Hiking in Durmitor
Durmitor National Park has 25 marked trails over about 150 km, from the 1-hour Black Lake loop to Savin kuk and Ćurevac; the park charges €5 a day.
Durmitor National Park, Žabljak
Photo: Alexkom000 · CC BY 4.0
Durmitor National Park above Žabljak has 25 marked trails over about 150 km, 48 peaks above 2,000 m and 18 glacial lakes. The easiest walk is the loop around Black Lake, 3.6 km in about an hour; the classic viewpoint climbs are Savin kuk and Ćurevac. The hiking season on the high massif runs from June to the end of October.
Trails with official lengths and times
| Trail | Length | Time | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Lake educational loop | about 3.6 km | 1 h | easy |
| "Jezera" (lakes) loop | 6.2 km | 3 h | easy |
| Sedlo (1,907 m) to Sedlena greda (2,227 m) | - | 1 h 30 | medium |
| Savin kuk, one way | 4.76 km, +815 m | - | medium |
| Ćurevac loop from Žabljak | 17.74 km, +340 m | - | medium |
The first three are from the park's own list; Savin kuk and Ćurevac figures are from the Žabljak tourist office trail pages. Grades follow the national three-step scale (easy, medium, hard) that the mountain trails law requires on maps, boards and guides. Both climbs have their own pages: Savin kuk and Ćurevac viewpoint pages.
The NTO's Durmitor page gives the trail network as 100 km; the park's own activity page says about 150 km.
Huts and shelters
- Škrka hut: open mid-June to late September.
- Sušica hut: open late June to late September.
- Lokvice bivouac (1,800 m) and Kalice shelter (2,020 m): open all year.
When to go
The NTO gives June to the end of October for the high massifs and names July to September as the best months for Durmitor. The two staffed huts follow roughly the same window. Black Lake at 1,418 m is reachable for longer than the ridges.
Fees, guides and rules
- Park entrance €5 per person per day. A park guide costs €40 for four hours or €80 for eight (park price list).
- Trail users walk at their own risk and must not damage markings, signs, plants or animals (mountain trails law, article 16).
- The NTO recommends a licensed mountain guide and organised groups, and discourages solo tours; the Mountaineering Association of Montenegro publishes the list of certified guides.
- Mountain rescue is reached through the emergency number 112; calls are free.
Other parks
Montenegro has about 3,000 km of mountain trails, of which about 1,480 km are marked and about 800 km lie inside the national parks. Lovćen has five trails, Biogradska gora six, Skadar Lake nine; Prokletije can hold snow even in summer. The hiking hub lists them.
Highlights
- 25 marked trails, about 150 km
- Black Lake loop: 3.6 km, 1 h, easy
- Savin kuk: 4.76 km one way, +815 m
- Park entrance €5/day
