so we remained fairly quite as we donned our wetsuits, life vests and helmets. Before they filed us into the dinghies and armed us with oars, our friendly hosts served us some homemade rakija brandy – the best medi- cine against fear, as they told us in jest. And then the journey could start. We navigated the calm waters of the Tara, which flow pro- tected from all the plagues of the civilisa- tion, pure, clear and drinkable along its en- tire course. It can be drunk wherever you are; cold and healthy, it is free from the poisons of the modern world. It is not without rea- son that it is known worldwide as“the tear of Europe”. And then, all of a sudden, we had the impression, as we floated leisurely along in our dinghies, that everything we’d wor- ried about was without meaning, in either the life that has passed or in the future, as we were carried along by that silent beauty. I realise that isn’t at all terrible, on the contrary, I’m taken over by some sort of splendour and tranquillity, as though I’m in mother’s lap! And then, just as I relaxed and began wandering with my thoughts, our skipper (every boat, or course, has an experi- encedleader)shouted‘row’andwedropped into the rapids! Okay, it was no longer re- laxed in the slightest, we rowed as though in a frenzy, the boat jumping over those rap- ids, the water spraying us as we screamed like little children at an amusement park... In reality it actually wasn’t terrible, we wer- en’t in any real danger at any point; we just enjoyed ourselves and laughed to tears with heated adrenaline. We overcame some 14 kilometres of the river, which has a medi- um fast flow in this part of the course, but further along Tara’s course is even scarier. We ended our journey, because they didn’t want to go further with those of us who are inexperienced and clumsy, but we’ll return. We promised the beautiful Tara that we will conquer her. Some other time... GRANDIOSE BRIDGE An exceptional work of modern ar- chitecture, a symbol of the canyon, the Đurđevića Tara Bridge is a gran- diose structure. Designed by one of the greatest construction experts in the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia, en- gineer Mijat S. Trojanović, when com- pleted in 1940 it was Europe’s largest reinforced concrete road bridge and among the world’s largest and most beautiful transportation structures of its kind. With its strong five-arched construction, including a main arch that has a span of 116 metres, it ris- es to a height of 150 metres above the canyon floor.
I n America, the Colorado River flows and has carved out the world’s deepest can- yon for itself. I’ve seen it many times in films and on photos, so I must say from an indirect perspective that it really is im- pressive. However, my intention is still to convince you that the world’s second deep- est canyon, the one carved out by Monte- negro’s beautiful River Tara, is incomparably more beautiful. Okay, perhaps I’m a bit bi- ased, because the Tara is closer and dearer to me, but the fact is that Colorado’s canyon is somehow all rock and dust, while Tara’s is lush and green wherever the eye can reach... The canyon is 60 kilometres long and has an average depth of 1,073 metres, reach- ing as deep as 1,300 metres in some plac- es. At its deepest, it has been measured to a depth of 1,333 metres. One of the canyons surrounding the Durmitor mountain and national park (there are also the Komarni- ca, Draga, Sušica and Piva canyons), it is a true oasis of pristine nature and a reserve for many endemic and rare species of plants and animals. Alongside the Durmitor Na- tional Park itself, Tara has found its way on- to the UNESCO World Heritage List, fulfilling
as many as three conditions: geological, hy- drological and biological (one alone is suffi- cient for inclusion on this list). When we add to this the fact that the canyon represents a geographical location that remains insuffi- ciently explored, with specific flora and fau- na, and with over 80 caves, the majority of which have not been investigated, it is clear to you that you need to go to Montenegro. And that’s especially so if you have at least one adventurous streak and a soul that yearns not only for beauty, but also for explo- ration! That’s because although the Tara Riv- er Canyon is known as the deepest gorge in Europe and the most beautiful in this part of the world, tourists mostly come to conquer the wild rapids by rafting the white water. There are many tourist organisations that of- fer rafting on the Tara, with some tours last- ing several days, and there’s no doubt that you’ll enjoy yourself whichever you choose. I can now tell you that with certainty, based on first-hand experience, because I’ve made the descent through those tur- quoise waters with a group of my fellow journalists. And we weren’t indifferent about the prospect of confronting Tara’s rapids,
Čudo arhitekture na Đurđevića Tari Architectural wonderwork on Đurđevića Tara
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