“Among the gigantic mountains of the Southern Slavic countries, the Durmitor is the most mighty and magical.”
Kurt Hassert, German geographer and explorer (1868 – 1947)
Profile of the mountains and landscape
The small high mountain region of Durmitor rises like an island from the surrounding Alpine plateau of north-western Montenegro. The plateau located at a height of about 1,500 m features a system of deep gorges measuring up to 1,300 m. This landscape shaped by a combination of mountains, plateaus and gorges boasts outstanding beauty.
The Durmitor massif is only about 12 kilometres long and 10 kilometres wide. It’s part of the Dinaric Alps. The highest summit is called Bobotov Kuk, measuring 2,523 metres. This makes it the highest peak entirely located in Montenegro. Another 48 summits of the Durmitor rise into the sky at over 2,000 m. In the cirques and recesses in between, around 18 glacial lakes can be found (here also known as mountain eyes).
Whether the resounding name comes from the Italian dormire (to sleep) or the Celtic dru-mi-tor (water springing from the mountain), is yet unresolved according to the tourist organisation of Montenegro. The Celtic version seems justified because the Durmitor in Montenegro really is rich in water with its rivers and lakes.
Deep gorges and originality
The landscape definitely reflects what the name promises. The mountains alone don’t offer any superlatives but their location in Alpine plateaus and between deep gorges makes them an attraction that is worth a journey of 1,000 kilometres and more. Especially since this area – much like many others in Montenegro and in the Balkans (still?) – is characterised by a whole different originality and pristineness compared with countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The little town of Žabljak is located at the south-eastern foot of the Durmitor massif. It’s the focal point of tourist life. About 6 kilometres to the North and East of Žabljak, you will find the impressive Tara Canyon. Together, the massif and the gorge protruding far to the East, form Durmitor National Park which was founded in 1952 and has been on the list of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage since 1980. In addition to the mountain range, it also includes the vast Tara Canyon. This itself is only a part of a complex system of further canyons, some of which are very extensive and deep, such as Piva in the West and North or Komarnica in the South of the Durmitor.
Special features of the Durmitor
In addition to the “Balkan wilderness” of the Durmitor, the vast variety in such a small area must also be mentioned. The contrast between the steppe-like western side and the wooded eastern side really stands out at first glance. The scenery and impressions change quickly even on a walking trip. Gentle green valleys are enclosed by enormous striated or folded rock formations, with sudden drops and deep recesses appearing behind them which are full of boulders or framed by rugged tors. As soon as these impressions are processed, you’ll find yourself in unbelievably lush and lively mountain pastures. This change of impressions also fascinates visitors who are not usually interested in hillwalking.
Scenic and tourism highlights
The Durmitor offers many highlights and attractions at any time of the year. However, the main season is not summer when the international audience meanders through the countryside, but winter when the Montenegrins go skiing and on ski tours. The following selection of highlights is mainly interesting for hikers:
Mountains and summits
Sedlena Greda (2,227 m) the “Saddle of the Gods” is a free-standing, remarkable dual summit in the South, located right by the ring road and is therefore relatively easy to reach. It gives a truly impressive panoramic view of the “Sea of Grass” around the Dobri Do Valley. Those passing the area especially enjoy the “Sedlo Frame” that perfectly frames Sedlena Greda from the Sedlo Pass (1,907 m).
The Zupci Towers (2,309 m) are sometimes mentioned in trite comparisons such as “the Three Pinnacles of the Durmitor”. But this does justice neither to the Zupci Towers nor the Three Pinnacles. Both have their own and very different character.
The next trite comparison concerns Bezimeni Vrh (2,487 m), the “Nameless Summit”. It’s sometimes referred to as the “Matterhorn” of the Durmitor. What they have in common is that they both offer amazing views. The difference is that Bezimeni is a bit smaller.
In the area of the south-eastern Šareni pasovi Štit (2,248 m) peak which is only two kilometres away, geology shaped an undulating sea of rocks which turns into an abstract landscape painting with hypnotic powers in the light of the late afternoon.
The best known geological feature of the Durmitor is the pyramid of Prutaš (2,401 m), again only two kilometres away. Its vertical rocky ridges rise from the eastern Alpine plateau looking like organ pipes.
Tara Canyon
Tara Canyon is always mentioned when it comes to the highlights of the Durmitor. The zip-line crossing it next to the Đurđevica road bridge is a top tourist attraction even though it’s not in the deepest part of the canyon. It has an average depth of 600-800 metres, while it’s deepest part, upstream at Pogledina Mountain, measures an impressive 1,300 metres.
