Montenegro Mountains - Meet the Tall Wildlands of Our Country

Lovćen Mountain, Montenegro, is considered the “heart” of the country, nestled within the Dinaric Alps. The views from some of its spectacular viewpoints are gorgeous, but more lovely is the story of how Lovćen Mountain, Montenegro’s National Park, is. Within rocky peaks and grassy plains, Lovćen Mountain has a great deal of biodiversity within its boundaries.

Lovćen mountain lies in southwestern Montenegro, and it is the basic inspiration behind the name of Montenegro – The Black Mountain, because of the mountainsides covered in dense, dark green forests. The name of Lovćen was first mentioned in the middle of the 13th century, as a hunting ground of former kings.

These distinctive mountain peaks hold great significance to the Montenegrin people and their cultural heritage, being the place where their beloved hero, ruler and writer, Petar II Petrović Njegoš, is laid to rest.

Reaching some of the most beautiful viewpoints of Montenegro won’t be hard. Driving through a beautiful forest before reaching a plateau with scattered private homes and villas in small but picturesque villages, you will be blown away by the majestic view of the Bay of Kotor.

The story takes us further up into the Dinaric Alps and the Durmitor Montenegro mountains, where the lush meadows give way to stony terrain. The mountain was formed by tectonic plate movements. The snow shimmers in some crevices, and the temperature doesn’t climb above 15 degrees Celsius over the year.

The Durmitor Montenegro mountain range consists of a large plateau, 1500m above sea level, and it is intersected by deep canyons and valleys that wind through the rising peaks of this imposing mountain.

There are more than forty snowy mountain peaks on Durmitor, with altitudes above 2000m above sea level, some of which are:

• Bezimeni (The nameless one),
• Međeđa (Bears Peak),
• Savin Kuk (Savas hip),
• Bobotov Kuk (Bobot’s hip),
• Crvena Greda (The red baulk),
• Obla Glava (The round head),
• Rbatina (The spine),
• Planinica (Small mountain).

The inhabitants of this region are known for their hospitality and love for the traditional fiddle instrument, whose unique sounds can often be heard among the mountain peaks.

The most dominating peak of Durmitor is definitely Bobotov Kuk, also known as Ciro’s Cave. Besides the impressive nature of this, 2,523 meters high peak, the surroundings of Bobotov Kuk are 18 mountain lakes, so beautifully clean and fresh that the local people named them – The mountain eyes.

The eighteen pristine glacial lakes in the Durmitor massif are a unique natural phenomenon, like no other in the world. Each and every one of the lakes is of a different origin, size, colour, amount of water and beauty of the surrounding landscape. The most approachable of them, and definitely some of the most loved by tourists, are:

• The Black Lake – the largest and most visited of the Durmitor lakes, with a 3.6 km long walking path surrounded by the rounded mass of Mount Međed. The lake is very deep – even up to 50 m, and is supplied by underground waters, whose colour can vary from light blue to dark green and cerulean blue. A narrow land strip divides the lake into two parts.
• Lake Zminje – The so-called “Snake Lake” is a hidden treasure in deep and dense forests, with some nice benches next to the water and, nearby, water springs with cold, drinkable water. According to the legend, the Durmitor Montenegro region was full of snakes in the past. But once, when winter arrived early, the snakes escaped into the small lake, hoping to find a warmer place there. Unfortunately, the winter was too cold and snowy, so the snakes froze to death. When winter was finally over, melting snow created a lake, and the forests around were mirrored in the water, looking like a snake’s skin.
• Sušićko Lake – The droughty lake in the eponymous gorge is one of the periodical lakes in the Durmitor Montenegro mountains. By August, the lake completely disappears, only to reappear in the middle of June, creating a beautiful, picturesque and postcard-like nature.

Orjen is one of the mountains in Montenegro whose Dinaric-Mediterranean limestone covers the mountain range in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The massif of Orjen lies to the northwest of Risan in the Boka Kotorska, protecting this part of the bay. It has one of the most well-engineered roads across the massif, with wiggling serpentines cruising over the slopes.

