The highway north from Nikšić meets the Piva River after passing through 40km of verdant farmland. It then tangoes with the river until they both reach the border at Šćepan Polje. The river was blocked in 1975 by the building of a 220m-high hydroelectric dam at Plužine, flooding part of the Piva Canyon to create Lake Piva, which reaches depths of over 180m. The road alongside the river is quite a feat of engineering in itself. It clings to the cliffs and passes through 56 small tunnels carved out of the stone in the years following WWII. The narrow but equally spectacular route through the mountains from Žabljak joins this road near Plužine. Heading north from here the route gets even more spectacular, with the steep walls of the canyon reflected in the deep green waters below.
Great care was taken to move the Piva Monastery to higher ground, a feat that took 12 years to complete.
Accommodation is available at the rafting camps around Šćepan Polje and in various eko sela (eco villages), scattered around Plužine and the back road to Žabljak. One excellent option is Eko Selo Meadows , signposted from the highway, 17.5km south of Piva Monastery. Set on a flat plain edged by hills, the complex consists of a large restaurant serving local specialities (such as nettle soup, lamb in milk, cicvara, kačamak and grilled trout) and a collection of tidy wooden cabins. They're simply furnished, but each has its own bathroom.
