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Morača (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Морача) is a river in Montenegro. It originates in northern Montenegro, under Rzača mountain. It generally flows southwards for some 113 km (70 mi), before emptying into Lake Skadar.

In its northern part, the Morača is a fast mountain river, and has cut a canyon north of Podgorica. After merging with its largest tributary, Zeta, just north of Podgorica, the Morača enters the Zeta plain. It flows through this flat area of Montenegro until it empties into Lake Skadar.

The Morača is a relatively small river, rarely more than 100 m (328 ft) wide and mostly shallow, so it is generally not navigable. Its canyon is currently a corridor for the main road leading from Montenegro’s coast and Podgorica to northern Montenegro and Serbia. This road is considered very dangerous, and will likely be bypassed in future by a motorway which is currently being planned.

The Morača River is considered one of the symbols of Podgorica, and is the biggest river that flows through the city. It is featured on some flags and country symbols.

Wikipedia

The Tara (Montenegrin: Ријека Тара / Rijeka Tara; Tr. Riyeka Tara) is a river in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It emerges from the confluence of the Opasnica and Veruša Rivers in the Prokletije mountain, part of Dinaric Alps of Montenegro. The total length is 144 km, of which 110 km are in Montenegro, while the final 34 km are in Bosnia and Herzegovina; it also forms the border between the two countries in several places. The Tara flows from south to north – north-west and converges with the Piva at the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro border between the villages of Šćepan Polje (Montenegro) and Hum (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to form the Drina river.

The Tara River cuts the Tara River Gorge, the longest canyon in Montenegro and Europe and second longest in the world after Grand Canyon, at 78 kilometers in length and 1,300 meters at its deepest. The canyon is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is a part of Durmitor national park.

Rafting is very popular on Tara River. It is also one of the most popular things to do in Montenegro. The one day rafting route, from Brstnovica to Šćepan Polje is 18 km long and it takes 2 to 3 hours, but most popular is part which included few kilometers of river Drina all together 25 km to Rafting center Drina-Tara. Among the attractions of the area is Đurđevića Tara Bridge, on the crossroads between Mojkovac, Žabljak and Pljevlja.

Rafting starts at Splavista from where you start the adventure 100 km long in the most beautiful and exciting part of canyon. Already at the beginning the Tara, the waterfalls of Ljutica are shown and then, you will pass under monumental bridge of the Tara, 165 metres high and then, you come up to the old Roman road and then pass through the. Lever Tara. “Funjički bukovi” and “Bijele ploče” will make you realise how calm and up to this moment nice Tara becomes wild beauty. “Nisovo vrelo” is the deepest part of canyon of 1100 metres high. Further is the bottom of the mountain top, “Curevac” (1650 m), that rises above Tara as its “eternal guardian” and one of the nicest bellevue of Durmitor. Then you end up at the waterfalls of Draga and then pass through the Radovan luka. Then you pass through the “Canyon of Susica”, “Tepački bukovi”, “Brstanovički bukovi” and “Bailovica sige.” Rafting will end at Sćepan Polje.

Wikipedia Artcle

The Piva (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Пива) is a river in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, shorter headwater of the Drina river, which it forms with the Tara river on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.The Piva springs from the Sinjac (Cyrillic: Сињац) spring on Golija mountain, near the Monastery of Piva (also called Vrelo Pive; Cyrillic: Врело Пиве; Well of Piva). Before the artificial Lake Piva was formed, the water from the well rushed into the river Komarnica (Cyrillic: Комарница) thus creating the Piva river for the next 34 km. However, Komarnica is part of a 86 km long river system (Tušina-Bukovica-Bijela-Komarnica), so measured from the source of the Tušina river (Cyrillic: Тушина), the Piva, nicknamed ‘the river with five names’ is 120 km long.

The Tušina originates from the mountain Sinjajevina in the Uskoci region of central Montenegro, just few kilometers away from the source of another important Montenegrin river, Morača. The river flows to the west, between the Sinjajevina and Lola mountains, next to the villages of Krnja Jela, Bare, Boan and Tušina. It receives from the north the Bukovica river (Cyrillic: Буковица), and continues further under this name. After the river passes the regional center of Šavnik and the villages of Gradac and Pridvorica in the region of Drobnjaci, the stream receives from the north the Komarnica and takes its name.

