Djurdjevic's bridge in Montenegro

Tourists, vacationers in Montenegro, often wonder: what can you see in the country? After all, whole days sunbathing on the beach (in summer) or ski down the mountain slopes (in winter) is boring. The heart asks for spiritual food. And to satisfy this hunger, you can go on the most fascinating excursions along the edge. In this article we will tell only about one of Montenegro's sights. This is the Djurdjevic Bridge, whose photo is one of the "visiting cards" of the Balkan country. What this engineering design can surprise and conquer a seasoned tourist? For what is it worth to go from the warm coast to the north of the country and spend on the road a total of about six hours? About this and many other things we will tell in our article.

Why visit the Djurdjević Bridge in Montenegro?

This engineering construction is not ancient and even ancient. The bridge was built in the forties of the last century. However, with its interesting history, parameters and, most importantly, location, it deserves to be looked at. In the top-ten of the most interesting sights of Montenegro, the Djurdjevic Bridge takes the seventh position. It is valued along with St. Stephen and Boka Bay of Kotor. But even if you start off on a long journey, it is worth emphasizing that on the way to the Djurdjevic Bridge you will see a few more places in the top-ten places of interest. It is Ostrog Monastery, as if built into a rock, the beautiful Skadar Lake, Biogradska Mountain with a virgin forest, the UNESCO-listed Durmitor National Park and the Tara River canyon located in it. The shores of the latter are connected by Djurdjevic's bridge.

Durmitor and Tara Canyon

The National Park was founded in 1952 around the eponymous mountain range. There are seven different ecosystems in Durmitor. These are lakes of glacial origin, rocks, forests, alpine meadows. Among them is the Tara River canyon. In size, it is the deepest in Europe. And on a global scale, it occupies the second position, second only to the Grand Canyon in the United States. Its depth is one thousand three hundred meters. Canyon of Tara, together with the national park Durmitor, was included in 1980 in the UNESCO list as a natural heritage of mankind. The Djurdjevic Bridge connects both steep banks and is thus unique. Until 2004 it was the highest in Europe. These places are not yet fully explored and are still waiting for the discoverers. In the canyon there are many caves and deep grottoes. The entrance to the park is paid, but the ticket price is symbolic - two euros.

Djurdjevic's Bridge: how to get there

To see this miracle of engineering, first of all you need to get to the Durmitor Nature Reserve. The canyon of the river Tara, whose banks connects the tall openwork bridge, is located seventeen kilometers from the city of Kolasin. You should follow the signs to Zabljak. At the exit of this village in twenty-two kilometers and there will be a turn to the Djurdjevic Bridge. It connects both sides of the canyon in a high place - at the Crskvine Pass. To this man-made landmarks it is convenient to get not only from Zabljak. After all, an automobile bridge was built at the crossroads between the cities of Plelevia and Mojkovac. Many tourists wonder why this high and beautiful design got its name? Who is Djurdjevic an architect? engineer? A nearby settlement? The third assumption is the most correct. Djurdjevic is a modest peasant, whose farm in 1940 was closest to the edge of the canyon. To the construction of the bridge, and even more so, to its interesting history, this man has nothing to do.

Options

First of all, the viewer is impressed by the openwork design. It seems that the bridge is made not of concrete, but of lace. Designed this five-arch structure Miyat Troyanovich at the end of the kingdom of Yugoslavia. The works, which lasted from 1937 to 1940, were supervised by the chief engineer Isaac Russo. At the time of the completion of the construction and until 2004 it was the highest bridge in Europe. The total length of the structure is three hundred and sixty-five meters. And the main span stretches for 116 meters. The height of the Djurdjevic Bridge (from the surface of the Tara River to the asphalt covering of the roadway) is one hundred and seventy-two meters.

History

The construction was successful and did not give the creators any unpleasant surprises. And in fact, an interesting history of the Djurdjevic bridge began with the offensive of the troops of the Italian fascists in Yugoslavia in April 1941. The passage through the canyon of Tara was very strategic for the advance of the enemy army. Therefore, the local resistance forces decided to blow up the Djurdjevic Bridge. Under the leadership of Isaac Russo worked as an engineer - Lazar Yaukovich. He thoroughly knew all the features of the bridge. In 1942 he with several guerrillas laid the bomb under the central arch. The explosion was filigree: only one, the longest (116 meters) span collapsed. The destruction of a single pass through the mountainous terrain for a long time stopped the advance of Italian troops to the north of Montenegro. The fascists were so furious that they organized the search for Lazar Yaukovich throughout the country. In the end, he was arrested and shot. These events were reflected in two feature films: the Yugoslav "Most" and the British "Hurricane with Navarone". So our miracle of engineering has a cinematic story. And at the entrance to the bridge now rises a monument to a courageous engineer.

And what about today?

Numerous bus excursions bring tourists to look not at all debris. Thanks to Lazar Yaukovich, who blew up his work in only one well-thought-out place, the Djurdjevic bridge in Montenegro was quickly restored (in 1946). Now it is an object of tourist pilgrimage. Not far from the bridge there is a camping, there is a small cafe, a gas station, a shop. From here begins rafting around Tara. For fans of thrill, bungee jumping is possible. Jumping from the "tarzanka" is carried out from the central arch of the bridge, from a height of 160 meters. Well, if one thought of jumping into the abyss causes horror in you, you can just stroll along the mountain slopes, breathe in crystal air, take colorful pictures and refresh yourself with a glass of wine in the cafe.