Tara national park, National park in Bajina Bašta region, Serbia
Tara National Park lies in western Serbia and covers 24,991 hectares of limestone terrain, with mixed forests covering more than 80 percent of the area. The landscape consists of steep slopes, river valleys, and meadows that spread across the mountain range.
The area received national park status in July 1981 and covers most of the Tara mountain range between Bajina Bašta and Višegrad. Human settlement here goes back to Roman times, but protection as a reserve came only a few decades ago.
Rača Monastery from the 13th century sits in a forested valley and displays frescoes and stonework from the Raška school. Visitors also find medieval graveyards near Perućac and Rastište, where old tombstones lie scattered among trees.
Visitors find 290 kilometers (180 miles) of hiking trails and 75 kilometers (47 miles) of cycling routes accessible from central starting points. Some routes are designed for people with disabilities and offer accessible paths through flatter areas.
Serbian spruce grows here as an endemic conifer that survived the last ice age. The reserve also hosts the largest brown bear population in Serbia, which visitors may spot in remote forest sections.
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