The description “deepest canyon in Europe” that can often be read or even “one of the deepest in the world” must be taken with a grain of salt because there are several other canyons claiming this title. Depending on the measurement method, Cares Canyon in Spain or Vikos Canyon in Greece can be attributed to similar depths. “Tiger Leaping Gorge” in China is the only one which has deserved superlative status. From extremely steep rock and ice peaks at a height of 5,500 metres, it drops down by an incredible depth of 3,700 metres.
Mountain lakes
There’s no doubt about the beauty of the at least 18 mountain lakes in the Durmitor. The big and small Skrcko Jezero are the most stunning of these “Mountain Eyes” for many who know the area. They’re situated in a romantic high valley that transitions into a steep cirque over which tower the highest Durmitor peaks.
Or perhaps it’s Crno Jezero (Black Lake) close to Žabljak which is the most beautiful. It’s certainly the best known Durmitor lake and now even a popular motif in the wider world of Instagram.
Vražje Jezero (Devil’s Lake), some distance away from the park, around 8 km south of Žabljak, features emerald water, depending on the weather. It’s framed by an endlessly wide landscape with Durmitor backdrop. Around this lake and others south of Žabljak, you can see medieval graves, also known as Stećaks. In addition to other archaeological artefacts and relicts, these gravestones can be found in many parts all over the mountains.
The most significant tourist aspect in the Durmitor is not mountain sports during the summer but winter sports. The eastern slopes of Savina Kuk on the southern edge of the Durmitor mountains are the biggest and most popular ski resorts in Montenegro.
Climate, weather and geology
Despite its vicinity to the Adriatic coast with its Mediterranean climate, the Durmitor is mainly influenced by the temperate continental climate within the Balkans. That means temperatures are similar to those in Central European mountains. Humid air from the Adriatic meets continental air which is much colder in winter. This results in huge quantities of snow. In the summer, the continental air is hot and dry which also leads to a lot of precipitation when it meets the warm and humid air from the Adriatic. At higher altitudes, significantly more than 2,000 mm of annual precipitation is normal. Even in the height of summer, there can be snow fall and snow can remain on the exposed northern slopes for the whole year.
The weather therefore changes quite quickly, as in most mountains. High temperatures during the day in the summer form a contrast with cool nights with bad weather suddenly appearing.
Geologically, the Durmitor is a typical limestone mountain with karst formations such as sinkholes and caves. It was “reshaped” during the Ice Age. You can therefore find many classic Alpine formations such as steep ridges, deep cirques and glacial lakes. Extensive cave systems are hidden within the limestone. The geology also features several extravagant highlights such as the aforementioned rock pillars and waves on different mountains.
Flora and Fauna
The complex ecosystems of the National Park are home to a great diversity of animals and plants, including the most extensive variety of butterflies in Europe. You will regularly see chamois, mountain goats, vultures and eagles, you may sometimes come across deer, wild boars, foxes, badgers and martens. Brown bears, lynxes and wolves are spotted only rarely. At the centre of the mountains, the flora consists of extensive forests with beech trees and pine trees as well as meadows higher up. In the Piva and Tara Canyons, species of tertiary flora have been preserved from the Ice Age. 1,300 species of vascular plants are known. Another special feature is the occurrence of “forest inversion”, meaning deciduous tree vegetation growing above the coniferous forest line.
Hillwalking in Durmitor National Park
The fact that the Durmitor offers the perfect conditions for exploring and hillwalking should have become obvious from the previous paragraphs. Officially, there are 22 well-signposted mountain trails in the Durmitor massif that cross the area in a network of about 100 kilometres in length. The longest and most difficult of the trails leads up to Bobotov Kuk (2,525 m) taking five and a half hours.
Most visitors use Crno Jezero as a starting point because it features the most infrastructure. A lot of signposted hiking trails start there – including the beautiful and entertaining tour around the lake.
The following is a random selection of a few attractive trips from among the vast pool of options:
Easy and family-friendly hikes
Walking around Crno Jezero (Black Lake): This classic mixture of walk and hike is most suitable for starting and to get acclimatised. Starting in Žabljak, the lake is easy to reach on foot with a path of 3.5 km surrounding it. Along the way, beaches and small waterfalls are attractive enough to entice you to stay and go for a swim. At the start of the route, there is a restaurant and a café bar.
Raklje summit tour (2,159 m) – insider tip in the West: Some who know the area think that this small but particularly nice summit is the best viewpoint of the Durmitor. It doesn’t get many visitors because there is no marked access and no visible path, even though it’s located right above Todorov do Valley with the ring road. It can be reached from there by merely going up 350 metres and by crossing largely easy and open grassy slopes.
Curevac summit tour (1,625 m): A stunning view with little effort is offered by this brief summit tour at the southern edge of Tara Canyon. In addition to impressive views into the depths below, the variety of the panorama is also a real treat. The most difficult part is the arrival via a bumpy forest road to the entrance of Durmitor National Park.
