The Mountains of Montenegro - A Walker’s and Trekker’s Guide

New guide to this fast-developing region with high mountain walking up to 2500m, great ridges, well-maintained trails, spectacular scenery and friendly people. Includes easier and harder routes throughout the country, and moderate to extensive treks.

‘Few parts of Europe are so little known as the countries lying between the Danube and the northern frontier of Greece….’
Sir J. Gardner Wilkinson, Dalmatia and Montenegro (London, 1848)

‘Ljepši od Alpa’ – ‘more beautiful than the Alps’. This description of Montenegro’s mountains was given to me by a Croatian climber, in the most congenial setting of a wedding, just over the Slovenian border. And it was these words, together with a postcard of improbably sheer-sided peaks in Durmitor, the country’s best-known mountain area, which first drew me to Montenegro, while living in Zagreb between 1999 and 2001.

Montenegro (or more correctly Crna gora, ‘black mountain’) lies on the southern Adriatic coast, sandwiched between Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania; and within its borders are some of the wildest, most spectacular, and least visited mountains in Europe.

Most of the surface area of the country is taken up by the Dinaric Alps – a great string of mountains, extending in furrowed ranges from Slovenia and Croatia in the north, and reaching their greatest altitude in inland Montenegro, Albania and Macedonia. Rising in some places almost sheer from the Adriatic, these mountains throw themselves up in soaring, jagged limestone tops, and have alternately been compared to strings of pearls and the entrance to hell itself. The fierce, rugged character of the Montenegrin highlands is reflected in the name of the mountains running along the northern part of the Albanian border: Prokletije, meaning ‘the accursed mountains’. Yet the landscape is also rich in wildlife and plants, from the diverse birdlife of Skadarso jezero to the primeval forest of Biogradska gora.

The mountains of Montenegro are at their most impressive in the inland areas of Durmitor and Prokletije, where the stunning terrain typically consists of glacial cirques surrounded by fine ridges – often wonderfully exposed – and steep-sided 2000–2500m peaks, some of which require a degree of scrambling to ascend. High pastures, often scattered with stone or wooden shepherd’s huts (known locally as katun), give way to valleys – the lower slopes of which are cloaked in dense pine and beech forest, and picturesque lakes. Between these mountain areas, the landscape is slashed by deep canyons – one of which, the Tara, is the second deepest in the world.

Like the mountains of neighbouring Croatia, Slovenia and other countries from the former Yugoslavia, the mountains of Montenegro are criss-crossed by well-established, clearly marked trails. There are some mountain huts and shelters, although considerably fewer than in Croatia or Slovenia – most of the walks in this guide require carrying a tent – and detailed maps are available for some of the most popular hiking areas.

Montenegro is rapidly gaining popularity as a destination with travellers from Western Europe – especially with the current tourist boom in neighbouring Croatia. However, with the exception of a few busy spots on the coast, much of the country – and in particular its mountains – remains little visited.

The routes in this guidebook range from easy day walks to extended and relatively demanding mountain treks, and include both circular as well as point-to-point itineraries. It is possible to link a number of the routes to form even longer treks – following the route across Biogradska gora, Komovi, Maglić and Kučka krajina (Walks 9–11, see Appendix A), for example, would amount to an excursion lasting about eight days. Almost all of the routes are easily accessible by local public transport.

Montenegro – Key Facts and Figures

Country name: Crna gora
Capital: Podgorica
Language: Serbian
Currency: Euro
Population: 630,548 (estimate, 2004)
Surface area: 14,026km²
Time zone: GMT + 1hr
National Day: 13 July

Montenegro is easily reached from Western Europe – either a direct flight to Podgorica or Tivat, or via Dubrovnik – and costs within the country are relatively low. Added to these already considerable attractions are the country’s many other, perhaps better-known assets – a beautiful coastline, fascinating history and some impressive architecture. The proximity of Croatia and its own lovely coast and mountains might be added as a further lure….

It is hoped that this guidebook – at the time of writing, the only comprehensive English-language guide available to the mountains of Montenegro – will enable more people to visit this remarkable area, and shed some light on what is, quite simply, one of the finest walking destinations in Europe.

