Tara National Park Drina River Valley Serbia

Touring Tara National Park and the Drina River Valley was a long but spectacular day. It’s a three-hour drive from Belgrade, but the remarkable scenery made it worthwhile, and I’m glad to have experienced this special area! The twelve-hour daytrip was led by Serbia Inspired Tours. Our guide, Jelena, and driver, Ranko, were fantastic.

It was a small, fun group of four people – two Japanese tourists living in London, a young German woman from Göttingen (near Hanover), and me. The tour was well-organized, and I recommend the company.

Our first stop was the Gate of Podrinje Bajina Basta. This viewpoint at Banjska Rock is the “panoramic gateway to Drina River Valley,” aka Podrinje.

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“Tara National Park has 290 km (180 miles) of hiking trails, 1,156 plant, 140 bird, and 58 mammal species, including a large brown bear population.” taradrina.com

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There’s much to explore in the valley, including:

• Tara National Park – 96 sq. mi. in the Tara and Zvijezda Mountains western Serbia

• Drina River House – symbol of Bajina Bašta and Podrinje Region, aka Zelenika
• Lađevac – alkaline-thermal hot spring with healing properties

• BB Klekovača – Serbian distillery producing brandy made with medicinal berries
• Vrelo River – short river in Europe that flows into the Drina River

• Drina River Canyon – world’s third deepest canyon
• Lake Perućac – artificial lake created on the Drina along Bosnia / Serbia border

We took a row boat to Drina River House and went inside. The original house was built in 1968 by a group of swimmers who needed a shelter. It was destroyed in a storm but rebuilt. The unique structure built on a rock in the middle of Drina River made the cover of National Geographic magazine in 2012.

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“Podrinje is a place where people come to improve their health. Its extraordinary location promotes nature’s healing qualities, benefitting body and soul. Its unofficial title is the Queen of Serbian Spas.” Telegraf.rs

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We enjoyed a short 2-km hike, ate lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Drina River, played around with a Yugo, drank fresh local raspberry juice, and sampled Serbian rakija and delicious forest honey. There are several websites detailing Tara hiking trails, including a mountaineering club.

The weather was a bit overcast with a touch of morning fog, but otherwise perfect. Many of the photos in this post are professional media shots. Some of mine are included. It was the first time during this trip – beginning in January – that I’ve had any decent photos taken. The day was educational and a sweet memory of Serbia – BIG smile…