Sanica was declared the first tourist village in the former state. This place near Ključ is a true oasis of natural wealth, however, it shares the fate of many smaller communities that people in search of work leave en masse. However, there are also those who return there.
Hidajet Kučuković lived and worked in Switzerland for almost three decades, and built in Sanica. Waking up next to nature and domestic animals on his own ranch is a dream he has realized now that he is retired. He’s back just as everyone is leaving this little place in droves.
“Most people say he’s either crazy or has millions, it’s not all about the money. My wife and I decided to come back. I wouldn’t give the five years I’ve been here for 26 up in Switzerland. That’s life there – work suit and pajamas “, Hidayet tells BHRT.
In the former Yugoslavia, Sanica was declared the most beautiful and the first tourist village. Natural beauty is the main asset of this local community located in a picturesque valley below the slopes of Grmeč. It attracts attention even today. The bravest ones bathe at the source of the river of the same name, where there is also a tunnel dug by human hands.
“In the summer period, every house had a room that was ready to be rented, which had two beds. If we made a presentation and offered people the potential that we offer, Sanica could certainly return to its old glory,” said the master of conservation environment Dženan Mehmedović.
With the power outage in Sanica in 2008, the wood industry, which has been managed since 2013 by the state company Unsko-Sanska šume, also stopped working. The chief, he says, has suffered many disappointments in trying to start again. It used to employ more than a thousand workers.
“We’ve been looking for solutions for nine years. It’s impossible that none could be found. There were various attempts that failed and we shouldn’t stop there. Could this be a political issue or a sawmill lobby? Someone would probably feel that they would have less, probably there are also those pressures…”, believes the Mayor of Kljuc Municipality Nedžad Zukanović.
There is little in this place today. Especially young people because there is little reason for them to stay.
“They couldn’t pass here, there was a promenade, now no one. Only dogs and cats,” says local resident Sanica Fetija.
“There is a lack of jobs, that is the main thing for existence. How can a young man get married when his father feeds him too. How can he create a family?”, points out Abid, a resident of Sanica.
Today, Sanica shares the fate of rural areas in which insufficient investment is made. Its inhabitants jealously guard life in these areas, regardless of all the difficulties.
