Pivo Gorge and Piva Lake Montenegro, Pluzine - “It takes your breath away from the beauty and heights, as well as from the mountain roads. One of the most beautiful untouched places in Montenegro (lots of photos)"
As you know, Montenegro is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. There really are a lot of picturesque places that are etched in your memory. One of these places is Lake Piva (or Lake Piva).
The Piva River partially forms the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. It is located in the northwestern part of the country in the Durmitor mountain range, which contains the highest mountain peaks in the country, exceeding an altitude of 2500 meters. The Piva River creates one of the many beautiful canyons surrounding this mountain range.
Lake Piva on the map of Montenegro
A hydroelectric power station and dam called Martini was built in the upper part of the Piva River. Thus, the artificial Piva Lake was created. The dam is 220 meters high and is considered one of the tallest dams in Europe. The view from the bridge on the Piva River is literally breathtaking. It would take a very long time to describe Lake Piva in Montenegro, but it’s better to look at its photos.
Please note that a visit to this lake is sometimes included in the excursion program in national park Durmitor, but in any case, check before purchasing an excursion whether it includes a visit to Lake Piva if you want to see it.
This is not a joke, there really is such a river in Montenegro)
An amazingly beautiful place. Therefore, today’s post will be about the journey from Bar to the Piva River))
It's interesting that these two places are on opposite ends of the country.
A few words about the trip.
Continuing the year of hospitality according to the president’s behest, this time we hosted my dad.
We rented it for two days and drove it to distant lands for new experiences. The faithful dog also traveled with us.
The route of the first day was as follows: Bar - Zabljak Crnojevica (on Lake Skadar) - Pluzine - Durmitor - Black Lake - Djurdjevic Bridge - Kolasin - Bar.
And on the second day we took a ride along the Boka Kotorska, all the way to Herceg Novi. Here you can conveniently see on the map what is where.
To be at least a little consistent, today I will show and tell you about the first part of the route.
The main goal was to go north and see Durmitor National Park. But it turned out that the path itself was just as interesting and beautiful.
The very first stop was Zabljak Crnojevica - an ancient fortress on Lake Skadar.
If you look closely, you can see a monastery on the mountain (above, to the right of the cloud).
I really liked the surroundings of Niksic, so now I want to go there and look at everything in detail.
And lambs!
Around every turn a new landscape opens up. And after the next one such beauty awaited us!
This is the Piva River) In the middle of a high canyon, with rich turquoise water.
I learned about the city of Pluzine quite by accident. More precisely, not even about him, but about the fact that the most beautiful road to Durmitor.
As it turned out, the city is completely new, built in the 80s, when a hydroelectric power station was created in these parts, and with it the Piva Lake.
It is located almost on the border with Bosnia. A soulful little town in the middle of a canyon. There are modern high-rise buildings (most of them)
and cute rural houses with pigs)
Lake Piva is beautiful from any angle.
And especially from above)
It’s hard to believe from the photo that this is a mountain landscape. But in fact, Basya and I were running at an altitude of about 2000 meters.
And they ran)
So through mountains, tunnels and serpentines we got to Durmitor. But that's a completely different story)
Good day everyone!
I have already written a lot beautiful reviews about Montenegro about the country that captivated me with its beauty and untouched nature. Today I want to introduce you to another excursion, which will take your breath away just from the photos alone, and what you feel when you see this beauty simply cannot be expressed in words.
My review today will be dedicated to our independent excursion around the Pivo Gorge and Piva Lake.
Let me make a reservation right away: this is not a popular excursion and almost no local tour operator makes special trips here. Therefore, you can only get there by rental car, as we did. This area is good because not many tourists get here.
Which means this beauty is untouched. But I highly recommend going here, especially if you are a photographer or are interested in photography. Because the views here are just crazy. Actually, it matches the roads here. Which is very narrow, winding and complex. Real Montenegrin extreme.
But all this is forgotten when you see the beauty of our planet. How lucky we are to have such a nature.
You won’t be able to stop on the road wherever you want. It only has a few pockets with observation decks. Like this one for example. Our task is to go down from this mountain to the bridge. And if you look closely at the photo above, you can see our mountain serpentine.
Agree with me that it is simply indescribable beauty. Of course, the yellow colors of autumn add their own flavor. Just a little and it will be absolutely beautiful.
And this is the road you need to take. Not only is it all in tunnels, difficult with turns and narrow, but there is also nowhere to stop.
And this is another observation platform (not equipped) the bridge is getting closer and closer.
Over the abyss. As you can see, there are no fences here, and why bother, people are not fools, they probably won’t approach the cliff themselves.
Piva Lake itself is an artificial lake, it was formed due to the fact that a huge hydroelectric power station was built on the river. And they flooded this area, including Old city Pluzhine. Now we can contemplate this beauty.
A tunnel with a fork inside. The main part of the road goes further along the tunnel. I've never seen anything like this before.
Of course, such excursions are not forgotten; they remain in the memory for a long time. After our independent travel, I can say with certainty that Montenegro is not for me beach holiday this is very beautiful country with untouched nature and gorgeous natural parks.
It has a bright and picturesque nature, which is a source of pride local population and attracts the attention of tens of thousands of tourists. The canyon of the Piva River is considered one of the most beautiful natural ones.
Description of the valley
The gorge is located on the territory of the municipality of Pluzine and is located on the Piva plateau. The latter consists of mountain range, whose peaks are called Pivska Planina, Maglic, Volujak and Bioce.
The Piva originates near the Golija massif and flows through the western regions of Montenegro, and then crosses the border. The length of the reservoir is 120 km, and the energy power is used in the operation of a hydroelectric power station.
