The Source of the Ruda River

The Ruda River is the largest tributary of the Cetina. It rises at the foot of Kamešnica near the village of Ruda in the municipality of Otok, north of Trilj. It is fed by Buško blato, a reservoir located some 15 km to the east.

It has two tributaries, Grab, which we have already written about, and Ovrlja. The Ruda spring supplies water to part of the Cetina region, and the river’s water is also harnessed by the Orlovac hydroelectric power plant, to which it is conveyed via a pressure pipeline.

The scenery here is breathtaking! The river’s branches hidden in greenery, together with the view of the impressive cliff on the other side, will leave no one indifferent. Right beside the river there is a landscaped picnic area, with benches and a barbecue overlooking an old mill and the waterfall next to it.

You can drive up to the last houses, where there is a spacious parking lot.

A little further down there is a footbridge leading to the other side, from where you can take in the whole scene from a different angle.

The trail to the spring starts from the parking lot and is about 160 m long.

If you want perfect photos, bear in mind that this is a canyon, so in winter, when the sun is low, most of the scene lies in shadow.

If you’re touring this area by bike, instead of the road be sure to take the trail that runs along the river from the entrance of Udovičići for about 5 km. The trail starts here: 43.660283, 16.750523

One hour is enough to walk the whole site, but if you really want to enjoy yourself, with good company and a barbecue, you’ll most likely need half a day. Combined with a few of the nearby attractions, you can easily plan an interesting full-day excursion.