Djurdjevic Bridge in Montenegro

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Tourists vacationing in Montenegro often ask themselves: what can you see in the country? After all, sunbathing on the beach all day long (in summer) or skiing down the mountain slopes (in winter) is boring. The heart asks for spiritual food. And to satisfy this hunger, you can go on fascinating excursions around the region. In this article we will talk about only one attraction of Montenegro. This is the Dzhurdzhevich Bridge, the photo of which is one of the "visiting cards" of the Balkan country. How can this engineering design surprise and conquer an experienced tourist? Why is it worth going from the warm coast to the north of the country and spending a total of about six hours on the road? We will talk about this and much more in our article.

Why you should visit the Djurdjevic Bridge in Montenegro

This engineering design is not ancient or even ancient. The bridge was built in the forties of the last century. However, with its interesting history, parameters and, most importantly, location, it deserves to be looked at. In the TOP-ten of the most interesting sights of Montenegro, the Dzhurdzhevich Bridge ranks seventhposition. It is valued along with St. Stephen and the Bay of Kotor. But even if you start on a long journey, it is worth emphasizing that on the way to the Dzhurdzhevich bridge you will see several more places included in the TOP-ten attractions. These are the Ostrog Monastery, as if built into a rock, the beautiful Skadar Lake, Biogradska Gora with a virgin forest, the Durmitor National Park included in the UNESCO list and the Tara River Canyon located in it. The banks of the latter are connected by the Dzhurdzhevich bridge.

Durmitor and Tara Canyon

The national park was founded in 1952 around the mountain range of the same name. Durmitor has seven different ecosystems. These are lakes of glacial origin, rocks, forests, alpine meadows. Among them stands out the canyon of the Tara River. In terms of size, it is the deepest in Europe. And on a global scale, it occupies the second position, second only to the Grand Canyon in the United States. Its depth is one thousand three hundred meters. The Tara Canyon, together with the Durmitor National Park, was included in the UNESCO list in 1980 as a natural heritage of mankind. The Dzhurdzhevich Bridge connects both steep banks and is therefore unique. Until 2004, it was the highest in Europe. These places have not yet been fully explored and are still waiting for discoverers. There are many caves and deep grottoes in the canyon. Entrance to the park is paid, but the ticket price is symbolic - two euros.

Dzhurdzhevich Bridge: how to get there

To see this miracle of engineering, first of all you need to get to the Durmitor reserve. river canyonTara, whose banks are connected by a high openwork bridge, is located seventeen kilometers from the city of Kolasin. You should follow the signs to Zabljak. At the exit from this settlement, after twenty-two kilometers, there will be a turn to the Dzhurdzhevich bridge. It connects both sides of the canyon in a high place - at the Tsrkvinė pass. It is convenient to get to this man-made attraction not only from Zabljak. After all, a road bridge was being built at the crossroads between the cities of Pljevlja and Mojkovac. Many tourists wonder where this tall and beautiful structure got its name from? Who is Dzhurdzhevich - an architect? engineer? locality nearby? The third assumption turns out to be the most correct. Dzhurdzhevich is a modest peasant whose farm in 1940 was located closest to the edge of the canyon. This person has nothing to do with the construction of the bridge, and even more so, with its interesting history.

Parameters

First of all, the viewer is impressed by the delicacy of the design. It seems that the bridge is not made of concrete, but of lace. This five-arch structure was designed by Miyat Troyanovich at the sunset of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The work, which lasted from 1937 to 1940, was led by chief engineer Isaac Rousseau. At the time of completion of construction and until 2004, it was the highest bridge in Europe. The total length of the structure is three hundred and sixty-five meters. And the main span stretched for 116 meters. The height of the Dzhurdzhevich bridge (from the surface of the Tara River to the asph alt pavement of the carriageway) is one hundred and seventytwo meters.

History

The construction was successful and did not bring any unpleasant surprises to the creators. Indeed, the interesting story of the Dzhurdzhevich Bridge began with the offensive of the Italian fascist troops on Yugoslavia in April 1941. The passage through the Tara Canyon was very strategic for the advance of the enemy army. Therefore, local resistance forces decided to blow up the Dzhurdzhevich bridge. Under the leadership of Isaac Russo, one engineer worked - Lazar Yaukovich. He thoroughly knew all the features of the bridge. In 1942, he and several partisans planted a bomb under the central arch. The explosion was carried out filigree: only one, the longest (116 meters) span, collapsed. The destruction of the only passage through the mountainous terrain stopped the advance of Italian troops to the north of Montenegro for a long time. The Nazis were so furious that they organized a search for Lazar Yaukovich throughout the country. Eventually he was arrested and shot. These events were reflected in two feature films: the Yugoslav "Bridge" and the British "Hurricane from Navarone". So our marvel of engineering has a cinematic history as well. And at the entrance to the bridge now stands a monument to a courageous engineer.

What about today?

Numerous bus tours take tourists to see the ruins. Thanks to Lazar Yaukovich, who blew up his creation in only one well-thought-out place, the Dzhurdzhevich Bridge in Montenegro was quickly restored (in 1946). Now this is an objecttourist pilgrimage. Not far from the bridge, there is a camping site, a small cafe, a gas station, and a shop. From here begins rafting on Tara. For thrill-seekers, bungee jumping is possible. Bungee jumping is carried out from the central arch of the bridge, from a height of 160 meters. Well, if the mere thought of jumping into the abyss terrifies you, you can just walk along the mountain slopes, breathe in the crystal air, take colorful pictures and refresh yourself with a glass of wine in a cafe.