By: Tarik Dreca
An anecdote from my childhood ties me to the Muška voda in Kladanj, because of which I always wanted to visit that place, which came to be this year, after the reopening of the reconstructed hotel and complex with picnic area and sports fields located next to it.
As a 6–7-year-old boy, I used to ride the bus with my mom. At that time, Muška voda was considered a cure for almost all diseases, and posters and billboards for this miraculous water could be seen everywhere. At that time, however, the most popular painkiller was “Arbid”. Someone who rode with us on the bus complained of a headache – and I blurted out, “Take one Arbid and some male water.” The whole bus didn’t stop laughing for the next five minutes…
The fountain of youth
Scientific research carried out on this water in the late 60s of the last century confirmed the healing properties of Kladanj water. Analyzes conducted in Yugoslavia at the time but also abroad have shown that water has a positive effect on reducing blood pressure and blood sugar, improving circulation, and strengthening the vitality of the organism, as well as enabling faster excretion of water, regeneration of the intestinal and gastric tract, and balancing of the neurovegetative system.
This water in Kladanj is called the elixir of health. In addition to these medicinal properties, this water is also attributed to the strengthening of physical abilities, especially in men. According to some reports, Muška voda affects potency, hence its name. The very success of this water was achieved precisely through these stories.
Even without scientific confirmations and complicated analyses, claims about the medicinal properties and miraculous properties of this water have been passed down among the people for centuries. The first record of the miraculous powers of this water near Kladanj was described by the famous Ottoman travel writer Evliya Çelebi in the 17th century, calling this water the “fountain of youth”.
The elixir of health was bottled in the period from 1968 to 1992 and sold under the advertising slogan “Men’s water – women’s joy”. The Bosnian natural “Viagra before Viagra” was a megahit, but also an inspiration to artists. Esma Redžepova and other famous pop stars of the time sang about it, and in a comic context even Mija Aleksić and Miodrag Petrović Čkalja.
It was placed on the markets of Western Europe to help the “desperate” Germans, French and Italians. Local officials claimed that it had reached 30 countries around the world. However, the export brand failed miserably. As noted by the chroniclers, the miraculous water was withdrawn from the foreign market, because it was found to be full of bacteria. However, for years after that, it was sold throughout Yugoslavia, so even wives bought it for their husbands’ birthdays “instead of cologne”.
Air spa
Due to the very favorable mountain climate and conifer forests, Kladanj was declared an air spa, so a hospital for lung diseases was built during the period of Austro-Hungarian rule. In the 1960s, the construction of a hotel in Kladanj under the name Muška voda began on that site. Within the hotel there is a dam, a sports field and a stadium, which makes it favorable for the preparation of sports teams.
After the war damage, the hotel was quite neglected and dilapidated, but after the recent reconstruction, it shone again in its old glory and now offers a full range of comfort according to modern standards. Further expansion of the facilities is planned with the construction of a new swimming pool, zoo, bicycle paths, and sports fields. Pavilions for picnics and barbecues are also available in the complex, so it has once again become a popular place for picnics in the clean mountain air.
The spring is about 15 kilometers away from Kladanj, a municipality with about 15,000 inhabitants. The hotel is reached by an asphalted regional road, which is separated by several kilometers of macadam road. After driving, it is necessary to walk about 15 minutes along the path to the spring itself. In the immediate vicinity of the Muška voda hotel complex is the forest lake “Gorsko oko”, popularly known as Spider Lake. The lake is located at 650 meters above the sea level. The variety of flora and fauna make it interesting for visitors. The lake is very rich in fish (carp, grass carp, bream, and trout).
