Ljutica River

The Ljutica river, left tributary of the Tara river, is the shortest and most powerful European fresh water spring and also, it’s shortest river.

Ljutica has the highest abundance in Europe with 100m3 per minute flowing wildly into the Tara river over a length of just merely 150 meters. Stories about the nature and legends from this area are full of dramatic content. It is said that the river Ljutica comes from the Jezerska plateau from the Devil’s Lake (Vrazje Jezero), which is 25 Km away. And according to the legend, in the lake once lived a devil who loved to defy and challenge St. Elijah. Until on time when the saint had enough and hitted him making him disappear since then.

The water from Vrazje Jezero flows through underground corridors for days joining other streams, until it encounters a crack in the hard canyon rock, from which it erupts to the surface with a ferocious force. And as the legend goes it’s the missing devil, chasing the river down the rocks, foaming the water, until it aligns with the Tara river and comes to a rest.