Niagara Falls in Podgorica

Niagara. That’s what Montenegrins call their waterfall, located near Podgorica. And although it falls short of its famous namesake in every respect, it still impresses with its beauty and helps you cope with the heat while enjoying wonderful views.

I decided to look into the history of Niagara’s appearance near the capital of Montenegro, the reasons for its name, and show you some photos. And of course, I will give you some tips for visiting and tell you the best way to get there.

The History of Niagara Falls

As always in the Balkans, it can be extremely difficult to find the real story. The main source of information here is the stories of residents who have heard something from their ancestors.

It is from such stories that the popular legend has survived to this day that this waterfall was built over 150 years ago by local residents who needed a more powerful flow of water to operate their mills.^[1].

This waterfall was built about 150 years ago. It was built in the summer, most likely in August, when there was no water, with the aim of starting the mills so that people could grind grain. However, the dam was poorly constructed and immediately collapsed. The following summer, construction began again, but the strong winter waters destroyed everything again. Then an old woman told them that they needed to put sheepskin between each stone. The builders listened to her and began to put wool between the stones. Since then, the waterfall has stood, — says Nikola Rakic, owner of the Niagara restaurant.

This legend can help us understand the full picture of the history of this waterfall.

Downstream, there are remains of mills, so they were indeed used quite often in this region. When the riverbed dries up, fragments of previous attempts to build a dam are visible.

The construction was clearly carried out during the dry season, when the canyon is practically empty. In fact, it is unlikely that any serious research or calculations were carried out during the construction, which led to the destruction of the dam after the flow resumed in the spring.

On the third attempt, the builders finally managed to do everything right. I have no doubt that the people here could have used animal skins in construction because someone told them to. But did it help? In theory, the skins could have acted as an additional binding agent. However, I have not found any scientific evidence to support this technology.

A comment from a local resident was very helpful. He explained that Montenegrins themselves did not used to call this place Niagara. The name came about with the opening of the restaurant of the same name in 1991. Here, they call it, without any pretension, Vodopadi na Cijevni. There used to be a cave where the restaurant is now. In fact, part of the restaurant is located inside the cave.

I am eagerly awaiting the next drying up of the waterfall in 2025 so that I can return here with an expedition and study its foundation in detail.

The border of Montenegro ran nearby. Therefore, defensive and observation fortifications were located upstream.

Geography of the waterfall near Podgorica

The waterfall is formed on the Tsievna River, also known as Cem in Albania. It originates in the Albanian Alps and flows through limestone deposits with karst formations.

From its source to its confluence with the Morava, the river is 58.8 km long and flows from an altitude of 1,250 m to 50 m. Most of the time, it flows through a narrow canyon 12 km long and up to 903 m deep.

Almost halfway along its course, it crosses the border between Albania and Montenegro near the Grabovo border crossing. It is one of the last waterless rivers in Europe. It is home to 22 species of fish, including marble trout. It is one of the cleanest rivers in these countries.

Today, there is an urgent need to preserve the river’s natural resources, which may be threatened by Albania’s installation of small hydroelectric power plants. Albania, in turn, denies that its power plants could have a negative impact on the river within Montenegro.^[2]

Information for tourists

During the summer, the river dries up considerably due to the heat. Then the upper level of the waterfall turns into a kind of pool, where locals and tourists like to swim in the heat. Down below, the water barely flows down in a small stream or seeps through at all. At such moments, you can clearly see the structure of the dam that holds back the flow and forms the waterfall.

When rain and melting snow feed the mountain streams and the Cievna River becomes full-flowing, spreading and gaining momentum all the way from Albania to the Moraca River… Then the waterfall “wakes up” and rushes down from the height of the dam with the strongest flow.

Despite its apparent beauty, a waterfall, like any natural force, can be dangerous. Tragic drowning accidents occur here from time to time.^[3]. The rocks around are wet and can be slippery. The current is strong. And, as everywhere in Montenegro, the rocks are sharp. So be extremely careful.

How to get to Niagara Falls

By car

Although it is not far from the capital of Montenegro as the crow flies, and everyone says that the waterfall is in Podgorica, de jure it is located in the village of Rakića Kuće, in the neighboring municipality of Tuzi (which was formed from the city municipality in 2018) ^[4]).

The easiest way to get there is by car (either your own or a rental). For navigation, set the coordinates 42.38368816454069, 19.27882512728737 or the nearest town (Rakića Kuće). I leave my car right here, along the road, but if there is no space, drive a few more meters to the large free parking lot at 42.384730270454256, 19.27983632008773.

You can drive from the E80 road (Bar – Podgorica), but the road there is much worse (too many potholes). Therefore, I recommend making a detour and driving from the E762 road to Tuzi (Podgorica – Božaj).

By public transportation

If you don’t have a car, you can also use public transport. To do this, you need to take bus No. 30, which runs between Autobuska stanica (bus station and railway station nearby) and Kuće Rakića.

Bus schedule to the waterfall:

• It departs from the bus station every weekday at 7:00 a.m., 08:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 18:00, 19:00, 20:00, and on weekends at 07:00, 08:00, 16:00, 17:00.
• The return trip departs from Kucha Rakica at 06:20, 07:30, 12:30, 13:30, 18:30, and 19:30 on weekdays, and at 06:30, 07:30, 15:30, and 16:30 on weekends.

The most up-to-date schedule can be found on the official website of the city transport operator.

The bus stops near the waterfall at the coordinates 42.38154571590676, 19.274326669356668.

What to see in the vicinity of the waterfall

If you have already arrived in this region, it would be a good idea to combine your visit with some other attractions.

On the other side of the river are the remains of that very mill and a cave converted into a barn. Today, it is not easy to get there due to a land dispute, but you can at least take a look from afar.

If you are traveling on the weekend, you can leave early and visit the flea market. Podgorica Airport is nearby, and you can watch planes take off from the other side of the canyon.

Niagara Falls in movies

Film tourism enthusiasts will also be interested to know that some scenes from Nina Mimica’s 2006 film Matilda were shot against the backdrop of this waterfall.

A Blue Helmet colonel is found dead on Vruja beach next to a 15-year-old Croatian girl named Matilda. The bullet that killed him was fired from a 9mm Beretta (a weapon used by the Italian UN contingent). The girl immediately confesses to the crime. But a Croatian journalist, a former psychologist, reconstructs the difficult and eventful story of Matilda and her son Miso. The child’s father was the dangerous Serbian war criminal Paradic, who was being tracked down by the murdered colonel from Trieste.

I am currently searching for the full version of the film. I haven’t found it anywhere on the Internet, except on one website that rents physical DVDs in the UK.

1. Neiskorišćeni dragulj Podgorice. Radio Televizija Crne Gore. URL: https://rtcg.me/vijesti/drustvo/81229/neiskorisceni-dragulj-podgorice.html (date of access: 09.12.2024).[↩]
2. Mališić M. L. Albanija da informiše Crnu Goru o svakoj cijevi u Cijevni.  Radio Televizija Crne Gore. URL: https://rtcg.me/vijesti/ekologija/554819/albanija-da-informise-crnu-goru-o-svakoj-cijevi-u-cijevni.html (date of access: 09.12.2024).[↩]
3. Dječak (15) se utopio u Cijevni.  Radio Televizija Crne Gore. URL: https://rtcg.me/hronika/51173/djecak-15-se-utopio-u-cijevni.html (date of access: 10.12.2024).[↩]
4. Tuzi will become independent municipality. Cafe del Montenegro. URL: https://www.cdm.me/english/tuzi-will-become-independent-municipality/ (date of access: 09.12.2024).[↩]