Nisava

The Nisava is a right tributary of the South Morava in Bulgaria and Serbia, and with a length of 218 km, it is also the longest. The Nisava originates in western Bulgaria, near the town of Gintsi, in the Stara Planina mountains (east of Kom Peak). It has a source near the Serbian border. After 67 kilometers of flow through Bulgaria, it reaches Serbia without encountering any important tributaries.

The upper channel of the river is called as Ginska since it passes through Gintsi. It flows south at first, then bends sharply west into the Godech Kettle, passing past Razboishte before becoming a gorge. It reaches Kalotina, a major border crossing on the Bulgarian-Serbian border (Kalotina-Gradina), after emerging from the gorge, and continues west into Serbia.

The Black Sea drainage basin includes the river. Its own drainage area is 4,086 km2, with approximately 73 percent in Serbia and the remainder in Bulgaria. The Nisava is impassable. It is not only the Juna Morava's longest tributary, but also the greatest in terms of discharge (36 m3/s). The Temtica (or Sukovska reka), Crvena reka, Koritnika reka, and Kutinska reka are the most important tributaries on the right, and the Jerma (or Sukovska reka), Crvena reka, Koritnika reka, and Kutinska reka on the left.

The Nisava valley is part of a great natural route that has connected Europe and Asia since ancient times: the route traverses the Morava, Nisava, and Maritsa valleys and continues on to Constantinople, present-day Istanbul. This route is followed by both the road and the train from Belgrade to Sofia to Istanbul.

Length: 218 km