Salty and Sweet (Top Trail 1) cycling route

Key facts

The route

From Herceg Novi the track climbs out of the bay into Orjen, the limestone range behind the town, and continues inland through Kruševice to Grahovo, a wide karst field under the Orjen ridges. Slano lake, the lake with wooded islands west of Nikšić, leads into the largest town on the route. Beyond Nikšić the elevation profile names Mala Crna Gora and Trsa on the Durmitor side, and the Stuoc pass at 1,950 m is the high point of the whole 626 km; Žabljak, the highest town in the Balkans, is the town on the massif. The way back to the sea finishes with a serpentine descent to the Bay of Kotor and the last kilometres along the shore into Herceg Novi, where the track ends about 1.5 km from its starting point.

Climbing and daily distances

The 16,784 m of ascent come from two big crossings, Orjen above the bay and Durmitor at Stuoc, with the Nikšić karst between them. Seven days means stages of about 90 km, ten days about 63 km, and the climbing per day works out between 1,700 and 2,400 m. Plan the stages from the GPX track rather than from the headline figure; the grade is challenging.

When to ride

Cycling in Montenegro is possible all year, and the coastal sections ride in any month. The whole loop does not: the Stuoc crossing at 1,950 m is for the snow-free months, from late spring to autumn, and the state of the pass is the thing to look at before the Durmitor stage. Traffic is the other seasonal factor. The Herceg Novi and Bay of Kotor sections are far busier in the summer season, and they are the part of the route to ride early in the day.

Signposts, brochure and GPX

Signposts mark the route along its whole length. Ride with the GPX track loaded as well: it is the reference line of the route and the way to check position on remote sections, and the stages are best planned from it. The brochure (English, PDF) carries the elevation profile with the places on the way, the route description and the kit list. The route was traced by Tane Minić, the texts are by Jovan Eraković, and the publisher is the Regional Development Agency for Bjelasica, Komovi and Prokletije, with the Austrian Development Agency and the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism.

Getting to the start

The GPX track starts in Herceg Novi at 42.451, 18.541 and ends at 42.456, 18.558, about 1.5 km away, so the town is the base for both the first and the last night. Herceg Novi lies at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, by the Croatian border.

Safety

Ride in a group on the remote sections and carry a map and compass or a GPS, a phone, a torch, basic tools and a spare tyre. The emergency number is 112.

Rest days and nearby

On the Durmitor side the route touches Durmitor National Park at Žabljak: rafting on the Tara is the usual rest-day option, hiking in Durmitor starts from Black Lake, and the Durmitor Ring is the asphalt loop around the massif from Žabljak. On the coast, the Bay of Kotor loop finishing at Njeguši is another of the national routes, and cycling in Lovćen National Park is the day ride above the bay.

The five Top Trails

The national Top Trails are five signposted multi-day routes with a brochure and a GPX track each, all on the cycling hub.

Questions

How long is Top Trail 1?

626 km, in 7 to 10 days; it is the longest of the five national routes.

Where does it start?

In Herceg Novi; the GPX track finishes about 1.5 km from its start point, in the same town.

Is it marked?

Yes, with signposts along the whole route; the GPX track is the second navigation aid and the one to rely on in remote sections.

What is the highest point?

The Stuoc pass on Durmitor at 1,950 m; the lowest point is sea level on the Bay of Kotor.