BUČNICA: WASHES EVERYTHING BUT YOUR CONSCIENCE

The Bučnica, or eco-friendly washing machine, washes everything but your conscience. It requires no electricity or chemicals, relying solely on the natural power of a mountain river. Once, Martin Brod had dozens of these washing machines. Today, only one remains.

PHOTO: ATV

"You know, the biggest problem for women is washing something like a double-bed blanket. They're big and awkward—you can't wash them in a regular machine or a bathtub. So, people come to me from all the surrounding villages and towns, from Bihać, Petrovac, Drvar, Grahovo," explains Dragan Reljić from Martin Brod near Bihać.

And the job is done in just ten minutes. The blanket is ready for drying. While some use the Bučnica for laundry, others visit simply to see this natural washing machine in action.

The story of this eco-friendly washing machine has become a tourist attraction in Martin Brod. Locals are patient and always eager to explain how the machine works in harmony with nature.

Curious visitors gather around the Bučnica.

Among them are tourists from Prijedor.

"Without any technology, yes, yes, just like in the old days. What do you think of it? It’s beautiful. They used to do this on the Japra River where I’m from, and now they do it on the Una, or here on the Unac," says Stana from Prijedor.

Nikola from Prijedor finds it easier this way.

"I don’t have double beds, so I don’t have much to wash here," jokes Zrenka from Prijedor with a smile.

This Bučnica is around 250 years old, named for the noise it makes during operation. It’s primarily operated by men.

"No woman can pull the blanket out of it, so it's probably the only 'men's washing machine' in the world. Women are very happy to have a Bučnica near their homes," adds Dragan Reljić.

Besides the Bučnica, the Reljić family has waterfalls in their backyard. Martin Brod, one of the few Orthodox villages in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is located in the Una National Park, about 50 kilometers from Bihać. Nestled where the Unac meets the Una, the village rests on over 90 springs.

To this day, Martin Brod is home exclusively to Orthodox Christians, who preserve their traditions on ancestral land.