Tara for one day: Spa rock before eight
The spa rock at noon is the line for the photo. At eight in the morning there is a cliff edge above Perućac and no one but you.
From Banjska stena you can look straight down, a few hundred meters, to the green-turquoise water of Perućac tucked between two canyon walls. The problem is that fifty other people are watching the same thing if you come at noon. The whole difference between the postcard and the experience is in getting up two hours earlier.
Hourly rate holding
From Belgrade to Mitrovec there isabout 200 km and three and a half hoursrides — Ub, Valjevo, Bajina Bašta, then the ascent to the plateau. If you leave at five, you'll be at the viewpoint before eight. From Bajina Bašta to Mitrovec is the last28 km and half an hour, because it climbs serpentines through the forest and there is no chasing.
It leads to the Banjska stena itselfforest road from Mitrovec, about 4 km. The last part is a gravel road and for an ordinary circuit it is borderline — we cross it on foot in the newsroom, it takes about forty minutes through the pine forest and that walk is half the reason you come. Whoever drives to the end should not do so after the rain.
| Share | Km | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Belgrade - Valjevo | 96 | 1 h 20 min |
| Valjevo - Bajina Bašta | 72 | 1 h 20 min |
| Bajina Bašta - Mitrovac | 28 | 30-40 mins |
| Mitrovac - Banjska stena (on foot) | 4 | 40 min in one direction |
What's about it and not looking all day
The pine forest on the plateau is the reason why Tara breathes differently. It grows herePančić spruce, an endemic that was described by Josif Pančić in 1877 and that exists in the wild today in only a few localities on both sides of the Drina — narrow, almost like a pillar, it is recognizable from the first. Part of the trails from Mitrovec passes through stands where it is found.
Fifteen kilometers lower, near Perućac itself, a spring rises from the rockHot spring— a little river about 365 meters long, which is why they call it the Year. At the end, you walk to the waterfall for about ten minutes on a straight line and that is the only point of the day that does not require any fitness.
From Belgrade to Mitrovec there is about 200 km and three and a half hours rides — Ub, Valjevo, Bajina Bašta, then the ascent to the plateau.
Honey is another thing that makes you not leave Tara empty-handed. At this height, bees work on fir and meadow plants, so it is most often offeredfir honeydew— dark, dense, almost resinous, with a bitter end, and does not crystallize like acacia. It is sold by the roadside and in the villages below the plateau; how to recognize the real one, we wrote in the text aboutacacia, linden and chestnut.
Tara is a national park, which in practice means two things: entrance to the park is charged per vehicle and per person, and movement outside the marked paths is not allowed in the protection zones. The price list changes from season to season, so we don't rewrite it — check it at the ramp. What does not change is the rule to take the trash back; there are no bins on the plateau and this is intentional.
When to go and when not to
- Great.end of August and September: the air is already harsh in the morning, the crowds ease after August 20, and the forest changes color at the end of the month. Weekends in July and the first half of August are something we do not recommend unnecessarily — the parking lot near Mitrovac is filled up to ten.
At about a thousand meters it can be morningten degrees colder than in Belgrade, and on a clear day the difference is surprising. The jacket goes in the trunk even when moving in the heat. If you extend the day to two, Tara naturally merges withZlatibor and Mokra Gora, and to the one who comes for water, it is also closeDrina near Perucac.
Questions & answers
short and to the point- How far is it from Belgrade to Tara?
- About 200 km to Mitrovec, a three and a half hour drive via Valjevo and Bajina Bašta. The last 28 km from Bajina Bašta is a serpentine climb and takes 30 to 40 minutes.
- Is it possible to drive to Banjska stena?
- The last four kilometers from Mitrovec are a macadam forest road, borderline for low vehicles and bad after the rain. It takes about 40 minutes on foot in one direction.
- When is the best time for Tara?
- The end of August and September — the mornings are harsh, the crowds ease after August 20, and the forest changes at the end of the month.