ABOUT MONTENEGRO

‘The general aspect of Montenegro is that of a succession of elevated ridges, diversified here and there by a lofty mountain peak, and, in some parts, looking like a sea of immense waves turned into stone.’
Sir J. Gardner Wilkinson, Dalmatia and Montenegro (London, 1848)

Geography

The mountainous character of the Balkan peninsula is reflected in its name. A Turkish word meaning ‘a chain of mountains’, balkan was initially used to describe the Stara Planina range in modern Bulgaria. Later, and particularly from the 19th century, it came to be used to describe the whole region – with distinctly negative connotations.

One of the most extensive mountain ranges in the Balkan peninsula is the Dinaric Alps. (With the exception of a narrow strip of coastline, almost the entire territory of Montenegro is occupied by these mountains.) Stretching southeastwards some 700km from the Slovenian border, the Dinaric Alps run the length of Croatia, through Montenegro and into Albania, from where they continue as the Pindos Mountains into Greece. Their steep western slopes present an almost impenetrable barrier towards the Adriatic (a factor which has contributed to the relative isolation of inland Montenegro, Croatia and Bosnia from the various ‘Mediterranean’ civilizations to have settled along the coast). Perhaps not surprisingly, their inhabitants have always been fiercely independent.

Montenegro’s rocky Adriatic coastline runs northwest–southeast between Croatia and Albania, broken towards its northwestern end by Boka Kotorska (the Bay of Kotor), a deeply indented, fjord-like inlet surrounded by steep, bare mountains. The coast is divided from the interior by a steep, outer rampart of mountains, including Orjen (Walks 1–2), on the border with Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia; Lovćen (Walks 3–4), above Boka Kotorska, and crowned by the mausoleum of Montenegro’s ruler-poet, Petar II Petrović Njegoš; and Rumija, above Bar. These mountains are relatively modest in elevation, with peaks averaging 1600–1700m; the highest point is Zubački kabao (1894m), on Orjen. Karst features are especially prominent on Orjen, which has relatively little vegetation; forest cover is somewhat more extensive on Lovćen. In both cases, surface water is minimal.   

Behind these mountains a broad plateau runs inland for some distance – an area described by J.A. Cuddon in The Companion Guide to Jugoslavia as a succession of ‘troughs and crests of turmoiled rock’. There is a saying among Montenegrins, that when God was in the act of distributing stones over the earth, the bag that held them burst, and they all fell on Montenegro. It seems particularly appropriate for this area. Within the southeast part of this plateau lies the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica (meaning literally ‘beneath the mountain’). To the southeast of this is the basin of Skadarsko jezero (Lake Shkodër in Albanian), which at 391km² is the largest lake in the Balkans. Beyond this area and further inland lie the country’s most elevated mountain areas.

In the northwest of the country, just across the border from Bosnia’s Sutjeska National Park, are the remote areas of Maglić and Bioč, crowned by Maglić (2386m) and Veliki Vitao (2397m) respectively (the former lies actually on the Bosnian border).

Slightly to the southeast of these, bounded to the north by the River Tara and to the west by the River Piva, is Durmitor (Walks 5–7). This is Montenegro’s best-known and most visited mountain area, with its numerous peaks over 2300m, including Bobotov kuk (2523m), usually described as the country’s highest but actually overshadowed just a little by a peak on the Albanian border. It is an area of quite exceptionally beautiful scenery, with glacial cirques and lakes, high ridges and spectacular, steep-sided peaks.

Stretching southeast from Durmitor parallel to the River Tara is Sinjajevina, a long, jagged succession of high peaks, including Jablanov vrh (2203m) at its southern end. South of this, along the headwaters and west of the River Moračka, are the equally rugged Moračke planine, including Torna (also known as Babji zub, 2227m). These mountains gradually recede in altitude towards Nikšić and Podgorica, and towards the River Zeta. Southeast of Sinjajevina, across the River Tara, is Bjelasica (Walks 8–9), with its somewhat more gentle, rounded tops.

Further to the southeast lie the high, wild and sometimes quite remote mountain areas along the Albanian border, at the headwaters of the River Tara and the River Lim. Komovi (Walk 10), which lies just south of Bjelasica, is a relatively compact area, reaching its highest in Kom Kučki (2487m). South of Komovi and slightly lower in altitude is the rugged and very little visited Kučka krajina (Walk 11, also called Žijevo). To the east of these, across the northern tip of Albania, lies Prokletije (Walks 12–15), a heavily glaciated area with a steep, Alpine profile, including Maja Kolata (2528m), the highest mountain in Montenegro. (Altitude increases over the Albanian border, where Maja Jezerce reaches 2694m.)

