Niagara Falls of Cijevna

The Cijevna drops over a wide rock step a few kilometres outside Podgorica, and although the local name invites a comparison it cannot meet, the fall is genuinely broad and in spring, when snowmelt comes down from the Albanian mountains, it runs across the full width of the rock. In summer the river often dries to nothing and the site is bare stone. A restaurant sits beside it and the pools below are used for swimming.

What you actually see

• The wide fall - water spreading across a broad rock step.
• The pools - the basins below the fall used for swimming.
• The spring flow - the snowmelt period when the fall is at its fullest.
• The rock shelf - the exposed limestone bed when the river is low.

When to go

March to May is when the fall runs properly, fed by snowmelt. By July it is often dry. Weekends bring crowds from Podgorica.

Honest expectations

For much of the summer there is no water at all and the site is bare rock, which catches visitors out. The name sets expectations that are not met at any time of year. Parking and access are informal.

Nearby

Podgorica is west, and Medun is north.