The Djurdjevic Tara Bridge, a picturesque bridge situated over the Tara River canyon at the junction of the roads from Zabljak, Mojkovac and Plevlja, has long been the highest bridge in Europe: the roadway is 172 meters above the river.
The bridge was built in 1940 on the arch principle: has five spans, the longest of which is 116 meters, and the total length of the roadway of the bridge is 365 meters.
The name of the bridge, oddly enough, has a very down-to-earth origin: Djurdjevic is a farmer whose farm was located near the bridge, and Tara is the name of the river over which the bridge is spanned.
Construction history
Before 1937 there was an ordinary suspension bridge on this site. Naturally, it was out of the question for a car to pass over it.
However, in 1937 the construction of a new modern bridge across the canyon began. The design of the bridge was developed by Mijat Trojanović, and Isaac Russo was the chief engineer of the project. It is also worth mentioning the Swiss family Kelay — it was they who implemented the wooden scaffolding for the construction of the bridge.
By 1940, during World War II, the bridge had already been built, but, ironically, this bridge helped not the customer, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, but the occupying armies.
Djurdjevic Bridge during World War II
On April 17, 1941, armored vehicles of the Italian occupation army passed over the bridge. The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was soon divided into small territories among the «Axis» countries. One such unit was the «Kingdom of Montenegro», which existed from May 5, 1941 to December 1944. Following the example of the German «Ost» plan, the Montenegrins were planned to be removed over time, and in their place the territory was to be populated by Italians.
To maintain order in the occupied territory, in addition to Italian troops, volunteer units of the so-called people's militia from among the Muslims of Sandzak and the Albanians were deployed.
As in any invaded territory during wartime, several pressure groups formed in Montenegro at the time, which in addition to war with the invaders, often fought among themselves.
Such groups could be considered the partisan underground of the remnants of the Royal Army of Yugoslavia under the leadership of Dragoljub Mihailovic (Chetniks) and the Yugoslav Communists, led by Tito.
On October 26, 1941, a peace agreement was signed between the Communists and the Chetniks on mutual aid. However, this peace later turned into a real war. The Chetniks sided with the Italians and began to receive arms, food, and material supplies from them, in return for killing Communist partisans and taking part in joint operations with the Italians.
Thus, in 1942 there were two operations that directly affected the fate of the bridge Djurdjevic.
- From April 20 to May 13, 1942, Operation Trio was conducted in eastern Bosnia
- From May to June 1942 an Italian offensive in Montenegro against rebel units in the north.
Both were counterinsurgency operations in which the Chetniks played an active role.
Given the difficult situation, Tito's partisans decided to blow up the bridge over the Tara River to slow down the movement of «Axis» armored vehicles.
Lazar Yaukovic, who was one of the engineers who had been building the bridge, was chosen to carry out the explosion. A large amount of TNT was used for the explosion, as well as an aerial bomb.
On May 6, 1942, the bridge, or rather one of its arches, was blown up. The transfer of soldiers and armored vehicles became impossible, and the Italians announced a huge reward for the capture of the saboteur.
On August 2, 1942, Lazar Jaukovich, with the help of the Chetniks, was captured, shot, and his body thrown into the river.
The explosion of the bridge slowed the advance of the enemy's troops, but by December 1942 the partisans were knocked out of Montenegro.
In 1946, the bridge was rebuilt, and a plaque to Lazar was placed near it.
How to reach
As a rule, tourists who want to visit this bridge choose between the following options:
- By own or rented car
- As a part of a tour group
- As part of an individual excursion
How to get to the bridge Djurdjevic by car?
If you choose to travel independently by own or rented car, then you should take into account two nuances:
- In winter season — from November to April — you need to use winter tires for your car. Snow falls early, takes a long time to melt. And this does not take into account the serpentine and icy roads.
- Despite the fact that near the bridge itself there are both paid and free parking lots, in the high tourist season places may still not be enough. Therefore, it is better to arrive by about 11 am.
Otherwise, all you have to do is to enter the coordinates of the bridge into your navigator and enjoy its beauty!
How to get to the Djurdjevic Bridge as part of the tour?
If you for some reason do not want or can not rent a car, you may be suitable to travel to the bridge as part of a tourist excursion. As a rule, in any major city by Montenegrin standards, there are tours to the bridge Djurdjevic (and in summer on the coast, in any). Just find a counter or kiosk that offers tours and ask about Djurdjevic Bridge, they will tell you the best option!
How to get to the Djurdjevic Bridge as part of an individual tour?
If the second option is not to your liking, you can always go to a particular attraction as part of an individual tour. In this case, your guide will pick you up in the morning by car, drive you around, show you on your individual schedule, and bring you home in the evening.
Entertainment near the bridge Djurdjevic: restaurants, zip line, rafting
Right near the bridge, in addition to enjoying the enchanting scenery, you can find several other options for recreation
Restaurant
If you are hungry from the road, you can eat right near the bridge at the restaurant «Мост». It has its own parking lot and is open from 7 am. The menu is standard Montenegrin cuisine: grilled meat, salads, omelets, and pancakes.
For an alternative snack or if you want to buy water exclusively, for example, just cross the bridge and buy something at the kiosk.
There are also several souvenir shops on both sides.
Zip-line
There are three zip-lines of 350, 824 and 1,050 meters in length operating near the Djurdjevic bridge. They have been in operation for several years and there have been no unpleasant incidents during that time.
If you stand on the restaurant side, on the left is the zip line at the bridge Djurdjevic 824 meters long at a cost of 10 euros per descent. Its start is on the opposite side, where you will be taken by car.
On the right side there will be a 1050-meter-long zip line. It is certified according to all standards and costs twice as much — 20 euros.
Rafting
Here, near the bridge, you will probably come across the stands of several companies that offer rafting. If you are a fan of rafting, do not hesitate to ask and clarify, as organizers usually have several options for routes of different complexity and duration — both for beginners and experienced.