Mountain lake and optional Crvena Greda summit tour (2,175 m): This hike boasts great views of the wooded part of the Durmitor and a mountain lake in a magical location. The journey to the beautifully situated Jablan Mountain Lake (1,880 m) is not too steep and can also end there. The rest of the track to the summit is steeper and more demanding. It’s about 3 hours from Žabljak to the summit.
Demanding hikes
Bobotov Kuk summit tour (2,523 m): The highest point of the Durmitor offers stunning views and versatile climbs. The shortest way up starts on the ring road at the south-western side of the Durmitor. A compact description and all details for an exciting round trip can be found on alpenvereinaktiv.com
Planinica summit tour (2,330 m): This well-known summit of the Durmitor features a versatile route from Crno Jezero, rewarding you with an unrivalled panorama which offers a similarly varying view of the mountains as Raklje mentioned above. The route suggested here goes past the Lake of Snakes (Zminje Jezero) and through the enchanted Gornja Alisnica Valley.
Trekking in the Durmitor?
The network of paths offers many options to cross the mountains and connect trails. It links almost all valleys and gorges via ridges and passes. Therefore, the Durmitor is particularly suitable for trips lasting several days. And since generous rules for camping in the countryside (still!) apply in Durmitor National Park, trekking tours are almost a must. This is especially true if you also include the surroundings of the Durmitor. The North and South in particular there are many more fascinating landscapes waiting to be explored. In the South, for example, there is the Sinjajevina Plateau. Its steppe-like expanse may remind people of Central Asia.
Durmitor mountains travel info
Despite language barriers and the significantly different characteristics of the country and people, travelling in the region is pleasant and relaxed for all Alpine trekkers. This is not least thanks to the hospitality and willingness to help by most locals.
Montenegrin (Crnogorski) is the official language of Montenegro but you hear other Southern Slavic languages everywhere such as Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian and Albanian. Montenegrin has a Latin and a Cyrillic alphabet. But the Latin alphabet is used more and more now, not just in the tourist areas.
In Montenegro, the Euro can be used as currency even though the country isn’t a member of the EU yet. An entry fee of €5 is charged for Durmitor National Park. This can also be paid to rangers you may meet once you’ve already entered the park. But you usually pay at the park entrances. Unfortunately, the tickets are only valid for one day so the fee has to be paid each day.
Hazards for those travelling in the Durmitor mountains are limited. At the same time, the high mountains of the Balkans are a lot less busy than the Alps – so all in all a win-win.
Arrival and entry requirements
Flights with cheap airlines and usually with a stopover are available from about €100. Using Montenegro Airlines, there is a direct flight of 1h 45m to Podgorica. From there, you can get a hire car, bus or (communal) taxi to Žabljak. Going by car to Žabljak from Munich is possible in about 15 hours of pure driving time via the Adriatic Motorway and Bosnia to Nikšić in the South-West or via Sarajevo/Bosnia to Plužine in the North-West. Taking a train or bus from Germany is also possible but time-consuming and complicated.
Travelling locally
To get around locally, we’d recommend your own car or a hire car because public transport is not well developed. From the bigger towns such as Nikšić, there are irregular buses to Žabljak. But once you’ve arrived there, it’s quite quick to walk to Durmitor National Park or Crno Jezero.
The ring road offers great views and is perfect for exploring the mountains and Durmitor National Park. But not without your own car unless you’re an adventurous hitch-hiker with a lot of time. It’s worth mentioning that this road is narrow, has the occasional pothole, isn’t always signposted and has a lot of traffic during the height of the season. You must have driving experience and be resistant to stress when driving in the Balkans (for a good map with information, see Montenegro.travel).
Accommodation, mountain huts & camping
Classic hotels are practically only available in Zablak. But in the small B&Bs and guest rooms in minor towns, hospitality makes up for a lack of comfort. In the mountains, there is a hand-full of camps with an established water supply and basic infrastructure (Lokvice, Skrcko Jezero, Biwak Debeli Namet, Susica, Lovacki). Camping in the countryside is neither expressly permitted nor prohibited – if you comply with the usual “rules of behaviour in nature”, you certainly won’t get into trouble.
Guides and maps
The homepage of Durmitor National Park features several digital maps. Specialist retailers such as Landkartenhaus also offer a selection of useful paper maps. However, these are limited and must be ordered in time because they sell out quickly.
💡 Tip to save money: Get a SIM card in the first bigger town and turn off the mobile internet in your phone before you reach the border. Otherwise, you may get an unpleasant surprise the next time you receive your mobile bill…
