Durmitor National Park
Durmitor National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site listed national park in Montenegro. The park consists of two connected parts - Tara River Valley (or canyon) and Durmitor mountain range, with the tallest mountain, Babatov Kuk, rising 2523 m above sea level.
Understand
Get in
By car
Car is definitely the best way to get to Durmitor, as the public transportation is limited in Montenegro. You can use the M-3 (E762) road going from Bosnia and passing though another scenic location, Piva river valley. From Podgorica, use the road M-6 to Žabljak. From Sebia, use the road M-6 in the opposite direction, going though Prijepolje and Pljevlja. This road uses the Tara River Bridge, one of the park highlights.
Fees and permits
The entry fee to the park is €3 per day (2022-08-04).
If you enter through a forest path or simply any other entry other than the main gate near Crno Jezero/Black lake you might possibly not encounter a single ticket check but on weekends there might be rangers around the popular lakes checking and selling tickets.
Get around
By car
There are numerous roads in Durmitor national park navigable by car. M-6 and M-3 are two lanes highways in good shape. When going from Žabljak to Plužine, you do not have go all the way south to their crossing, but you can use the road through Sedlo pass, which is paved, but a bit narrow. If you driving outside the main highways, watch for cyclists and sheep.
By bicycle
Durmitor is popular among cyclists, as mark bikepaths are plentiful. The ascents are however very steep or long, so bike might be useful only for experienced bikers.
On foot and navigation
For reliable (offline) maps, GPS navigation, comprehensive trails and map information, consult OpenStreetMap, which is also used by this travel guide, and by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. Or just download the according GPX or KML files through Waymarked Trails for such trails on OpenStreetMap. (Note, you just need to change the OpenStreetMap relation ID to download the GPX or KML files through the same link.)
Don't forget to download Montenegro maps for offline use, as the cell signal may be weak in the mountains.
See
- 🌍 Most na Tari (Đurđevića Tara Bridge). 170 metres tall road bridge above Tara river canyon, offering epic views.
- 🌍 Sedlo pass. The mountain pass on the R16 (also called P14) road is easily reachable by car or bike, lying at 1900 meters above sea level. The road there is very scenic in both ways, and you can start many hikes from here, with the tallest mountain of Durmitor, Babotov Kuk, being only 4.9 km far by walking. The parking here is marked as paid at OpenStreetMap, but there is no one to collect any fee.
Do
- Zipline – You can cross Tara river on zipline next to the Tara Bridge. There are three or more companies offering this, just ask around the bridge and haggle the prices (can I get a discount?). The zipline staff speak English.
Buy
- There is a market near the Tara bridge, selling some traditional products, such as local honey or Rakija.
Sleep
There are numerous accommodation options in Durmitor, as this is one of the main Montenegro tourist destinations. Campsites are plentiful, especially around Žabljak, but there are also numerous hotels, often newly build.