The Piva River Canyon has maximum depth 1200 m, its total length is 34 km, and the catchment area is 1270 sq. km.
The banks of the gorge are connected by strong bridges that can be crossed by a car. The color of the water here is emerald green and at the same time it is characterized by amazing purity and transparency: you can drink it without fear of poisoning.
In 1975, the valley near Scepan Polje was blocked by the Mratinje dam. As a result of this, a reservoir appeared, which received the name. This is the second largest body of water in Montenegro. The dam turns a calm river bed into a raging torrent.
What can you do?
Around the gorge there are rocks covered with lush vegetation (there are oak and coniferous forests), on which wild chamois graze and golden eagles nest. All this creates a feeling of pristine nature and fills the space around the canyon with some kind of mystery, attracting travelers from all over the world. Tourists love to come here and local residents For:
- Active and passive recreation- This perfect place for hiking, swimming in water, mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hunting, fishing, etc.
- You can also go to the coast rent a boat and take an exciting journey. Be careful, because the water level here changes sharply and suddenly.
- Along the coast of the Piva Canyon there are small settlements where you can not only stay overnight, but also taste local homemade products. This area is also famous for the medicinal herbs that grow here.
Features of the visit
It is better to come to the gorge in the warm season; in winter the road can be slippery and impassable. If you want to admire the canyon of the Piva River from a bird's eye view, then keep in mind that numerous tunnels have been cut into the mountain for travelers to use to climb up.
True, they are not illuminated, and along the entire serpentine path there is rather poor coverage and it is very difficult for oncoming cars to pass. It is better to go here with an experienced driver. The road will be difficult, but the views from the top are simply breathtaking and worth the effort.
How to get there?
There are no organized tours to the Piva River Canyon, and there are no buses. The most convenient way to come here is by taxi or car along the E762 road. The distance from Podgorica is 140 km, and from Budva – 190 km.
Lake Piva in Montenegro is one of the main attractions of the region and the most beautiful place on the territory of the country. It can be compared to a body of water and its surroundings are incredibly beautiful. The Piva region is ideal for have a relaxing holiday and will be appreciated by lovers of unique natural beauty.
Description of natural attraction
In the northern part of Montenegro, on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina and near the town of Pluzine, there is one of the most beautiful attractions - Piva Lake. The region itself has picturesque villages and is rich in vegetation. The area is great for fishing, hunting, hiking, cycling, swimming and mountaineering. Grows here a large number of medicinal herbs and teas. The region is environmentally friendly and is still little known among tourists, so you can have a good rest here, left alone with nature.
Lake Piva in Montenegro was formed artificially as a result of the construction of the dam of the same name on the high mountain river Komarnica. Although in fact it seems that it is a creation of nature. The surrounding meadows, hills, trees and shrubs form an incredibly beautiful landscape that inspires and encourages mental relaxation.
Lake and canyons
Previously, in the place of Piva, a mountain river rushed with a violent current. In 1975, a decision was made to build a dam in this area. This structure was erected according to a large-scale project - the thickness is about 30 m; hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of concrete were used during the construction process. Today the Mratine dam is the largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world.
Lake Piva in Montenegro has a length of 46 km, its depth is approximately 200 m. In the hot season, the water temperature warms up only to +22 °C. The lake ranks second in size in the country and has a sufficient amount fresh water for all of Montenegro.
It was the construction of the dam that became the factor that greatly influenced the overall landscape of the area. The lake formed in the canyon has blue, in some places even emerald water of crystal purity; picturesque shores, in turn surrounded by lush vegetation, lead to it.
To fully enjoy the incredible beauty of the canyons in Montenegro, tourists are encouraged to rent a boat or buy a ticket for a pleasure boat. Kayaking is organized - river rafting. The place is best suited for peaceful walks, during which you can escape from the bustle of the city and everyday affairs, gain strength and recharge your batteries.
Among tourists, the Piva Monastery is well known - a historical landmark of Montenegro. This is an architectural monument of the 16th century, located about two kilometers from the lake. Initially it was located on the very bank of the river, but after flooding in order to preserve cultural site it was decided to move the temple a couple of kilometers up from the canyon of the Piva River. In that place only a cemetery, a hospitable house and a monastery bakery remained - the rest of the buildings were flooded.
The temple is very modest on the outside, but rich on the inside. The amazing wall fresco is impressive. Its elements occupy 1000 m2. When moving, the fresco was carefully removed and then restored. The monastery has a large collection of murals and icons and is one of the main attractions of the country.
GPS coordinates of Lake Piva in Montenegro
The reservoir is located relatively far from the coastal resort towns of the country, so it is not particularly popular among independent tourists, nor at the excursion bureaus. The lake is located in the north of Montenegro and belongs to the municipality of the nearby city of Pluzine. To make it easier to get to it even if you travel on your own, it is recommended to use GPS coordinates that will lead exactly to the destination: 43°10ʹ12ʺN 18°50ʹ15ʺE.
Although the area is not very popular, excursion bureaus Budva organizes trips to various attractions of the country, including Piva Lake. As a rule, during such a tour it is proposed to visit another monastery, see the Mratine dam and Durmitor National Park. It appeared in 1952, and since 1980 it has been a UNESCO site. The park area is 39,000 hectares, on the territory of which there are 48 mountain peaks, 18 lakes, 748 springs, ski resort, caves, canyons of Montenegro and much more.
You can get to Lake Piva by public transport: first get to the large transport center Niksic, and then transfer to a bus that will take you directly to Pluzine. But experienced tourists write that the easiest way is to rent a car and go to the natural attraction on your own. The distance from Budva to Pluzine is about 170 km, the correct path will be indicated road signs. Driving is a pleasure: smooth roads, beautiful views There are also safe serpentines along the way.
