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Žabljak and the Durmitor National Park | Montenegrin music | Back to Travel home

I visited Montenegro in summer 2002 just after Serbia. The hills of southern Serbia very rapidly rise into the mountains bordering Montenegro, and not long after passing the border the ubiquitous mosques of Serbia vanish. Travel takes a very long time in the mountains, with roads weaving in zig-zags up one mountain and down another. Times are also increased by lorries with heavy loads travelling at 10km per hour blocking the roads. The journey from Novi Pazar to Podgorica is around 150km but took us 6 hours or so (including a couple of short stops). However, the long journeys in the mountains give ample opportunity for marvelling at the magnitude of the scenery. The majesty and almost downright silliness of the towering gorges and cliffs are often breath-taking. The currency in use in Montenegro is the Euro, and Yugoslav dinars cannot even be readily exchanged away from border areas. The people of Montenegro speak a variant of Serbo-Croat more similar to Croatian than Serbian, but with a distinct accent.

One website stands head and shoulders above any other for information about travel in Montenegro: Visit Montenegro has always been the best place to look for general information about the Republic. The site called Montenet has a full transport timetable for the main cities of Montenegro (buses, trains and flights), although it may not be reliably up to date. Finally, a couple of city websites also have some useful information, the URLs for which appear below where relevant. Until now there has been a dearth of books helpful for travel in the Republic. Bradt Guides has a new guide out (click here to purchase this book), but this is quite disappointing, providing astonishingly scant information about almost everywhere it covers. This is a country where a democratic approach just doesn't work - there's no point at all in devoting as much space to somewhere like Nikšić as Žabljak! Aside from this, the fantastic old Bradt travel guide entitled Yugoslavia: Mountain Walks and Historic Sites by Piers Letcher was published in 1989 and is still available from a few suppliers. It is now inaccurate to a certain extent (as is to be expected from a prewar book) but the vast majority of the information has not changed in the Montenegro section, and is highly recommended for the detail of its walking routes. Because there is currently no really good guide to the resorts of the Montenegrin coast, I have reproduced the section from the first edition of the Blue Guide to the Adriatic Coast (1969), which was extremely good. Detail that has obviously been overtaken by the ravages of time has been removed, and it should all be read with the consideration for the time that has elapsed since first published (in particular, there are no longer any regular passenger ships south of Dubrovnik to the bay of Kotor, other transport and accomodation details will have changed, and some architectural information will have been rendered out of date by the severe earthquake of the late 1970s). That said, it still is a very informative and useful guide:

Click here to see this extracted guide to the Montenegrin Coast.

If you can find copies of the old Rough Guide to Yugoslavia, or the Blue Guide: Yugoslavia then do not pass them up.

The capital, Podgorica (formerly called Titograd), is somewhat run-down and has no real attractions for tourists. The city lies in a broad, dry valley between the coastal Dinaric Alps and the inland Balkan Range. The landscape here is brown and rather heat-blasted in summer, with most of the rain falling inland. The river valley heading north from Podgorica into the mountains is exceedingly spectacular, with the river cutting a 40 metre gorge into the bottom of the valley, which is itself surrounded by high cliff-faces. The railway line from Beograd to Bar also runs high (very, very high) along this valley on the opposite side of the river to the road. The road narrows to a gorge of only about 20 metres across before once again opening out into the mountains proper, where everything becomes a lush, green colour.

However, it is the coastal resorts in Montenegro that attract most tourists, the mountains having a limited tourist infrastructure. The main resort on this part of the Adriatic coast is Budva (Budva.com - only in Serbo-Croat, or Budva.cg.yu - also in English). Budva was the key resort for the whole of Yugoslavia in the days of its political unity. It is somewhat unexpectedly geared up for modern beach-holidays, with a distinct whiff of Miami Beach about it. Beaches are all shingle or sand (the best charging a worthwhile-paying nominal entry fee). The waterfront in summer is a riot of bars, restaurants, booksellers, tarot readers, clubs, clothes shops, music retailers, street acts and ice-cream vendors. The partying goes on until the morning, and if you want a comparatively peaceful stroll, then the morning is the time to do it. The town has a stunning backdrop of high, cloud-capped mountains (the road from Podgorica does not so much as head into Budva as descend upon it). The main tourist sight is the old walled town, which is built upon an isthmus on the north of the resort area in the main city. The walled town is packed to capacity in the evenings and nights, and despite being atmospherically lit is better avoided at these times. In the mornings you can stroll through the narrow, cobbled streets, sampling crepes and perhaps a beer or coffee, and poke your head into a few of the speciality craft shops while the crowds are all still asleep from the revelling the night before. A small orthodox church is atmospheric, and the citadel can be entered (for a fee) for views over the bay. The walled town certainly meets every requirement for such in this part of the world. However, this is not entirely surprising: the city was razed during an earthquake in the 1970s, and the people of Budva, knowing an opportunity when they see one, had the town rebuilt in such a fashion as to maximiase it's tourist-pulling, museum-town, ever-so-slightly-kitch potential. So it's very nice but perhaps a little too artificial for at least my taste.

