The largest canyon in Europe is located in Montenegro, inside the Durmitor National Park: let’s talk about gorges of the Tara river, in the heart of the Balkans, which with a maximum depth of 1,300 meters they are classified as the second largest canyon in the worldbehind only the famous Grand Canyon American in Arizona.
From the Dinaric Alps, the Tara river crosses the heart of the Balkans between extensive forests and lush reliefs straddling the Montenegro and the Bosnia and Herzegovinascrolling for 144 kilometers before flowing into the river Drina. Over the geological eras, the continuous action of water together with the erosion processes of ancient glaciers and orogenic movements has engraved the limestone rocks, slowly but steadily, profoundly transforming the morphology of the territory and giving life to a truly impressive landscape. Also known as “the Tear of Europe” due to its crystal clear waters, the Tara river gorge reaches its maximum depth when it plunges between the high rocky walls of the mountain range of Ljubišnja.
The canyon extends from the area of Bistricain Montenegro, up to Hum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with beyond 82 km longof which the last 36 mark the border between the two countries. What makes the canyon truly spectacular is precisely its depth, which reaches i at its maximum point 1300 meters.
As anticipated, the canyon is located inside the Durmitor National Parkrecognized by UNESCO as a site World Heritage Site for its naturalistic and environmental value. In addition, certainly, to the extraordinary landscape impact and great importance from a geological point of view, the Durmitor National Park hosts a remarkable biodiversity. Among the most important habitats, we find the rare primary forest of European black pine. Thanks to an altitude difference of more than 2000 meters and the unique combination of climates alpine And Mediterraneanwithin the park they have been surveyed further 1600 species of plantsmany of which are extremely rare or endemic.
Although the canyon cannot boast the fame enjoyed by some of its European cousins, such as the most famous Verdon Gorgesin France, the region remains a very popular location for nature lovers and enthusiasts sport outdoor. The blue waters of the river, the steep cliffs and the breathtaking views are in fact the perfect location for practicing extreme activities, such as free climbing or others that are decidedly quieter or perfect for groups of friends, like thehiking and the rafting among the foaming rapids of the Tara River.
