Lake Zaovine among the pine forests of the Tara national park, western Serbia

ROUTE

Tara Mountain Ride — Valjevo to Bajina Bašta and the Drina Viewpoints

The Drina ride — Valjevo's river country, Banja Koviljača's spa boulevards, Bajina Bašta and the Tara national park viewpoints over the green canyon of the Drina.

scenic-road219 km4 hmoderate

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tamburix / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

ABOUT THIS ROUTE

The route in detail

The Drina is the western border river, and the road to it is one of Serbia's classic runs: from Valjevo through the Podgorina orchards to Banja Koviljača's belle-époque spa, across to Bajina Bašta and up into the Tara national park — where the Zaovine lake cuts into the pine forests and the viewpoints hang over the deepest canyon in Serbia.

West from Valjevo the road runs the Podgorina — orchard and vine country with the Cer and Sokolske mountains as backdrop — down to Banja Koviljača, the spa whose 1930s villas still line the promenade under Perućac's approach. The climb to Bajina Bašta brings the Drina into view, and beyond it the road enters the Tara national park: the Zaovine lake — an engineered 1980s reservoir that has become the park's most photogenic water — and the viewpoints over the Drina canyon, up to 1,000 metres deep at its greatest. The return leg over the Tara plateau is forest and bend country at its best. Watch wildlife — the park's bears and chamois are real, and so is the morning fog off the canyon.

PLAN RESPONSIBLY

Season & safety

Seasonal conditions

Best May–October; the plateau and canyon viewpoints fog heavily in autumn mornings, and winters bring snow at altitude — check AMSS reports. Verified 2026-11-07 (AMSS road conditions; NP Tara visitor information).

Key hazards

Narrow plateau roads with steep unguarded drop-offs.
Wildlife on the road at dawn and dusk — bears and deer in the park.
Fog rising from the Drina canyon in autumn mornings.
Snow on the plateau November–March.

Required gear

Certified motorcycle helmet and full protective riding gear.
Working lights and a clear visor suitable for tunnels and changing visibility.
Waterproof outer layer, an additional warm layer and charged phone.
Basic puncture and roadside emergency equipment appropriate for the motorcycle.

Check before you go

Check the current AMSS traffic report (amss.org.rs) for the route sections.
Check the forecast for wind, rain and fog along the route.
Confirm sufficient fuel range — services thin out on the more remote sections.
Plan the ride within daylight and identify safe rest stops before departure.

Local guidance

Treat the published duration as riding time only. Follow posted limits, maintain space from larger vehicles, remove dark sunglasses before tunnels and never stop inside a tunnel or on an active traffic lane.

WAYPOINTS