In the village of Bistrica, the watermills are like keepers of time,
grinding the past and present into a unique symphony that never stops playing.
About Bistrica
The village of Bistrica is one of the older settlements in this region. The first written mention of this place is in the Charter of Prince Lazar during the founding of the Gornjak Monastery in 1378.
Velika Watermill
The Marjanović Miroslav Watermill (Velika Watermill) was built in the nineteenth century. It is located right at the exit of the settlement, on the left bank of Bistrica, and can be reached via a wooden footbridge. Its base dimensions are 5.00 by 4.00 meters. The watermill is constructed on a foundation of rubble stone, with walls built using bondruk technique, filled with oak beams, and plastered with mud mortar on the inside. The roof is gabled and covered with tiles.
The interior is divided into two parts: a narrow room for the miller and an area containing one milling stone. The watermill previously had two milling stones, which is why it was named Velika Watermill (Large Watermill).
The watermill has been regularly maintained and has largely retained its authentic appearance and monumental values. The grinding mechanism is functional and operates occasionally. A few years ago, during flooding, part of the terrain in front of the watermill collapsed toward the river; however, this has not affected the stability of the structure. According to the assessment of static engineers, the likelihood of new ground collapse near the watermill is low.
Maintenance work needs to be planned for the structure. Inside, it is necessary to plan for the removal of the plaster, re-plastering, and whitewashing the walls.