The Rzav () is a river in southwestern Serbia. The 62 km long left tributary to the Golijska Moravica river, it originates from two headstreams, the Veliki Rzav and the Mali Rzav. The river is sometimes referred to as the Golijski Rzav (Serbian Cyrillic: Голијски Рзав, "Rzav of Golija") to distinguish it from another Rzav river in Serbia, the Rzav of Zlatibor.
Mali Rzav
The Mali Rzav (, "Little Rzav") is the Rzav's shorter headstream. It originates from the northern slopes of the Mučanj mountain, near the village of Katići. Originally the river flows to the west, but at the village of Bjeluša it makes a large elbow turn, parallel to the even larger elbow turn of the Veliki Rzav. At the villages of Gornja Krušćica and Vranovina, the Mali Rzav straightens its course to the north and on the southern slopes of the Blagaja mountain meets the Veliki Rzav.
Veliki Rzav
The Veliki Rzav (, "Great Rzav") is the Rzav's longer headstream and sometimes it is referred to as just Rzav alongside its whole course. It originates from the southern slopes of the Murtenica mountain, southern extension of the Zlatibor mountain, in the northern part of the Stari Vlah region. The rivers springs out as the nameless stream at an altitude of near the village of Močioci, in the Ivanjica municipality. It receives the waters from the Kadinjača well, Matin Potok and Jančica stream from the left, and Presečka Reka, from the right. In the base of the karst plateaus of Okruglica and Zimovnike, the stream carved impressive limestone canyon-like valley. After receiving Bela Reka at the village of Sastavci, it is officially known as Veliki Rzav.
The Veliki Rzav originally flows eastward, next to the villages of Gornja Bela Reka and Donja Bela Reka (Serbian for "upper white river" and "lower white river", referring to the river's clear water). At the village of Klekova the river sharply turns to the north, making a large elbow turn, beginning at the village of Velika, on the western slope of the Čigota mountain. Inside this elbow turn is the smaller curve of the Mali Rzav, and the two rivers get at one point less than apart. In this northern section, the river carved a valley with distinct canyon-like sections: a canyon from the mouth of the Ljubišnica until Visočka Banja, Radoševski canyon and Orlovača canyon, popular among the whitewater rafters.
The Veliki Rzav receives from the left the Katušnica river and continues to curve to the north in the mountain region, between the villages of Razložina and Čičkovo, making another sharp elbow turn to the east, between the Lipovac and Gradina peaks, southeast of the town of Užice. After the village of Roge, the river continues on the southern slope of the Blagaja mountain, receiving the Mali Rzav from the right.
The spa of Visočka Banja is located on the river. The thermal water has . Formerly, the spa water was forming a pond of lukewarm water. The spa was recorded as health beneficial in 1936. In 1952, one of the visitors who claimed that the water helped his ailing wife, built the first, shallow spa pool. The pathways and wooden bridge were constructed in 1985. In 2012-2014 two additional, room-sized concrete pools were built, also by the former visitors. One pool has bottom filled with sand. Construction of the third, roofed pool followed, so as the paved road and new, pedestrian mountain pathway.
The water comes from the underground lake, some 30,000 thousand years old. Water is beneficial for the rheumatic and cardiac illnesses, when properly used (being still in the water and no more than three times a day with total of 20 minutes only). Just outside of the complex is another water spring ("third water", the Rzav and the spa being the first two). It allegedly helps with the eye diseases. The intake for the spring was built in 1975. Local ecologists opted not to place garbage bins, instead all visitors take garbage back with them.
Protection
The Veliki Rzav has been described as one of the cleanest European rivers, with "crystal clear" water. In 2018, survey of the section downstream from the Mučanj mountain began, in an effort to protect the surrounding valley as the special nature's reserve. The area, with the tributaries, includes water springs and wells, thermal and mineral water springs, canyons, cascades and waterfalls, and tufa ponds. Surveyed area covers .