In this episode of Balkan Trip, we explore the western region of Serbia, which is full of adrenaline-pumping activities that make it a must-visit destination for adventure seekers and nature lovers alike.
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00:00Welcome! You are watching the show Balkan Trip, in which we reveal to you the natural beauties of the Balkans.
00:11On our journey through Serbia, we are taking you to the far west, to the mountain Tara, where the largest population of the black bear is located in Serbia.
00:19And then we are taking you on an adrenaline rush along the river Drina, which is considered one of the coldest and strongest on the Balkans.
00:28Tara mountain and river Drina are located in western Serbia, on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
00:34Together, it is a national park of Tara, which extends on the surface of almost 25,000 hectares.
00:4280% of the territory of this park is covered with forest and that's why this is an ideal place for the life of the black bear.
00:49It is estimated that about 60 bears live here and their tracks are visible at every step.
00:56This is the number of bears that use the area of Tara as a part of their territory.
01:01Most of the bears pass through the neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina, in fact, they are capable of sharing this border area.
01:09Professor Duško Čirović, one of the greatest experts for large animals in Serbia, has been following and exploring their movements, behavior and habits for 20 years.
01:19Let's see if there is something recorded.
01:21He and his team, together with the rangers of the national park, set up photo traps, take DNA materials and, from time to time, hunt bears.
01:35Here are the traps from the previous capture of the bear, to catch it, we must first direct it to stand where we want.
01:42When it stops, the trap is activated and the bear is caught.
01:49We see that we are getting closer, we can react as soon as possible.
01:55We start anesthetizing the bear, we do it with a shotgun.
01:59When it is anesthetized, we come to it to check if it has slept a long sleep.
02:08We put a needle around the neck, the needle is activated, the bear gets anti-sleep, we move away from it
02:15and it continues to move on its own tracks and tracks along the tar and neighboring habitats.
02:26In addition to scientific purposes, hunting bears in Serbia was banned in 2001.
02:31Scientists have so far caught and recorded about 20 individuals who follow an average of three years.
02:38Due to great interest, the national park offers a tourist view of the bear, of course, from a safe distance.
02:45There is a possibility to come and spend some time with the rangers,
02:51with the hope that you will be lucky to see the bear,
02:57because there is no guarantee that it will happen, everything happens in nature and depends on a million factors.
03:05It is very rare to meet a bear face to face.
03:08So far, there have been no unpleasant situations,
03:11and if you go on a trip, it is most likely that you have a good guide with you.
03:19Peace and silence.
03:21TARA MOUNTAIN
03:28This viewpoint we are at is called Siskolarica.
03:32It is located at an altitude of 997 meters above sea level.
03:36Tara mountain is known for its viewpoints and there are as many as 15 of them.
03:41This mountain, which is only three hours away from Belgrade, is suitable for mountaineers,
03:46because it has about 290 kilometers of arranged hiking trails.
03:51You should come to Tara, primarily because of the nature, which is beautiful,
03:56there are a lot of greenery, a lot of beautiful trails, which are not demanding,
04:01and for those who want a little more adrenaline, there are canyons,
04:06there are a little more demanding trails to visit.
04:09You should come and see, you can have a really, really good time.
04:15If you don't like to walk on this mountain, instead of two, you can go on four legs.
04:20Horses walk on special trails, so we choose softer terrain,
04:24dirt trails, meadows, and we go down to the stream, to the lake, to the viewpoint,
04:29so, Tara is from the best perspective.
04:33We showed you how you can visit Tara mountain.
04:37If you are already in these parts, then you must not miss the river Drina.
04:42That's why we take you on an adventurous tour, suitable for those who know how to balance well.
04:50Drina river is inseparable from Tara mountain.
04:53It is formed in Montenegro, passes through three countries
04:56and represents a natural border between Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
05:01Drina is a strong river, on which there are even three hydroelectric power plants.
05:05Also, it is a paradise for all lovers of adrenaline.
05:10We go to the boards with Drina.
05:19Except boards, Drina river is floated by boats, kayaks, canoes.
05:24Every summer, for 30 years, traditional carnival on the water of Drina regatta is organized,
05:29when there are more than two thousand rafts on the river.
05:33This race on the water is declared for the best tourist event in Serbia.
05:38For lovers of a more peaceful ride, a light descent of 15 kilometers on the boards
05:44is a real pleasure in nature.
05:47We are under the waterfall Vrelo.
05:50Vrelo is the shortest river in Serbia.
05:52It is 3, 5, 6 and 5 meters long.
05:54It ends with this traditional waterfall from about 15 meters in the river Drina.
06:00It is good, it is interesting.
06:02It is my first time on the board Drina, but on Drina I spent a lot of time.
06:07The race lasts about three hours and ends at the famous house on Drina,
06:11which became a symbol of this city.
06:14Strong Drina in the winter months carried it already six times,
06:18and this is the seventh house built on the same place.
06:22The first house was built in 1968.
06:26A group of 15-16 years old boys who loved Drina, who stayed there on the rocks.
06:32I got the idea to build that house, so they can shelter from the sun, from the rain,
06:37so they have protection.
06:39Those who built it are not among the living for a long time.
06:42The house is being renovated for years by the state of Želimir,
06:46which is the only one that has the keys of this hidden place on Drina.
06:50The house has electricity and accommodation,
06:52and in addition to amazement from afar, it also serves for enjoyment.
06:56I like to stay there.
06:58I like to come here, to socialize and so on.
07:02You have to love it.
07:04Last year we changed that fence.
07:06There is always some work to be done.
07:08Now it is necessary to cover everything, to protect the trees.
07:11There is always work to be done.
07:13There is no family heritage or something like that,
07:15but, who loves, who wants to get engaged,
07:17if that house is not destroyed,
07:19you have to find someone younger, who loves to stay and do it.
07:24The house is phenomenal, really.
07:26Thank you for every admiration, for every praise and for every recommendation.
07:32One photo of the house on Drina went around the whole world
07:36and brought a lot of tourists to Bajina Bašta.
07:39This is still a great place for photographing.
07:42Memories that you will take from this part of Serbia,
07:45you will surely remember for a long time.
07:48These were the beauties of Western Serbia.
07:50See you again with more Balkan adventures!
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