The vampire mill of Zarožje: where the word "vampire" was born

The vampire mill of Zarožje and Sava Savanović

🦇 The vampire mill of Zarožje: where the word “vampire” was born
Somewhere in the mountains of Serbia lies Zarožje — a quiet village famous for being the place where the word "vampire" went out into the world. Yes, really, the only Serbian word that has conquered every language on the planet.
It was here, at an old mill above the Rogačica stream, that the most famous Serbian vampire lived — Sava Savanović. According to legend, he lived (or rather, un-lived) in the 17th century and fed on the blood of millers who came to grind grain after sunset. His story became the basis for Milovan Glišić's tale "Posle devedeset godina" (After Ninety Years) and for the first Yugoslav horror film "Leptirica" ("The She-Butterfly").

And of course, we decided to go to Sava's mill. The plan was simple — get there before dark, you know, just in case🙈. But as usual, nothing went to plan, and we ended up in this backwoods after dark.
Picture it: an empty road winding through the mountains, not a soul around, two old churches along the way that look sinister at night.
To reach the mill, you have to go down from the road into a ravine. Total darkness all around, only the sound of water running over the stones. We walked with flashlights — and they only seemed to add to the creepiness. I think in the daytime the place looks ordinary, but in the dark it's a scene from a horror movie — huge old trees whose branches seem to reach out for you; mossy stones. You understand why they filmed a horror movie right here.

And now about the mill itself. You can see it was recently renovated — they put on a roof, reinforced the foundation; inside there are millstones and even traces of flour. On the walls there are inscriptions: "Sava supports Zvezda". Everything is pretty clean. And there's garlic lying everywhere 🧄 . When we saw that, we wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. And when a creepy sound came from the bushes — as if a bird had screamed — my heart skipped a beat. Later I remembered: there was exactly that sound in the film "The She-Butterfly". Coincidence? I'm not sure.

We decided not to tempt fate and to get back to civilisation as soon as possible. Back in the village centre, we bought a souvenir in one of the cafés, a local rakija with Sava on the label, and headed back to Belgrade.
It may just be autosuggestion, but this place really is scary to be in. If you go, arrive before sunset, as the local tourist signs advise:

Translation of the information signs:
"Vampire's Mill" is Sava's mill, on the site of an old water mill… it was right here, in Podgorina, on the border of the Valjevo Mountains and Podrinje, that the key scenes of the horror film "Leptirica" were shot. The word 'vampire' is of Serbian origin and arose in these very lands. They say the local vampires are the 'oldest' in Europe. If you believe the legends, come here before sunset."
🪨 The Stone Spikes of Zarožje
Stone Spikes of Zarožje is the name of a symbolic rock in the village of Zarožje, on the slopes of Mount Povlen. The village's name is said to mean "overgrown" or "the place behind the bend". But it became better known thanks to the legend of Sava Savanović, who supposedly lived here, in the mill.
They say: Saint Sava drove the vampire out of there, but the cross on the rock remained, and that is how the "Stone Spike of Zarožje" came about. Locals claim that if you touch this spike, you shouldn't return to the mill after sunset.

🕸️A few curious and creepy facts:
• According to legend, Sava Savanović killed the millers who came to grind grain and drank their blood.
• The mill, known as Jagodića vodenica, stands in the deep, narrow valley of the Rogačica river, in the village of Zarožje.
• It worked until the end of the 1950s. After that it became a tourist attraction.
• In 2012 part of it collapsed. The municipality then issued a tongue-in-cheek warning: "Be careful, the vampire is now homeless".
• Local authorities advised residents: garlic by the windows, crosses over the doors, an aspen stake in hand — in case of a vampire.
• Sava's legend became the region's brand: in the 2010s Valjevo declared him its mascot.
• After the restoration in 2022, the mill was visited by ~16,000 people.

🎃 If you're looking for mysticism and a creepy atmosphere, here's a great Halloween route for you. Just get there before sunset. And bring some 🧄 with you, you know, just in case