Information
Landmark: Tara National Park (Bajina Bašta)City: Belgrade
Country: Serbia
Continent: Europe
Tara National Park (Bajina Bašta), Belgrade, Serbia, Europe
Overview
Tara National Park sits near Bajina Bašta in western Serbia, where pine-covered hills and deep river gorges make it one of the Balkans’ true gems.Spanning about 220 square kilometers-roughly the size of a small city-it’s famed for its dramatic cliffs, rich variety of wildlife, and deep cultural roots.The park stretches across much of Tara Mountain, where pine-scented trails and quiet valleys beckon both nature lovers and thrill-seekers.Here’s your detailed guide to Tara National Park: it’s tucked near the town of Bajina Bašta, just a short drive from the Bosnia and Herzegovina border, where steep green hills meet the winding Drina River.The park lies within the Dinaric Alps, a mountain range that sweeps across the western Balkans.Its landscape shifts from thick, shadowy forests to sheer cliffs and plunging canyons, with the Drina River curling along its western edge.Many slopes are cloaked in ancient spruce, fir, and beech, their trunks rising straight and tall in the quiet air.This is one of Europe’s most heavily forested regions, where Tara Mountain’s highest point, Zborište, climbs to 1,544 meters (5,066 feet) and opens to sweeping views of ridges fading into mist.The Drina River snakes through the park, carving deep gorges and marking the border with Bosnia.Perućac and Zaovine Lakes draw visitors for swimming, boating, and quiet afternoons by the shore, while Tara National Park shelters more than a thousand plant species, including the rare Serbian Spruce-a living fossil from the Ice Age and the park’s enduring emblem.It clings to the pale limestone cliffs, found almost only within Tara National Park.The park shelters brown bears, wolves, lynxes, wild boars, red and roe deer, and the air often carries the cry of a golden eagle or peregrine falcon among more than 130 recorded bird species.In the clear waters of the Drina River and its lakes, trout, huchen, and carp glide through the shallows, drawing anglers from afar.Scattered through the region stand historic monasteries, including the 13th-century Rača Monastery, its stone walls weathered by centuries of wind and rain.During turbulent times, it was a safe haven and a lively gathering place, where traditional Serbian villages like Mokra Gora and Drvengrad (Küstendorf) still keep wooden rooftops, stone pathways, and the old way of life alive.Filmmaker Emir Kusturica built Drvengrad as a lively cultural hub, while the surrounding region holds medieval stećci-carved stone tombstones now honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; nearby, Tara National Park unfurls more than 290 kilometers of marked trails, from gentle forest walks to steep climbs toward viewpoints like Banjska Stena, where the Drina River canyon cuts deep and blue through the cliffs, and visitors can also drift through its waters by boat, tackle rapids by raft or kayak, watch for brown bears and bright-feathered birds on guided tours, cycle across meadows, ski or snowshoe in winter, fish for trout in cold clear streams, and, from May to September, enjoy the park at its vibrant best.Forests and meadows burst with life in spring and summer, while in autumn (October to November) the park blazes with gold, red, and orange leaves that crunch underfoot; winter (December to February) wraps the mountains in snow, perfect for skiing or quiet walks.Nearby, you can wander Drvengrad, a wooden ethno-village built by Emir Kusturica with its own cinema and lively cultural events, ride the winding Šargan Eight Railway through misty peaks, swim or fish in the clear waters of Perućac Lake, or spot the quirky little house balanced on a rock in the middle of the Drina River.Though not a UNESCO site, Tara is part of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe, shelters rare Serbian Spruce trees, and has starred in several of Kusturica’s films.It lies about 180 km (112 miles) southwest of Belgrade, easy to reach by car or bus.Bajina Bašta is the main gateway to the park, a small town where the scent of pine drifts in from the hills.Visit Tara National Park for its stunning landscapes, thrilling outdoor adventures, and vibrant cultural heritage.You might hike to sweeping viewpoints, pause under the towering Serbian Spruce, or drift along the Drina River canyon; wherever you wander, the park offers a peaceful retreat deep in Serbia’s wild heart.It’s the kind of place where you can hike quiet trails, watch the sun spill gold over the hills, and feel both rested and ready for your next big idea.
