Nevidio was first traversed in August 1965 by members of the mountaineering club Javorak from Nikšić, led by Miloš Bojanović: eight climbers and three filmmakers, who took two days and spent a night inside the canyon. Earlier attempts from 1957 onwards had all been turned back.
A canyon nobody had seen
Seen from the road, Nevidio does not look like much: a gap in the limestone where the Komarnica disappears. Inside, the river runs through a slot so deep and narrow that much of it gets little direct sun. With no way to walk along the bottom and no way down from the rim, for most of history nobody knew exactly what was in there.
That is where the name comes from. Nevidio is usually translated as “the unseen” or “never seen”. People in the villages around it also call it Neviđbog.
The attempts, 1957 to 1965
The first recorded attempt came in 1957, by a team from Geozavod, the geological institute in Belgrade. Over the next years other expeditions tried and failed. The obstacles were the same each time: water that was too high and too cold, a canyon that would not let you turn back, and equipment that was not up to it.
Also in 1965, a larger expedition of mountaineers and filmmakers from Serbia and Montenegro, led by the speleologist Dr Jovan Petrović, had to give up, beaten by high water and a lack of suitable gear. By then Nevidio had a reputation as the only canyon in Europe nobody had managed to pass.
August 1965: the Javorak team
In August 1965, members of the mountaineering club PSD Javorak from Nikšić set off, led by Miloš Bojanović. There were eight mountaineers and three filmmakers, and they went in with diving suits and climbing equipment, which was what the earlier teams had lacked.
The traverse took two days. The team spent the night inside the canyon on the rocks above the water, and came out at the lower end. Some accounts give the start date as 1 August.
After that, several more expeditions followed, and over the decades the route through became known well enough for guided canyoning trips to begin.
The plaque at the entrance
In 2015, for the 50th anniversary, a commemorative plaque was placed at the canyon entrance. You can see it on the short walk from the parking, whether or not you go in. What you can see without canyoning.
From expedition to day trip
What took a well-equipped team two days in 1965 now takes a guided group 3 to 4 hours, thanks to modern wetsuits, local knowledge of every jump and pool, and the simple rule of only going in when the water is low. It is still the same canyon, though, and it still asks for respect. What the day is like now.
Questions people ask
Who first went through Nevidio?
Members of the mountaineering club Javorak from Nikšić, led by Miloš Bojanović, in August 1965. The team was eight mountaineers and three filmmakers.
Why is Nevidio called the last unexplored canyon in Europe?
Because by the 1960s it was one of very few canyons in Europe nobody had passed through, and it was described at the time as the only unexplored and unconquered canyon on the continent. The name stuck.
What does Nevidio mean?
It comes from the verb for "to see" and is usually translated as "the unseen" or "never seen". Locals also call it Neviđbog.
Is there a memorial at the canyon?
Yes. A plaque at the entrance was put up in 2015 for the 50th anniversary of the first descent.