For a list of the principal mountain areas and major peaks in Montenegro, see Appendix G. For further information on the routes, see ‘About the Routes’, below.

Geology

The mountains of Montenegro were formed during the violent geological activity of the late Secondary and early Tertiary Eras, and are primarily composed of Jurassic and Triassic limestone. The zone northeast of Pivsko jezero, the upper Morača and the headwaters of the Tara was formed by a large overthrust (or ‘nappe’), and it is this area which contains many of the country’s highest mountains.

Although no glaciers remain today, some areas bear profound traces of glaciation, with numerous glacial cirques, moraines and glacial lakes (18 of the latter in the Durmitor region alone). Furthermore, glaciation in the Prokletije region occurred at a much lower altitude than in the Alps – as low as 1000m. Plavsko jezero (Lake Plav) is the largest glacial lake in the Balkans; and a glacier in the Plav-Gusinje area is estimated to have been some 35km long and up to 200m thick, which would have made it the largest glacier in the region.

Some remarkably deep canyons cut across the Montenegrin highlands, most notably the Tara Canyon which reaches a maximum depth of some 1600m – making it not only the deepest canyon in Europe, but also the second deepest in the world after the Grand Canyon in Colorado. Not far behind in depth are the Piva and Morača gorges, at 1200m and 1100m respectively.

Numerous karst features are associated with the Montenegrin landscape. Karst is formed through the gradual dissolution of limestone by rainwater, and a corresponding enlargement of surface drainage holes as water percolates downwards. The resultant landscape is characterized by a distinctive surface texture of vertical fissures (karren), sinkholes, cone-shaped dells and depressions, together with numerous caves and sinkholes, many of which reach considerable lengths or depths. Surface water rapidly disappears underground to flow as subterranean rivers, which often re-emerge as karst springs, either in the foothills of the mountains or as submarine springs. The largest submarine spring on the Adriatic coast, called Sopot, emerges in the Bay of Kotor. Other distinctive features of the karst landscape include polja – large, shallow depressions between ridges, which vary considerably in size, and in karst areas may be the only suitable areas for cultivation.

CLIMATE

‘I saw and heard how they rent the skies;
Squalls of hostile hail poured down,
Plundered the earth of her fertility.’
Petar II Petrović Njegoš, Gorski Vijenac (‘The Mountain Wreath’, Vienna 1847)

The mountains of inland Montenegro (Durmitor, Prokletije, etc) see moderate summers and long, harsh winters. Daytime temperatures during the summer are high but not unpleasantly so (maximum about 25ºC in August), and the nights refreshingly cool (minimum about 10ºC in August, although it can sometimes drop considerably lower). During the winter months mountainous areas see freezing temperatures and receive abundant snowfall – as much as 5m on Durmitor. Snow lingers well into the summer months, particularly on northern slopes.

The Montenegrin coast enjoys long, hot summers and short, mild winters. In the Zeta plain, including the basin of Skadarsko jezero, the summer months can be particularly hot, and Podgorica has the unhappy distinction of being the hottest city in Serbia or Montenegro.

Do not be deceived by the barren, desiccated appearance of Montenegro’s coastal mountains – this region of the Dinaric Alps attracts phenomenally heavy rainfall. In fact, Crkvice on Orjen has the highest rainfall in Europe, with an annual average of 4500–5000mm, and over 5300mm has been recorded in a single year. (To put this in perspective, Scotland’s Western Highlands and the western coast of Norway each receive on average only 3000mm per year!) Fortunately, the average annual precipitation in other inland mountain areas is more reasonable (1750mm on Durmitor, for example).

On the coast and in the coastal mountains, rain falls almost entirely during the winter (usually from November). In the mountainous areas further inland, precipitation is somewhat more evenly distributed throughout the year.

