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 2 km apart. 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.