Crnjak is a waterfall of about 20 m in the village of Gornja Bijela, Šavnik municipality, near the source of the Bijela river at roughly 1,050 m. It is about 12 km by road from Šavnik and about 17 km from Pošćenje, around 35 minutes' drive. The remains of a water mill stand beside it. The water is very cold: locals say it does not rise above about 8 °C.
Where it is
Crnjak is in Gornja Bijela, the upper part of the Bijela valley in Šavnik municipality. The Bijela is one of the three rivers that meet in Šavnik; Crnjak is near its source, at roughly 1,050 m, where the water drops about 20 metres off a cliff.
From Pošćenje it is about 17 km by road, around 35 minutes. From Šavnik it is about 12 km. The road follows the Bijela valley, the same valley as Bijela monastery, so the two fit easily into one trip.
The mill and the name
Next to the waterfall are the remains of a water mill driven by the stream. Local accounts say a mill has stood on this spot for centuries.
The mill is at the centre of the story behind the valley’s name. According to tradition, the village and the river were once called Crna, “black”. In the 13th century, while Morača monastery was being built, a drought stopped the other mills on the streams, and flour was ground at a mill here built by the Vulović family. When the builders and monks heard where the flour came from, they said it was not black but white. The village and river became Bijela, “white”, and only the waterfall and the mill kept the old name: Crnjak.
It is a legend, not documented history, but it is the one everyone in the valley knows.
Swimming
People still come to bathe in the pool below the fall, but the water is very cold: locals say it does not rise above about 8 °C, even in summer.
Cold water and wet rock. Get in briefly and never alone, keep away from the falling water, and wear shoes with grip on the rocks around the pool.
Visiting
- Drive to Šavnik, about 10 minutes from Pošćenje.
- Follow the Bijela valley south towards Bijela and Gornja Bijela, about 12 km.
- Ask in Gornja Bijela for vodopad Crnjak if you are unsure of the last stretch. Signage in the valley is sparse.
Good to know
- Water: like the other falls of the area, Crnjak is usually fullest in spring and after rain, and smaller late in a dry summer.
- Services: none at the waterfall. Bring water and food, and fill up with fuel in Nikšić or Žabljak.
- Respect: the mill and the land around it belong to the village. Leave nothing behind.
- Combine with: Šavnik and Bijela monastery in the same valley, or the Bukovica valley and Podmalinsko monastery for a full day of the quiet side of Šavnik.
Questions people ask
Where is Crnjak waterfall?
In the village of Gornja Bijela in Šavnik municipality, northern Montenegro, near the source of the Bijela river. By road it is about 12 km from Šavnik and about 17 km from Pošćenje and Nevidio canyon.
How high is Crnjak waterfall?
The water falls from a cliff about 20 metres high.
Can you swim at Crnjak?
People do come to bathe in the pool, but the water is very cold: locals say it stays below about 8 °C. Get in briefly, never alone, and mind the slippery rocks.
Why is it called Crnjak?
According to local tradition the village and river were once called Crna, "black". When monks building Morača monastery saw how white the flour from the local mill was, the place was renamed Bijela, "white". The old name stayed only with the waterfall and the mill: Crnjak.