The clear mountain river Trešnjica, springs underneath Povlen mountain in Western Serbia and flows into the river Drina. It is here, at its confluence with the Drina, that Trešnjica greets us with a steep 500-metre-deep gorge.
Most of the gorge is dense with black pine, ash and beech forests, while the low-lying areas are covered in cornelian cherry, hawthorn, blackthorn and common ivy. Grassy areas and meadows are found only occasionally.
As you pass through the gorge, you can enjoy wild strawberries, raspberries and cornelian cherries, as well as wild apples and pears. There are also herbs growing inside the canyon such as breckland thyme and yarrow.
Several species of birds of prey nest in the canyon including the golden eagle, the northern goshawk and the common kestrel. The most striking among them is the griffon vulture with a wing span of almost three metres, which makes it the largest bird you can see in Serbia.Because the gorge is so inaccessible, there are also several mammal species freely roaming around, while the river itself abounds with brown and rainbow trout.
Whether you choose to visit the gorge by car or by bike, the road will only take you as far as Gornja Trešnjica. From here, the gorge can only be traversed on foot, which is of course the best way to experience its pristine nature.
The canyon of the river Tribuća, a tributary of the Trešnjica, is nearby. Visiting it is an adventure that will take several hours and best completed with the assistance of professional guides.