Budva has plenty of private rooms available, and you are likely to be approached in the street asking if you require one. That said, we found no-one waiting at the bus station to offer rooms, in the way that there is in places on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Most people offering rooms will expect you to stay a minimum of three nights, and you may have to negotiate a higher rate if you are staying less than this. A couple of days can easily be spent on Budva's lovely (and very crowded) beaches; Kotor is almost as good by day-trip as it is to stay there (and doing so would obviate the accomodation problem there); Cetinje, the former capital of the Kingdom of Montenegro, is another possible day-trip, as are a few monasteries hidden in the mountains nearby. The small island of Sveti Stefan, in the far south of the resort area (buses from Budva) is sometimes touted as a place to visit. It's actually a luxury hotel complex island, housed in the remains of a former Benedictine monastery. You have to pay to even set foot on the island, and there's nothing specific to see there.

All in all, Budva is a fabulous place to relax, sunbathe and do a little partying, maybe with a few leisurely excursions, but in the same respect is not typical of travel in Yugoslavia (or even the Adriatic coast in general).

Click here for some pictures taken in Budva | Back to top

Just north of Budva is the historic town Kotor. It is situated nectled under vast mountains at the head of the fjord known as the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska). This fjord is the most southerly true fjord in Europe, and is very deep but only around 50 meters wide at the narrowest point. This setting can make for slightly unpredictable weather. The comparatively still, sometimes dirty, water of the bay and the still air brought about by the sheltering mountains lead to a mosquito problem in summer - although they don't carry disease, make sure you wear trousers and shoes at dusk and have netting over the windows if you don't want to be covered in bites by morning.

The only really good guide to Kotor was that contained within the old Blue Guide to the Adriatic Coast.

The walled old town of Kotor (Kotor.com) is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is further listed as a site in imminent danger. It was hit badly by the 1970s earthquake as affected Budva, but has been more or less repaired now, although many of the buildings will now never again be quite the sight that they once were. Kotor is very lacking in budget accomodation, and I saw no sobe signs in summer 2002. I found a room by enquiring with the ice-cream sellers clustered outside the main city gate. There are a few hotels to the south of the old town, and one within the walled town itself (at around 50 Euros per double room per night). Further north along the bay are a few private rooms, but they are too far away to be of much real use for visiting the old town. The bus station is to the soutb of the walled town.

Various old churches are worth looking inside, although the main cathedral contains scant items of interest. The view of the cathedral backed by the mountains is far better. The orthodox churches show more exciting decoration. The bars and restaurants of the town are pleasant and cheaper than at Budva. Live music is more often heard here as well. Many of the buildings feature ornate carved stonework, and it's worth poking your head into private courtyards to see the best of it. The former palaces are now used as functional town buildings (mainly housing), and you might end up ascending elegantly crafted, stone staircases to a private room. The shops and boutiques of the walled town offer a surprisingly good range of fashion to peruse.

The grey patina of centuries lies heavily over the town in quite atmospheric a fashion. The town is backed by mountains, and you can climb the steps up the "upper town". This area comprises now only ruins of buildings and walls. A chapel around halfway up is still intact, and the ruined fortress at the top presents dramatic aspects. Be careful with children as there are some unprotected sheer drops. A walk to the top takes about an hour (it's not terribly high, but is very, very steep going).

If you are staying in Kotor, you might consider a day trip to the tiny fishing village of Perast. It's a terribly pretty village, where you can take boats to the small islands in the bay with churches on them. One of the islands was man-made, and consumed many, many tonnes of rock in its construction in the very deep water.

Click here for some pictures taken in Kotor | Back to top

Despite the charm of the coastal resorts, Montenegro's most valuable and unique contribution to make to tourism is in the variety and quality of the natural wonders. In the north-west of the Republic lies the Durmitor National Park. This contains Montenegro's highest mountains, as well as the Tara Canyon, which is Europe's deepest canyon, and the second-deepest in the world (the Colorado Grand Canyon is the deepest). The National Park comprises basically the peaks of the Durmitor Range, as well as some surrounding countryside. The Durmitor range is surrounded by a high plateau, with canyons variously cutting through it. To reach the plateau (at between 1200 and 1500 metres above sea level) requires quite a long trip from lowland areas. The only convenient place from which to cost the National Park is the town of Žabljak. Žabljak is Montenegro's highest town, and was only settled permanently (i.e. during the harsh wintertime as well as summer) in the 1930s.

