The fifth consecutive Pecka Outdoor Festival was held last weekend in the village of Pecka, municipality of Mrkonji Grad. The organizer of the festival is the Pecka Visitor Center, and this year marks the tenth anniversary of the Center and in general life and work in Pecka, so this year’s festival exuded a special, celebratory atmosphere. The festival is actually the crown of Pekka’s development as a tourist potential and engine of rural development in this area, and everything was started ten years ago by the visionary and enthusiast Boro Marić.
Pecka, like many villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was on the verge of extinction, and the activities carried out by the Pecka Visitor Center breathed new life into this picturesque area.
“Our ancestors, the last authentic inhabitants, are at an advanced age and that strain of hard-working, honest, God-fearing householders whose hands are big and strong, and whose eyes are childlike and playful, is slowly dying out. They are amazed at the new activities in the village and are happy, very happy about the people. When a village of 2,500 inhabitants drops to less than 100, it is discouraging for them and they live as if they are the only ones left in the world,” Boro tells us.
Boro says that the effort put into the tourism development of Pekka was aimed at breaking the image of the village as a place where you don’t live easily because of daily hard work and creating a new image of village life as a return to nature and to yourself.
“Unfortunately, it’s not that village anymore. But we’re starting over. These are now romantic areas where the fields have mostly grown over and merged with the uncultivated nature. The houses are mostly overgrown and have merged with the rocks in the background, so like prehistoric caves they bear witness to the habitation of the place, long ago. And everything happened in the last 50 years”, Boro tells us, adding that the Pecka Outdoor Festival and activities around the Visitor Center every year give hope that good times are coming for the village and the people who live there.
ONE OF THE 12 MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES IN BIH
According to the Development Strategy of the Mrkonjić Grad Municipality, Pecka has the status of a tourist village, and it is officially one of the 12 most beautiful villages in BiH, so the Mrkonjić Grad Municipality has invested about one million KM in road infrastructure. In the surroundings of the Center, there are more than 10 bicycle trails, many hiking trails, attractions such as the Sane hot springs, the Mračaj estavela, a hydrological phenomenon, the three-kilometer Korana canyon, 120 routes on the Pecka climbing area, and many beautiful trails that lead to nearby viewpoints.
As for accommodation capacity, there are 11 mobile homes next to the Visitor Center, fully equipped for a comfortable stay. Also, the village of Pecka used to not have a single household engaged in tourism, and today five households offer accommodation.
“Not only did we encourage people who are here to engage in tourism, but we also inspired some who lived in Vojvodina to return and open apartments. We have more than 80 houses that have been renovated in these ten years,” says Boro, adding: “We do ordinary things in an unusually good way, completely in line with contemporary trends. Households that stand out with quality products get the opportunity to reach people who are looking for reliable quality products completely free of charge. All this was made possible by many donors, companies, institutions and partners who invest in the village of Pecka because they believe that this is the seed of hope and faith in nature and people that we all need.”
Photo: Boro Marić
All visitors to the Center recognize this, so they feel satisfied after their stay in the village, especially children.
“All this is really a force majeure and a set of circumstances. I am from Mrkonjić and I was attached to the nature here. Here, ten years ago we decided to deal with rural development, through tourism in the village of Pecka, which already had the Pecka climbing area and the Sana springs and a lot of potential for bicycle paths, so we chose Pecka and she is grateful to us for that, that’s why that everything since we came here has worked in our favor, and in the favor of this region. Paths had to be cleared and a new world was created. We constantly hear the experiences of teachers who bring children that they don’t need any additional animation here,” says Boro.
He reminds that the Visitor Center is located in the renovated building of the old village school and says that the children’s energy is still present.
“I am thinking that if this was a school from 1931 to 1985, this yard was trampled by children and the children who come feel it. If it’s good for the kids, it’s good for everyone. Pecka has a certain magic that makes everyone feel good here, and we try not to disturb that and for people to enjoy its benefits, and it seems that we have succeeded in that.”
Looking back on the path they have traveled over the past decade, Boro reminded of the values that should be nurtured in children and young people, and a healthy attitude towards nature, people and life in general.
“When I look at the photos, what we got into. Something was stronger, we started from the red, but all the time we were working I saw this picture, because the day will come when that effort will pay off. And that moment came. We had a difficult first three, four years… We tried to infect the younger ones to experience it as their own. It’s not a private story, it’s not just my life at stake here, but groups of enthusiastic people who want to build an isolated oasis where true values are appreciated. The more we invest in young people, the more our future will be. If we gather them in places like this and work together and do activities so that they trust each other, share toys, respect nature, the elderly and the householder who grew vegetables, we can hope that they too will grow into such people and that they will build such things “, said our host.
We also spoke with a resident of Pekka, Duško Pijetlović, who feels enormous gratitude and happiness that his village with the Visitor Center has been given a new chance for development.
“I publicly thanked Bori several times for everything he did. This village would surely have died if it weren’t for him. He’s been there for ten years. What he did for this village, I’ve never seen anyone do anywhere, the way he arranged all this and revived the story around the village. I am grateful to him, because this is my grandfather’s place, and this is actually my real house. I lived in Belgrade and Novi Sad and all over the world, but I always came back, and it was always the most beautiful here. And when I see how much a man of this quality and all the people around him in the organization work to promote Pekka, this festival is just the crown of everything he has been doing for ten years,” said Pijetlović.
