Europe is home to many beautiful landscapes. One of them in the east of the continent has been described as its Grand Canyon.
The Tara river flows through two countries – Montenegro and some of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The waterway is formed from the Opasanica and Veruša rivers under the Komovi mountain.
Tara canyon is the second deepest river canyon on Earth. The river is 146.6km long, and the ravine is 1333m deep.
The Drina Tara Rafting Club says it is “the most beautiful canyon in the world”.
It is protected by UNESCO due to its drinkable water, vegetation, and wildlife, including an array of endemic species.
The Tara is navigable for boat rafts for almost 100km.
The gorge can be divided into two sections – the upper and the lower.
There are two starting points for rafts, kayaks and canoes. In the upper part, this is Splaviste, nearby Djurdjevica Tare.
From there, rafting tours that run through the entire canyon begin. The starting point of the lower gully is Brstanovica.
Over the Tara spans the Djurdjevica Tara Bridge. Built between 1937 and 1940, the stunning 365-metre-long structure has five arches, the largest spanning is 116 metres.
When it was finished, the bridge was the biggest vehicular concrete arch bridge in Europe.
Also on the river are the incredible Bailovica Sige waterfall and Karst Cave.
These have been described a “natural miracles”.
The 30 metre waterfall is fed by a spring in the Bucevica Cave. It can best be viewed when rafting on the Tara river.
Porto Montenegro says: “The crystal clear Tara river gorge extends between the green and snow-white mountain peaks, emerging in all its’ unprecedented glory…
“Fish like trouts, huchens and graylings, and animals such as eagles, vultures, bears, wolves and foxes, all find refuge in the wilderness surrounding the gorge.
“Forests are filled with oaks, black pine trees and ashes, and the water from the river is clean and drinkable throughout the entire stream, which is yet another proof of its’ intactness.”