Transport options to Žabljak are not very varied. Two buses a day run from the coast (via Podgorica) to a spot on the Tara Canyon where the latter is spanned by a bridge. Here you will have to get off and wait for a connecting bus. The connecting buses travel between Pljevlja and Žabljak a few times a day. Travelling from Belgrade, there is one bus a day to Žabljak by this route, but it travels overnight so is not ideal. Buses also depart from Mojkovac for the canyon bridge a few times a day (last one around 3pm - if you get stuck in Mojkovac there is an expensive hotel; the town has nothing to see, but is pleasnatly sited in a basin in the mountains). You may have to wait for an hour or two by the canyon bridge for the connecting bus to Žabljak. In any event, the trip is perfectly possible from the coast, but allow a day to do it. When you arrive, get off the bus at the start of town, beside the T-junction, rather than going to the bus station.

Accomodation in Žabljak is quite good. There are three hotels as well as a few private room places. It is frequently advertised as a ski-resort, so might be busy in winter. A map of Žabljak follows, which I sketched while there:

There are a few places offering rooms, which may be preferable to the rather austere and expensive hotels. The baker's offers savoury pastries for picnics, the supermarket is rather limited, but the restaurant marked on the map is very good with a splendid jovial atmosphere created by the local people who frequently celebrate there.

There are a few good walks from Žabljak. The nearby mountain peaks are climbable (around 800-1000m each) in a day. Some require mountaineering skills, but the one known as Savin Kuk (2313m) is ascended by a path, but this is really quite strenuous and potentially dangerous in poor visibility. The path begins beside the Black Lake (see below): if you follow the path around the left of the lake a path strikes off up into the mountains. There are periodic markings to use as guides, and the woods end after around forty minutes. When you reach a cabin on the left keep going on the path. At the second cabin, the path forks, and the marked path to Savin Kuk is to the right. This should take around 90 minutes from the Black Lake. The path starts straight, and then starts zigzagging extensively, eventually crossing some scree and curving to the right and leading to a water spring. Ahead is a T-junction on the edge of a 200m cliff (be careful!). Take the path to the right and the summit of Savin Kuk is around 20 minutes away.

The Black Lake (Crno Jezero) is probably the most popular sight of Žabljak. It's around a half-an-hour walk from the town centre - see the map. The lake is the second-largest in Montenegro, but actually divides into two lakes seperated by a bar in the summer. It is surrounded by forests full of wild flowers and presided over by the majestic peaks of the Durmitor range. The lake is a eye-catching blue-green colour, catching the mineral colours in reflection in fine weather. Quite lovely. The path encircles the lake and is about 2 miles, which takes an hour or two to wander around.

Another possible excursion is to the Tara Canyon. This is best done in the morning before clouds and haze have had time to gather in the canyon. Take the path as shown on the map. Ignore the first and the second turnings on the left (ignore the signs to "Tara" or "Crna Gora" and "Jablan Jezero"). Once you enter the woods, take the left branch and you will presently see a small track to the right, signed "Ćurovac 1625m". Take this and follow the red blobs on the rocks to the summit of Ćurovac, where you can enjoy the spectacular view over the canyon and surrounding plateaus. The distance between Ćurovac and the river Tara is about 1100m. To get back down, it is easier to head towards the field behind you with telegraph poles in it. When you reach the telegraph poles, follow them to the right until you reach the road you came in on. It takes about 90 minutes from Žabljak to get there, and the same to get back.

In the mountains weather can change very rapidly, so prepare for the worst. I recall being terrified by the bus journey up the canyon sides to the bridge over the Tara during an apocalyptic alpine storm, with hail making the road slippery, a gale blowing down the valley bending the trees at ninety degrees and visibility reduced to about 3 meters. Snow lingers in the mountains until June, and, judging from comments written in the guestbook of the house where we stayed, the weather is more often than not disappointing. Lucky for us that it was fine as could be while we were there. The storm had obviously cleared the air for a few days of crystal clear skies.

As an exmaple of the hospitality of the local people, we were given a lift back to Podgorica by a relative of our host family, who was heading that way. We were taken on a small tour of the area between Durmitor and Podgorica en route, and were taught about several indigenous plants and the landscape (the driver was a Biologist), as well as being treated to breakfast and refreshments at a couple of stops at friends' on the way.

Click here for some pictures taken in the Montenegrin mountains | Back to top

Montenegrin music:

The Turkish areas of the Republic share much of their culture with Albania to the south, Bosnia to the north-west and Serbia to the north-east. Becuase of the relative isolation of much of inland Montenegro, a few musical genres are unique to the Republic:

An excerpt played on the gusle, a kind of fiddle, which is regarded as the National instrument of Montenegro

An excerpt of a tune played on misnice, a kind of Montengrin bagpipe

An excerpt from the Epic of Kosovo, called Konjanik (the rider on horseback). In former times, performers very similar to medieval troubadours or West African griots would tell the historic stories of the region. The tradition has now died out, but this recording was captured of one of its last exponents.