When to visit

On balance then, the best time to visit the mountains of Montenegro is June to September. Durmitor, Komovi, Prokletije and the other high, inland mountain areas will all be at their best at this time. Snow patches will linger well into the summer in some areas, particularly on northern slopes, and in some areas you will find snow all year. Wild flowers will be at their most plentiful in June to July. By late summer some of the smaller lakes and tarns will have dried up. Winter brings spectacular snow conditions for those prepared. August is very hot on the coast, and this is not the best time to visit Orjen or Lovćen.

However, like any mountains truly worthy of the long hours you might spend climbing them, those in Montenegro are full of surprises and often enjoy confounding even the most detailed weather forecast. Make sure you bring adequate warm clothing and a waterproof jacket, whatever time of year you choose to visit.

Weather forecasts

The most relevant weather forecasts for routes in this guidebook can be found at:

http://vreme.yubc.net/index.php?kv=28210 (in Serbian, but symbols easy enough to read) Choose location under ‘Izaberite grad’: Cetinje (for Lovćen), Kapa Moračka (for Moračke planine), Kolašin (for Moračke planine, Komovi and Biogradska gora), Mojkovac (for Biogradska gora and Sinjajevina), Žabljak (for Durmitor) and Plav (for Prokletije).

www.accuweather.com also has 15-day forecasts for numerous locations in Montenegro (choose ‘world weather’, and type city name), some of the more useful being: Crkvice (for Orjen), Ivanova korita (for Lovćen), Veruša (for Kučka krajina) and Gusinje (for Prokletije)

Remember that these are forecasts for towns and cities; conditions in the mountains themselves may be rather different. 

VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE

‘The plant-life of the Balkans is richer than any comparable area in Europe.’
Oleg Polunin, Flowers of Greece and the Balkans (Oxford, 1980)

Mediterranean and mountain plants
The number of plant species in the Balkan peninsula has been estimated at well over 6500 – a figure that includes numerous endemics and several species that have survived from before the last Ice Age.

Along the Montenegrin coast, typical species include Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), holm oak (Quercus ilex), funeral cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) and olive (Olea europaea), together with maquis. On the steep mountain slopes and karst areas above, these rapidly give way to species such as white oak (Quercus pubescens), holly oak (Quercus coccifera), hop-hornbeam (ostrya carpinifolia) and hardy scrub or garrigue. Flowering plants in these areas include thyme (Thymus striatus), common sage (Salvia officinalis) and several species of crocus. Among the endemic species found in such areas are Moltkia petraea, Petteria ramentacea, Globularia cordifolia, Lonicera glutinosa and Tanacetum cinerariifolium or ‘Dalmatian powder’ – better known as pyrethrum.

Inland, the lower reaches of valleys and canyons are characterized by deciduous forest including ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and various species of oak. At higher levels these increasingly give way to beech (Fagus silvatica) and then conifers. Canyons may also contain a number of Tertiary relics.

The mountain slopes of inland Montenegro are dominated by coniferous, beech or mixed forest. Species include Norwegian spruce (Picea abies), silver fir (Abies alba), Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), beech (Fagus silvatica), birch (Betula pendula) and maple (Acer heldreichii). Black pine (Pinus nigra), and massive Munika or Heldreich pine (Pinus heldreichii) and its subspecies the Bosnian pine (Pinus leucodermis), are also found. Rich sub–alpine pastures and grasslands extend above the tree line, as do areas of scrub, sometimes dotted with juniper (including Juniperus communis). Upper mountain slopes are characterized by hardy, low thickets of dwarf mountain pine (Pinus mugo), known locally as klek, above which typically rises an area of bare rock.

The high grasslands are rich in flowers such as milkworts (including Polygala major), flaxes (including Linum capitanum), violets (Viola calcarata) and gentians (including Gentiana acaulis and Gentiana utriculosa), together with saxifrage (Saxifraga adscendens), black vanilla orchid (Nigritella nigra) and various species of sage and thyme. Blueberries grow in profusion during the summer months. In rockier areas and on screes, species include valerian (Valeriana Montana), ranunculus (Ranunculus sartorianus), alpine toadflax (Linaria alpine), alpine rock-cress (Arabis alpine) and drypis (Drypis spinosa). Snowbells (Soldanella alpina) and mountain avens (Dryas octopetala) are found among the melting snowfields. Flowers endemic to Montenegro and adjacent areas of the Balkans include Verbascum durmitoreum, Centaurea kotschyana and Pimpinella serbica.

