Tara Mountain

Tara mountain goes down to the Drina canyon to the west and along the Đetinja river to the east, very near Zlatibor mountain. Tara belongs to the Drina river area mountains and consists of three parts, separated by valleys and passes – Tara main massif, Crni vrh (Black Peak) and Zvijezda (Star). It is 1,200 m high on average and is renown for its wonderful climate. The natural beauties of Tara, the nearby Drina, the Perućac artificial lakes and Zaovina, its ski, bike and trekking tracks and paths make a stay on Tara unforgettable. Tara is also known for its endemic coniferous tree, (it grows only on a small area) the Pančić spruce; there are rare species of eagles and falcons, there are wild goats and even the brown bear.

Along Tara there is Mokra Gora, where a restored old narrow railway track became a tourist attraction – the famous “Šargan Eight“. Also nearby is a tourist village and a cultural centre Mećavnik or Drvengrad created by famous film director, Emir Kusturica.

RELIGION AND TRADITION

At the foot of Tara mountain, by the Drina, is the Rača Monastery, dating from the early 14thcentury, an endowment of  king Dragutin Nemanjić. In the 17th and  18th centuries it was the scribe school, and during the Great Serbian Migrations under the leadership of Patriarch Arsenije Čarnojević, the Rača monks crossed over to Austria, to Fruška Gora. Two of them – Jerotej and Kiprijan, are remembered by their literary work.

HISTORY

In 1981 Tara became a National Park.