Exploring Tara National Park, Serbia
- Travelling time: 9 hours
- Difficulty: Medium
- Why we love it: There are several way in NP Tara for canyoning do not miss it. Tara is rich in several streams such as Brusnica, Raca or Rzav.
- Length: 9 km
- Total Elevation Gain: 615 m
- Way to travel: on foot
- Cost: 0 €
- Our Advice: Transfer time from Belgrade is 4 hours. The tour is organized in the period from April to October, on the basis of five full boards - six days. Accommodation in Ethno apartments Green Lodges **** with daily activities according to the programme. Travelling time to the activity starting point: up to 45 minutes. Meals are organized in Green Lodges while, during the activity days, lunches are served in nature, as picnic. Canyoning - obstacles can be overcame by climbing, using rope, swimming, jumping from waterfalls ... On Tara there are several opportunities for canyoning, we recommend two: the Raca river canyon and gorge Brusnica stream.
The Tara National park, Serbia, covers 19.175 ha at the highest part of the mountain Tara, and is located in the municipality of Bajina Bašta and Užice in western Serbia.
It borders with Bosnia and Herzegovina, bounded by Drina. Despite today’s presence of man and his/it’s impact on ecosystems, Tara has maintained its outstanding natural values, which is why it is declared a national park.
The mountain Tara belongs to an Old Vlach mountain area and consists of regional units of the Kaluđera ponds, Tara, Aluške Mountains, Crni vrh and Zvijezda. The surface is 183 square miles, the length 50 km and the width of 22 km. The average altitude is 1,200 meters, but the highest peak Koziji rid (goat hil) reaches 1,591 meters.
Rača (2 km) – it presents natural values and the most valuable cultural and historical monument of the park, which is the Rača monastery with its archaeological locations nearby. It is an easy trail. It starts from the Rača monastery and leads to the natural reserve Klisura Rače. The trail leads through a beech forest along the river. It ends with the waterfall Lađevac and a spring. It is a warm water source of karst origin, 17 º C, for the treatment of skin diseases.
Rača monastery according to tradition it was built in the 13th century and founded by king Dragutin. The historical significance and role of this spiritual monument comes into play during the fall of the Serbian state under the Turkish rule. It has been burned and built twice. In the Late Middle Ages the monastery was a centre for collecting, transcribing and writing numerous liturgical and religious scripts, known as Rača transcripting (copying) school.
During World War II the Gospel book of Prince Miroslav was preserved here. It is the oldest written document of our nation. From the Rača monastery to the Lađevac spring there is a tour under the title „Mala duhovna transverzala“ (“small spiritual intersection”) that leads to a marked trail which is two kilometres upstream along the right bank of the river Rače. At the rest places on the right and left sides of the river there are benches and tables with eaves. From there the road continues with a short uphill way above the river and the bridge that leads over its canal, onto the tracks through a beech forest.
After a 40 minute walk you come to a wide waterfall of spring Lađevac. The monks of Rača in the 17th century called this place a health resort due to its water temperature of 17 º C durinh the whole year. Nearby Lađevac there is a transcripting school with a hermitage dedicated to St. George. Today the remains of this medieval scriptorium are being investigated by archaeologists.
So far the remains of a foundation of a palace or monastery lodging have been discovered. To overcome the entrance to the Suva cave, but particularly the rise of the Krstač cliff you will need proper equipment. A genuine mountain trail leads from these historical sites of Rača monastery all the way to the hill fort. On the hill fort the remains of an unknown fortification are discovered recently from the 6th and 7th century with a church within it. From this hill fort the trail leads further to the Crnjekovo viewpoint.
Canyoning - obstacles can be overcame by climbing, using rope, swimming, jumping from waterfalls. On Tara there are several opportunities for canyoning, we recommend two: the Raca river canyon and gorge Brusnica stream.
Info: Amigo Travel Ltd.
TC Skver, 93 Dimitrija Tucovica Street, 31000 Uzice, Serbia
Phone: +381 31 511 596
E-mail: amigouzice@gmail.com
Website: http://www.amigotravel.rs/