Tara Canyon
Europe’s deepest river canyon.
- Best time
- April–October for rafting
- Ideal for
- Adventure travelers, rafters, photographers
- Time needed
- Half a day (viewpoint); a full day for rafting
- Getting there
- ~2.5 hr drive from Podgorica Airport to the Đurđevića Tara bridge
- Region
- Durmitor & the North
- Nearest airport
- Podgorica Airport (TGD), ~140 km
Ideal for
Adventure travelers
Rafters
Photographers
Road-trippers
About Tara Canyon
Carved 1,300 m deep by the emerald Tara, this is the deepest canyon in Europe and the second deepest on earth — best seen from the Đurđevića Tara bridge or from a raft on the water.
The Tara River has cut a canyon roughly 82 km long and up to 1,300 metres deep, long marketed as Europe’s deepest and, by some measures, the world’s second-deepest after the Grand Canyon — a comparison tourism boards repeat more confidently than geographers do, but the scale is real regardless. The Đurđevića Tara Bridge, a five-arch concrete span completed in 1940 and rising 172 metres above the water, carries the main Žabljak road and doubles as the canyon’s best free viewpoint, with a small zipline now strung across the gorge beside it. The bridge has its own wartime story: in 1942 its engineer helped destroy one of its own spans to block occupying Italian forces, and was executed there soon after. Below, the emerald-green Tara is Montenegro’s main white-water rafting river, with trips running roughly April to October.
Highlights
Đurđevića Tara bridge
White-water rafting
Emerald river & cliffs
Where it is
The Tear of Europe
Montenegrins call the Tara the ‘Suza Evrope’, the Tear of Europe, for water so clean it is drinkable straight from the river along much of its course. Rising in the Durmitor highlands, it runs about 140 km north before joining the Piva at Šćepan Polje to form the Drina on the Bosnian border. The whole basin was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and folded into the Durmitor World Heritage site, protecting cliffs up to 1,300 m high, hanging side-waterfalls, and dense forests of beech and black pine that cloak the canyon walls far below the rim.
Rafting the emerald water
Rafting is the definitive Tara experience. The classic run drops through the wildest lower gorge from Brštanovica down to Šćepan Polje, roughly 18 km of some fifty named rapids threaded between sheer walls and side-streams spilling from the cliffs. Spring snowmelt in April and May pushes the water highest and fastest; by high summer it calms to a gentler, family-friendly float. Trips launch from riverside camps, with wetsuits, helmets and guides provided, and range from a half-day taster to a full day on the water. It remains the most exhilarating way to grasp the canyon’s true scale.
The bridge, the ziplines and the viewpoints
The Đurđevića Tara Bridge is the canyon’s stage. Beside it stands a memorial to Lazar Jauković, the engineer who, having helped build the span, blew up its central arch in 1942 to slow occupying forces and was executed on the bridge soon after; the arch was rebuilt after the war. Today ziplines streak across the gorge from the bridge, the longest running several hundred metres to the far bank. For a loftier perspective, the Ćurevac viewpoint inside Durmitor National Park perches around 1,000 m directly above the river, taking in a vast sweep of the canyon at a glance.
Getting there and when to go
The bridge sits on the main road between Žabljak and Mojkovac, about 2.5 hours from Podgorica Airport, and slots easily into any Durmitor itinerary. The rafting season runs roughly April to October; many operators base at Šćepan Polje, right on the Bosnian frontier, where the Tara meets the Piva. The viewpoint and bridge stay accessible year-round, snow permitting. Nearby, the little Dobrilovina Monastery guards the canyon’s eastern approach. For the fullest picture, come in late spring, when high water, green forests and thundering side-falls show the gorge at its most dramatic.
Plan your visit
Line up where to stay and what to do around Tara Canyon.
Official resources & further reading
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to Tara Canyon?
The Đurđevića Tara Bridge, the main viewpoint, sits on the Žabljak–Mojkovac road, about a 2.5-hour drive from Podgorica Airport.
Is Tara Canyon worth visiting?
Yes — it’s one of the deepest river canyons in the world, with the bridge viewpoint alone worth the drive, and rafting is a highlight for active travellers.
What’s the best time to visit Tara Canyon?
April to October for rafting, when water levels and weather suit trips; the viewpoint and bridge are accessible year-round, snow permitting.
How long should I spend at Tara Canyon?
An hour or two for the bridge and viewpoints; a full day if you add white-water rafting.
