Durmitor & the Tara canyon: the back story

About Durmitor & the Tara canyon: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Podgorica Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

In the north of Montenegro, Durmitor rises in a wall of limestone peaks above a high plateau of meadows, forests and glacial lakes, and the river Tara carves the deepest canyon in Europe along its edge. It has been a national park since 1952 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980.

The mountain

Durmitor’s highest peak, Bobotov Kuk, reaches 2,523 metres, and some 18 glacial lakes, the “mountain eyes”, lie scattered across the massif. Marked trails lead to the peaks and passes; the walk to Bobotov Kuk is a long, serious day.

The Black Lake

Crno jezero, the Black Lake, lies in the forest a short walk from Žabljak, under the dark slope of Međed. A path circles it in about an hour, and it is the most beautiful easy walk in the park.

The Tara canyon is up to 1,300 metres deep, the deepest in Europe.

The Tara canyon

The Tara has cut a canyon up to 1,300 metres deep. The Đurđevića Tara Bridge, completed in 1940, crosses it on five concrete arches about 170 metres above the river, and rafting trips run on the river below in the warmer months.

Žabljak

Žabljak, at about 1,450 metres, is one of the highest towns in the Balkans and the base for the park, with hotels, guesthouses and restaurants serving mountain food: lamb, kajmak, cheese and cicvara.

Our advice: allow at least two days. Walk around the Black Lake, drive the Durmitor ring road over the Sedlo pass on a clear day, and see the Tara Bridge and canyon. In winter there is skiing at Savin Kuk; in summer, nights are cool, so bring warm layers.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Durmitor & the Tara canyon: the back story before you go.