He says that “even in his madness he could not have expected that this would happen in Pecka” and recalls the day he met Bora.
“I remember when I met Bora when he first came to Pecka and I only remember how I wanted him to be there as long as possible, but I didn’t believe that he would stay that long and that the man is so persistent. Considering how our villages are dying out, I was afraid that this would be the fate of this one as well. He brought in new energy, organization and rhythm, and all credit to him for that. This is beautiful and everything that is happening is a big plus for Pecka. He just saw the potential in this beautiful part of the world to highlight it to others and of course people loved it. Kudos to the entire organization,” said Pijetlović.
Modest as he is, Boro points out that he is not alone in the whole story and how important to him was, and still is, the support of everyone who gave him support, and on the occasion of the tenth anniversary, he presented special awards to the Municipality of MG, TORS, the Center for the Environment, Nedeljko Ćojder, a resident of Pekka, friend and associate Emir Dervišević and many others.
“The municipality of Mrkonjić Grad recognized Pecka as a tourist village. She helped from the beginning, but in the last few years she has intensified her support. We have new asphalt from Barać to Pekka, according to Sana sources, the most critical places are paved and you can get much closer by car. Investments are being made in the electrical network, embankment and reconstruction of other rural roads. I believe that we are all on the right track,” Boro points out.
He adds that the goal is to revive Pecka together, but also to share experiences with others, to revive other villages.
“I hope that we motivate people so that what we burn here will give others the will and motivation to burn for their place as well. That’s the only way. If we hadn’t moved here, nothing would have happened. It has been working for years, building, continuity is the most important thing. Tourism is an elephant on glass legs,” said Boro.
WHAT IS PECKA OUTDOOR FESTIVAL?
Pecka Outdoor Festival (POF) is a two-day festival of active stay in nature with sports, recreational, entertainment-educational and other contents for all ages. It was designed with the aim of offering a meaningful outdoor active vacation program for everyone who is active or wants to be. The festival is organized in the village of Pecka, which is considered an example of the successful development of rural tourism in our country.
In the village of Pecka, there is the largest climbing area in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Nature Monument “Vrela Sane”, the Visitor Center of Pecka, which gathers domestic and foreign visitors and locals. Kilometers of marked cycling and walking trails, places to rest, children’s playgrounds, bouldering, pump track, outdoor amphitheater, accommodation in houses and camps, magical nature and always great fun.
Pečka holds two official titles – “Top 100 green destinations in the world” and “The most beautiful village in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.
The Pecka Outdoor Festival offers participants, entire families, and recreationists numerous activities: hiking, cycling, sport climbing on rocks and boulders, sports and educational activities suitable for children, entertainment and music program, fair program dedicated to outdoor equipment, and a colorful market where local products are presented products and manufacturers – all in the name of healthy lifestyles in harmony with nature.
Why Peca Outdoor Festival?
Pecka Outdoor Festival is a socially responsible and sustainable tourism product that promotes an active and healthy outdoor life, popularizes natural beauty and potential, strengthens the local economy and encourages the development of the entire region.
In conjunction with the sports and entertainment activities that the festival offers, our goal is to accelerate the sale of local products and services, as well as the promotion of all participants and partners, and with selected activities to create an atmosphere of a unique event that everyone enjoys.
The first festival was organized in 2018, and so far there have been a total of five, due to a two-year break caused by the pandemic, but in the meantime, an excellent infrastructure has been built, the offer expanded, as well as the circle of visitors. Every POF was extremely well attended, and last year’s alone attracted around 2 thousand visitors. Now they are ready for even bigger challenges and even better socializing under the clear sky.
With the aim of popularizing Pekka and completing the offer of this region, numerous activities have been carried out so far, among which we are most proud of the new tourist destination called “Dinardika”, which unites the offer from the wider region.
CONTENTS OF THE FESTIVAL
Outdoor activities, as a central part of the program, will offer workshops and participation in sports and recreational climbing, hiking, cycling, sports and creative workshops for children, and bird watching during both festival days.
The colorful market is an opportunity to present selected households and producers of domestic products in one place, to support them in their efforts to preserve tradition and be sustainable. It achieves the goal of connecting members of the local community of hard-working producers with admirers of quality domestic products.
The outdoor fair gathers companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina that offer equipment for outdoor activities.
The accompanying program, which additionally completes the festival atmosphere and delights the participants:
Music program – Respite with local music bands after a full day of outdoor activities and relaxation until late at night.
Performances for children and educational workshops – The festival offers numerous activities for children such as outdoor performances for the youngest, exploring and getting to know nature with the SKC Kids team, which awakens children’s imagination and desire to explore in an educational and creative way. Geo and ecological workshops with the team of the Faculty of Science, art and reading workshops, as well as a lot of other content and outdoor surprises.
Camping – For all festival participants who want to complete their two-day outdoor stay with camping, continue socializing during the night by the fire, sleep under the clear sky.
Through all the activities, the wish is for the participants to be convinced of the ease of coexistence with nature, the numerous opportunities and advantages it provides, benevolence, openness and good energy among people.
Source: 6yka.com
