Tourists vacationing in Montenegro often wonder: what can you see in the country? After all, sunbathing on the beach all day long (in summer) or skiing down the mountain slopes (in winter) becomes boring. The heart asks for spiritual food. And to satisfy this hunger, you can go on fascinating excursions around the edge. In this article we will tell only about one of the attractions of Montenegro. This is the Dzhurdzhevich bridge, whose photo is one of the “calling cards” of the Balkan country. How can this engineering design surprise and conquer an experienced tourist? What is it worth to go from the warm coast to the north of the country and spend a total of about six hours on the road? We will talk about this and much more in our article.
Why you should visit the Djurdzhevich bridge in Montenegro
This engineering structure is not ancient or even ancient. The bridge was built in the forties of the last century. However, with his interesting history, parameters and, most importantly, location, he deserves to look at him. In the TOP-10 of the most interesting sights of Montenegro, the Dzhurdzhevich bridge takes the seventh position. It is valued along with St. Stephen and the Boka Kotor Bay. But even if you embark on a long journey, it is worth emphasizing that along the road to the Dzhurdzhevich bridge you will see several more places that are in the TOP-10 attractions. This is the Ostrog monastery, as if built into a rock, the beautiful Skadar Lake, Biogradska Gora with virgin forest, the Durmitor National Park included in the UNESCO list and the canyon of the Tara River located in it. The shores of the latter are connected by the Dzhurdzhevich bridge.
Durmitor and Tara Canyon
The national park was founded in 1952 around the eponymous mountain range. Durmitor includes seven different ecosystems. These are lakes of glacial origin, rocks, forests, alpine meadows. Among them stands the canyon of the Tara River. In size, it is the deepest in Europe. And on a global scale, he occupies the second position, second only to the Grand Canyon in the United States. Its depth is one thousand three hundred meters. Tara Canyon, together with the Durmitor National Park, was included in the UNESCO list in 1980 as a natural heritage of mankind. The Dzhurdzhevich 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 pioneers. There are many caves and deep grottoes in the canyon. Entrance to the park is paid, but the ticket price is symbolic - two euros.
Dzhurdzhevich's bridge: how to get
To see this miracle of engineering, you first need to drive to the Durmitor reserve. The canyon of the Tara River, the banks of which are connected by a high openwork bridge, is located seventeen kilometers from the city of Kolasin. Follow the signs for Zabljak. At the exit from this settlement after twenty-two kilometers there will be a turn onto the Dzhurdzhevich bridge. It connects both edges of the canyon in a high place - at the Crkvine pass. It is convenient to get to this man-made attraction not only from Zabljak. After all, a road bridge was built at the crossroads between the cities of Plevia and Mojkovac. Many tourists are perplexed, where did this tall and beautiful design get its name from? Who is Dzhurdzhevich - an architect? engineer? settlement nearby? The third assumption is the most correct. Dzhurdzhevich is a modest peasant whose farm in 1940 was located closest to the edge of the canyon. This person has nothing to do with the construction of the bridge, and even more so, with its interesting history.
Parameters
First of all, the viewer is impressed by the openwork design. It seems that the bridge is not made of concrete, but of lace. Miyat Troyanovich designed this five-arch structure at sunset of the kingdom of Yugoslavia. The work, which lasted from 1937 to 1940, was directed by the chief engineer Isaac Russo. At the time of completion 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 stretched 116 meters. The height of the Dzhurdzhevich bridge (from the surface of the Tara River to the asphalt surface of the roadway) is one hundred seventy-two meters.
History
The construction was successful and did not present the creators with any unpleasant surprises. And in fact, the interesting story of the Dzhurdzhevich bridge began with the offensive of the Italian fascists on Yugoslavia in April 1941. Passing through the canyon of Tara was very strategic for advancing the enemy army. Therefore, local resistance forces decided to blow up Dzhurdzhevich’s bridge. Under the direction of Isaac Russo, one engineer worked - Lazar Yaukovich. He thoroughly knew all the features of the bridge. In 1942, he and several partisans planted a bomb under the central arch. The explosion was carried out filigree: only one, the longest (116 meters) span collapsed. The destruction of a single pass through the highlands for a long time stopped the advance of Italian troops to the north of Montenegro. The Nazis became 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 "Bridge" and the British "Hurricane with Navarone." So our miracle of engineering technology has a cinematic story. And at the entrance to the bridge now stands a monument to the courageous engineer.
What about today?
Numerous bus excursions carry tourists to watch by no means ruins. Thanks to Lazar Yaukovich, who blew up his creation in only one clearly thought-out place, the Dzhurdzhevich bridge in Montenegro was quickly restored (in 1946). Now it is an object of tourist pilgrimage. Camping is equipped near the bridge, there is a small cafe, a gas station, and a shop. From here begins rafting on the Tara. For thrill-seekers, bungee jumping is possible. Jumps from the bungee are 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 you horror, you can just walk along the mountain slopes, breathe in the crystal air, take colorful pictures and have a glass of wine in a cafe.