Bridge over the Piva River canyon

Piva River

The Komarnica continues between the mountains of Vojnik and Treskavac, in an almost uninhabited area (village of Duži) and enters the high Piva Pleateau, where it turns north (almost all of the Komarnica’s course is flooded by the reservoir of the Lake Piva), receives from the right outflow of the Piva well and enters the deep Piva canyon.

The canyon is cut between the mountains of Bioč, Volujak, Maglić and Pivska planina, its 33 km long, deep up to 1.200 m and river generates immense power used for the power station of Mratinje (342 MW) which dammed the canyon in 1975. The dam is 220 m high, one of the highest in Europe and creates Lake Piva, third largest in Serbia and Montenegro (12,5 km², altitude 675 m, 188 m deep), which flooded the old location of the monastery of Piva from the XVI century, so the monastery was moved to the new one. The Vrbnica river flows from the left into the lake.

After the dam, the Piva continues straight to the north, meets the Tara at Šćepan Polje on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina and creates the Drina.

The Piva belongs to the Black Sea drainage basin with its own drainage area of 1.270 km² and is not navigable.

Wikipedia Article

Nevidio – “Unseen” – the last conquered canyon in Europe

Among the grayness of the Montenegrin karsts, where thousands of years ago the steep slopes of Durmitor and Vojnik clashed during big geological movements, carved into the hard rock, lies the Komarnica canyon, the last conquered canyon in Europe.

In 1965, Montenegrin mountaineers finally explored this canyon with considerable effort. Its symbolic name Nevidio (“Unseen”) or Nevidbog (“Unseen by God”) as it is also called, reminds us of the secret of the canyon, which was hidden from human eyes for a long time.

Some hundred meters before the entrance into the canyon, there is a big waterfall, Grabovine. Vertical cliffs, waterfalls, gorges, foaming cascades, narrow channels and the real gallery of the stone figures – are the main actors in the story about Nevidio.

text: http://montenegro.travel

Gusinje is a town in the municipality of Plav. It is located under Prokletije and Visitor, on the border with Albania, on the part of the river Vrulja and Grčara, the southwestern part of Plav-Gusinje basin and about 900 m above sea high. It’s famose by Alipashas springs that are the source of the river Lim. Springs are named by the Albanian commander Ali Pasha Šabanagic, known as Ali Pasha Gusinjski. When the Berlin Congress recognized Montenegro as statehood Plav-Gusinje area is become part of her, but the people, headed by Ali – Pasha, opposed it and in the battle in Novšići win army of Duke Marko Miljanov. Although served in Pec, pasha has often caming in Gusinje and springs were his favorite place. The house which is made by him was a place where they gather and famose people of that time, all passengers to be found there where slept and rested there, people were discussing trade. Sources are part of the river Grulja (Vrulja) and specific because of the large number (25) the smaller sources in the foot hills Vizier chin at an altitude 925 meters. Minimum capacity was 2.5, a maximum of eight cubic meters per second. The water temperature is almost constant and ranges from 5.6 to 6.6 degrees Celsius. In the place where submerge, near the Albanian border, can see the fountain, ” Skakavica” from which water falls from a great height and makes beautiful water curtain. Water quality and is suitable for drinking. Many locals of Gusinje, Plav and surrounding villages are working abroad, most of them in the USA, but do not forget his homeland. Every year on Ilindan 2. august, residents of this area traditionally organized gathering of Ali-Pasha sources, which by custom, attended a large number of immigrants originating from these regions.

text: http://anitaphoto.me

Only a few kilometers from Podgorica towards the Albanian border, there is one of the most beautiful karst rivers – Cijevna.
On its way from Prokletije towards its estuary into the bigger sister Morača, first it passes through a spectacular canyon, and then it makes its way meandering through Ćemovsko polje. Cijevna will attract all nature lovers as strongly as the wild fig and pomegranate trees stick to the canyon’s bluffs.
In its lower course it forms its riverbed in the conglomerate of Ćemovsko polje, which was named after the river (Cem – the Albanian name of the river Cijevna). The name Cijevna (“cijev” means pipe) comes from the fact that in the lower course the coast reminds of a pipe at places – the water is flowing through a 15 m deep gorge which is only a meter wide.
Cijevna with its beauty has united the qualities of many Montenegrin rivers – a fascinating canyon, cliffs, rocky islands formed by whitewater, carrying sand and pebble. It also has something northern rivers lack – the spirit of the Mediterranean, thanks to which pomegranate, figs and wine grow on the steep slopes of its canyons.

Text: http://montenegro.travel