The icy peaks of Orjen are the ones overlooking the Boka beaches. Glaciers, dating from the Ice Age, form U-shaped hollows and valleys, creating a unique coastal scenery and phenomena.

The Natural and cultural-historical Region of Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage site, comprising the territory between Orjen and Lovćen, including all the small towns in the bays of Risan and Kotor with their natural setting. This privileged natural harbour of the Boka Kotorska has been settled for millennia.

Reaching the views from Orjen mountain is extensive, but the hike and the adventure in Montenegro are worth the effort. The route crosses limestone pavement, through the forests and past sinkholes. There is a lake somewhere in the middle of the ascent, for those who wish to rest, and the area is ideal for enjoying a well-earned rest with the spectacular view of the sea and the Montenegrin fjord.

Close to the small town of Kolašin in the central highlands, a little more than an hour from Podgorica, situated almost exactly halfway between Lake Skadar and Durmitor National Parks, lies the Bjelasica Mountain, best known for country-based activities, in mountain holidays!

Bjelasica Mountain has its own National Park called Biogradska Gora, literally on the doorstep, with primaeval forests and plentiful walking and horse-riding routes to offer during the spring, summer and autumn.

It is also home to Jezerine, probably the best-equipped ski centre in Montenegro. With several different runs available for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and experiences, it is the perfect place to be based for our winter sports holidays.

Its relief is characterised by the great jaggedness and numerous forms of volcanic origins, with smooth round shapes, different from the other mountains in Montenegro. Bjelasica is also known as the greenest mountain in Montenegro, whose peaks show scenic panoramic views over six lakes and green valleys with wide, dense forests.

Beautiful landscapes and nature harbour a different way of living. Not many people live in these kinds of conditions, but the ones that do are very old and stiff (but very warm-hearted) katun hut owners, inclined to take care of their ancestral homes.

According to the surface area it covers, Sinjajevina is the largest and most widespread of the mountains in Montenegro. It forms a large chain magnificently surrounding the Durmitor National Park Plateau, Žabljak on the southeast, the Tara River Canyon on the northeast, and the Morača River Canyon on the southwest.

With two of the largest and most imposing Montenegrin canyons, it spreads up to the hollows of Kolašin and Mojkovac on the opposing side. On the northwest side are the canyons of Tušinje and Bukovice.

It has been pointed out that the three rivers that surround Sinjajevina, flowing through the two gorges, Tara, Morača and Ljubišnja, used to flow over the surface of Sinjajevina, which is notable from a large number of dry valleys which spread across the slopes of the mountain in Montenegro.

Montenegro got another national park in 2009 – Prokletije. The Montenegro Prokletije mountains are located in the southernmost part of the Dinaric Alps, a little more than 60 kilometres from Skadar Lake. Being on the tripoint of Albania, Montenegro and Serbia, Prokletije gave three national parks, one for each country – that’s how rich, big and mysterious Prokletije (The doomed mountains) are.

The mountain range of Montenegro, Prokletije, unlike the Dinarides, takes another direction, and in some way, they are a barrier to the coastal mountains. The rise in the direction Southwest-Northeast of Montenegro starts from the margin of the Skadar (Zeta) plain, ending up with the complex of the highest massifs of Bogićevica all the way to the passes of Čakor and Rugova, about 70 km long, where the highest mountain peaks rise. The highest peak in Montenegro – Zla Kolata- is located on this massif, making it the highest mountain in Montenegro.

In these wildernesses, bears and wolves still rule the forests.

This grandiose Montenegro mountain massif, with its beauty and uniqueness, attracts the attention of many visitors throughout the whole year. This is also one of the favourite locations for hiking in Montenegro.

Prokletije are synonymous with wilderness – they are home to wolves and bears, whose tracks testify to untouched nature. This massif is characterised by dramatic, jagged peaks, steep cliffs and inaccessible canyons filled with narrow rivers that meander through rocky valleys. Its unique flora and fauna rank it among the richest natural regions of the Balkan Peninsula, and the preserved arctic-alpine vegetation makes it a true natural wonder.

Glacial lakes, large and small streams, springs and wells of drinking and mineral water, rivers, underground aquifers and mountain ponds will leave you breathless.