The Piva River, which lends its name to the region, springs from the Sinjac spring on Golija Mountain. Nearby, an impressive structure called Piva Monastery marks the spot where the Golija Mountain gives birth to the mighty Piva River, but was moved to that location in 1975 when Lake Piva was formed after the Piva River was dammed to generate hydrologic power.
The Piva Monastery was begun in 1573 and work continued until 1586. The Piva Monastery possesses an extremely rich treasury of artistic works and other items and for centuries was the most important spiritual and cultural center of this region.
The headwaters of the Piva are now blocked to form an artificial lake and hydrological dam called Lake Piva. However, before that occurrence the waters would rush down through 34 kilometers (21 miles) of breathtaking canyons, cut into the rock by the Piva’s mighty currents.
These canyons course through the Piva, a limestone plateau that lies between the Durmitor, Maglic, Lebršnik, Golija and Vojnik mountains. The Piva Plateau is very lightly populated by shepherds and a small smattering of local settlements, and the region is mostly devoted to stock breeding, especially sheep.
Local stories abound in the Piva region about sheep that go missing, never to be found. The region’s large amount of water, mixed with it’s formation as a limestone plateau, make for limestone caverns, depressions, and fissures that run deeply through the geology of the region, sometimes for many kilometers.
Each canyon that courses through the Piva region has it’s own characteristics, complicated by the region’s complicated limestone geology. The Tara River Canyon is the world’s second largest and many adventurers have attempted to navigate its waters, with varying success.
Whitewater rafting is a prime attraction in the Piva Region, and excursions should be booked well in advance.
Accommodation in Piva can be a challenge - the Piva area is thinly populated and the largest place to hand your hat is the small town of Pluzine. The area is also renowned for its exceptional history in the collection of medicinal herbs, teas and home-grown agricultural products most of which are produced to a very high quality and ecological standards.
