The Tara River is situated in the vicinity of the “Sutjeska” National Park and is 140 km long. It is called “the tear of Europe” and is one of the most beautiful rivers in the world, abounding in river fish. What makes Tara famous is its magnificent canyon.
The 1300 m deep Canyon of Tara is considered the deepest in Europe and the second one in the world, right behind the Canyon of Colorado. The Tara Canyon is one of the local oasis of untouched nature, as well as a reservoir of many endemic and relict species of flora and fauna. The water in the canyon and all along the river is of the first category and is a drinking water. There are about eighty caves in the Canyon, still insufficiently explored, whereas in some of them, traces of prehistoric life have been tracked.
All of the above is good-enough a reason why it should be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage of Natural Wealth. The brave ones, eager for adventures in authentic surroundings of pure nature can enjoy one of the most demanding rafting opportunities in Europe, rated as a 3-5 level. Besides, rafting is also organised through the famous cascades, narrow cuts rimmed with dangerous rocky cliffs of the Durmitor Mountain. Therefore, if you find yourself on the very crossroad between Montenegro and the Republic of Srpska, between Brstanica and Scepan Polje, do not miss a one-day or a several-day long rafting experience to treasure in your memory for a lifetime.
The river of Vrbas offers great possibilities for the development of sports, recreation and tourism. Because of its canyon, waterfalls and cascades, Vrbas is one of the most suitable rivers in Europe for rafting and kayak rides. Besides rafting and kayak riding you can enjoy the canyon, kayak-canoeing, paragliding, free climbing, hiking, cycling, parachuting and other sports, as well as the speleological activities.
The World Rafting Championship was successfully organised on the rivers of Vrbas and Tara in May 2009, with 35 country-participants. The World Rafting Championship placed Vrbas and Banja Luka on the map of world top destinations for adventurous tourism. The biggest attraction for tourists is certainly the night rafting. A unique experience of coming down the Vrbas Canyon at night, under reflector lights will leave you breathless. Vrbas is the only river in the world with conditions created for night rafting.
The river of Janj, the confluent of the Pliva River, is extremely rich with trout and grayling which make it an attractive fly-fishing river. It is famous for its tourist attraction of Janjska ostrva (Janj islands). This combination of nature and beauty, with its cascades, islands and sparkling water leaves hikers breathless. The spring of the Janj River is an ideal place for hiking and walking, whilst the Janj Canyon is a magnificent mountain hiking trail.
The natural reserve of Bardaca is a complex of 11 lakes, situated between the rivers of Sava and Vrbas and in the vicinity of Srbac. Thanks to a huge variety of wetland birds, Bardaca was marked a protected area in 1969, whilst it was pronounced a “Ramsar site” in 2007 placing this wetland destination at the world list of wetland areas of international importance. In its special reservoir of nature, there are about 280 flora species and more that 200 bird species, so numerous and versatile to arouse huge interest of ornithologists and other scientists. The hydrographical area of Bardaca is also very rich with various fish species.
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