Crna River (Black River)
Crna River with the length of 207 km is the biggest right tributary of Vardar. It springs up from the spring called Black Hole nearby the village Zheleznec, on an altitude of 760 meters. From the spring of the Buchin village, Crna River flows through Demir Hisar, then Pelagonija up to the village Skochivir where it enters into the Skochivir Gorge, the longest gorge in Macedonia, 80 km in length.
Through Mariovo, Crna River is considered to be a fast mountain river. Before the exit of the gorge, there is a dam, 105 metres high on the spot where Crna River fills in the Tikvesh lake. Starting from the dam nearby the village Vozarci, up to the confluence in Vardar at the ancient locality Stobi, Crna River again has the characteristics of aflatland river.
Skochivir Gorge of Crna River
As Crna River flows through Mariovo it builds attractive gorge with high, steep banks decorated in fascinating landscape, which astonishes the visitors by its beauty. This river, which carried the name Erigon connects many legends.
One of them reminds us of the turbulent geological periods, in the time when the relief was renewing, meaning, it says a lot about the creation of the deep river basin of Crna River. It tells a story of a certain fight between two monsters (some sort of dragons), which during the fighting broke a part from the mountain somewhere in Mariovo and in that exact path the Crna River simply started flowing.
Actually, the legend speaks about a time of formation of the Skochivir Gorge, which is one of the longest and most attractive gorges which divides Mariovo on two halves and makes this area exceptionally attractive. This gorge, which is 80 kilometres long, the largest part – 59.5 kilometres spreads through Mariovo.
The other legend is connected to its current name which, according to the legend, comes from the fact that this river is wild and it flows though some playful and drifting area, and it swept in blackness one mother each day, taking away one child, due to which it is called Crna (Black) River.
Crna River - Tikvesh Lake
