended to visit for 1-2 hours to fully experience the historical atmosphere and artistic charm of the monument. 🌀Attractions • Architectural style: The monument complex is a brutalist-style building, consisting of a large white concrete structure and a memorial tower. The overall shape is unique, full of a style that blends ruggedness with the future, giving people a strong visual impact and spiritual shock. • Symbolism: The most distinctive feature is a 14-meter-high concrete tower with a huge bullet-hole-like opening in the center. The inner wall of the bullet hole has abstract human faces, which symbolize the violence encountered by the soldiers. Its height of 14 meters represents the distance between the Kardinjaca battlefield and the town of Užice. The tilted stones around it symbolize the state of a soldier falling down after being shot. 🌀Nearby Tours • Užice Old Town Fortress: The Užice Old Town Fortress is built on a towering rocky ridge in the west of Užice and is surrounded by the Jetinja River on three sides. It has a long history and has been demolished and rebuilt many times. Although it looks vicissitudes now, one can still feel its past grandeur. • Drina River House: This house is located in the middle of the Drina River and is one of the landmarks of the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. It is full of legends and has been featured in National Geographic and Daily Mail magazines. ⚠️Notes ❗️There is no shelter around the monument, so please take sun protection measures when visiting in summer; it is relatively cold in winter, so please keep warm. ❗️Keep quiet during the visit and respect the history and commemorative significance of the monument. ❗️There are few supporting facilities in the surrounding area. It is recommended to prepare drinking water and snacks in advance.