The best months to see the flowers are June and July.

Mammals
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) survives in Montenegro in small numbers (estimated at some 125 individuals in 2000). Not surprisingly, its distribution is limited mostly to the remotest mountain areas of the north and east. Encounters between humans and bears are very rare. The grey wolf (Canis lupus) is also said to inhabit some of the more remote mountain areas, but again, sightings are rare. Since its reappearance in the 1960s–70s, there have been scattered sightings of the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), although it is established in greater numbers over the Albanian border. Unfortunately, the population of this rare mammal appears to be in decline in the Balkans.

Other mammals include wild boar (Sus scrofa), red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), pine martin (Martes martes), forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) and common dormouse (Glis glis).

Reptiles and amphibians
The nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes), known locally as poskok, is found in the Dinaric Alps, including Montenegro. Its venom is highly poisonous (see ‘Safety in the Mountains’, below, for snake-bite treatment). Adult specimens are typically less than 60cm in length, but may sometimes grow to 90cm. A subspecies found in Montenegro (Vipera ammodytes meridionalis) is smaller. Nose-horned vipers are either light grey or brownish copper, with a dark black zigzag pattern along the back, and are recognizable by the prominent soft horn at the end of their snout. They prefer dry, rocky hillsides, but may also be found under low bushes or around dry stone walls, and even on rock faces. The common viper, or adder (Vipera berus), known locally as šarka or šarulja, is also found, together with the subspecies Vipera berus bosniensis. (It is perhaps worth mentioning that both the nose-horned Viper and the common viper also occur in other, more frequently visited parts of Europe. For example, the former is found in northern Italy, while the latter is also found in the UK.) Another species of viper, Orsini’s viper (Vipera ursinii), is considerably more docile. Other species of snake include the large whip snake (Coluber caspius), Balkan whip snake (Coluber gemonensis), Dahl’s whip snake (Coluber najadum) and the cat snake (Telescopus fallax).

A number of lizards are common, including the Balkan green lizard (Lacerta trilineata), which grows up to 40cm in length, green lizard (Lacerta viridis), Mosor rock lizard (Lacerta mosorensis), Balkan wall lizard (Podarcis taurica), Dalmatian algyroides (Algyroides nigropunctatus), sharp-snouted rock lizard (Lacerta oxycephala) and Turkish gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus).

The alpine newt (Triturus alpestris) is found in lakes in the Montenegrin highlands, including an endemic subspecies (Triturus alpestris serdarus), the distribution of which is limited to Zminičko jezero, a lake on the northern flanks of Sinjajevina. A subspecies of alpine salamander (Salamandra atra prenjensis) is found along the Albanian border, in Kučka krajina. Other species of amphibian include the brilliantly spotted fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra), Balkan crested newt (Triturus marmoratus) and Balkan stream frog (Rana graeca).

Birds
Skadarsko jezero (Lake Shkodër), with its five ornithological reserves (Manastirska tapija, Grmozur, Omerova gorica, Crni zar and Pančevo oko), is one of the largest and most important ornithological sanctuaries in Europe, and an important stop on winter migration routes. Not surprisingly, it contains the greatest concentration of birdlife in Montenegro – some 270 species, a number of them quite rare. However, recent statistics indicate that the number of birds wintering here has fallen sharply over the past few years – lowering the population from more than 250,000 birds in 1999 to just 35,000 in 2005. It is possible that many are now wintering at salt flats around Ulcinj instead.

Species you may find at Skadarsko jezero or on the coast include the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pymeus), glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) and the rare Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus).

In the mountains, some of the rare or more unusual species include the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix), cappercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), rock partridge (Alectoris graeca), goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus), griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), golden eagle (Aquilla chrysaetos), short-toed eagle (Circaetus gallicus), eagle owl (Bubo bubo), alpine wwift (Alpus melba), horned lark (Eremophila alpestris), alpine accentor (Prunella collaris), blue rock thrush (Monticola solitarius), wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) and the common crossbill (Loxia curvirostra), known locally as krstokljun. Other more common species include the common buzzard (Buteo buteo), snowfinch (Montifringilla nivalis), rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer), sombre tit (Parus cinctus) and alpine chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus).