Biogradska gora National Park

Tickets and opening hours

Tickets are sold at the two checkpoints, Kraljevo kolo at the park entrance and Vranjak, and online at ulaznice.nparkovi.me. The ticket includes the visitor centre on the lake shore and the educational trails.

Entry is free on 22 April, 21, 22 and 24 May, the second Sunday of June, 13 July and 31 July. The park has no closing season; in winter access depends on the park road being clear. The education centre in the park administration building (Buda Tomovića 10, Kolašin) is open weekdays 07:00-15:00 with an exhibition on bears; groups announce a visit a day ahead (+382 20 865 625).

What to see

• Biogradsko jezero: the largest glacial lake on Bjelasica, 0.23 km² at 1,094 m and 12.1 m deep, fed by the Biogradska rijeka, which rises at 1,860 m under Zekova glava, and drained by the 3 km Jezerštica into the Tara. Boats and kayaks are rented at the reception building on the shore.
• The primeval forest: beech, fir, spruce and maple, part of more than 2,000 plant species recorded in the park, with ramsons and gentian among them. The strict reserve covers 1,600 ha. Bears, wolves, otters, red and roe deer and wild boar live in the park, and the lake is a breeding ground for the Balkan endemic Greek frog and for newts.
• Bendovac viewpoint (1,774 m): the most visited lookout, a 680 m climb on foot from the lake.
• Crna glava (2,137 m in the official survey, 2,139 m in the park's figures) and Zekova glava (2,116 m, or 2,117 m): the summits of Bjelasica inside the park, both on marked trails.
• The upper glacial lakes: Pešića, Šiško, Ševarine and the two Ursulovačko lakes; Ursulovačko, at 1,895 m, is the highest on Bjelasica.
• Katuns, the seasonal shepherd settlements along the edge of the reserve; several (Dolovi, Vranjak, Goleš, Laništa, Kurikuće, Reljine) offer private eco-katun lodging.
• Brskovo: the remains of the medieval mining town lie in the park's buffer zone on Bjelasica, with Saxon mining traces at Šiška.

Hikes and trails

Six marked mountain trails lead to Crna glava, Troglava, Zekova glava and the glacial lakes, and two short thematic trails stay near the lake. The wider area is on the hiking hub.

• Lake loop (educational trail): 3.3 to 3.5 km, 40 minutes to an hour, flat.
• "Ljeto u katunu" (Summer in the katun) thematic trail: 2.5 km loop, about 1 hour, easy.
• Biogradsko jezero to Bendovac viewpoint: from 1,094 m to 1,774 m.
• Vranjak katun (1,800 m) to Zekova glava: 3.7 km, 317 m of climb, 1 h 20 min; on to Crna glava: 7 km, 339 m of climb, 2 h 15 min, easy to medium.
• Ridge route Šiška, Šiška katun, Ursulovac, Crna glava, Zekova glava, Vranjak: the full traverse of the park's summits.
• Trešnjevik pass (1,573 m) to Vranjak katun: 15.7 km, about 4 hours, the link towards Komovi.

The national transversal "Planinama Crne Gore" (CT-1, part of the European route E-6) crosses the park via Vranjak, Crna glava and Svatovsko groblje. Cyclists have the 63 km "Dvije glave i pet jezera" (Two peaks and five lakes) loop from the lake over Zekova glava and Crna glava, 8-9 hours, and two shorter park routes. The 20 m lookout tower at Lazovi is out of use.

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Activities

Rowing boats (€10 an hour) and kayaks (€3 single, €5 double) go out on Biogradsko jezero from the reception on the shore. Fishing on the lake needs a daily permit (€20): one rod, artificial lures, at most 5 trout of at least 25 cm. On the park's reach of the Tara the rule is fly gear only and catch and release, also on a €20 daily permit. The park rents bikes, snowshoes, poles and tents and runs short jeep tours from Kolašin to the source of the Biogradska rijeka or to Dolovi Lalevića (€10 per vehicle).

In winter the nearest skiing is at Kolašin 1600 on the Kolašin side of Bjelasica, 12 km from the town, whose six-seat chairlift reaches 2,035 m below Troglava.

Camping and sleeping in the park

Tent pitches are on the lake shore next to the visitor centre (€3 a day; tent rental €8). The serviced camp at Kraljevo kolo by the entrance takes mobile homes (€20 a day). Twelve bungalows on the shore (32 beds, 12 m² each with a terrace) are leased to a private operator. There are no permanent settlements in the park, and camping anywhere else is prohibited by the Law on National Parks.

Rules

• Camp only on the lake-shore pitches or at Kraljevo kolo; fires only at the designated fireplace (€5 a day, wood included).
• Fish only with the daily permit from the park, one rod, artificial lures; limits as above.
• Drones need a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency, a Civil Aviation Agency permit above 249 g, and the park's approval.
• The katun lodgings are private; book them directly.

Getting there

From Kolašin take the Mojkovac road for 22 km, turn right at a small bridge, pay at the barrier and follow 4 km of asphalt to the lakeside car park (car €1 an hour). The lake is about 50 km from Podgorica by the Podgorica-Mateševo motorway and 75 km by the old road through Kolašin. Kolašin has the nearest railway station (Bar-Belgrade line, about 1.5 km from the town centre) and the bus station; the last stretch into the park is by road. Berane is the park's third municipality, after Kolašin and Mojkovac.

When to visit

The trekking season runs from May to the end of October, and autumn colours the beech forest around the lake. The lake loop is the one walk that works in any month the park road is clear. The bungalows and the camp follow the summer season; the Kolašin ski centre opens in December.

Nearby

The park entrance is off the Kolašin-Mojkovac road in the Tara valley. Komovi is the next massif beyond the Trešnjevik pass, and Kolašin is the base for both. Durmitor National Park is reached via Mojkovac and the Đurđevića Tara bridge; Prokletije via Andrijevica and Plav. All five parks are on the national parks hub.

Questions

How much is the entrance?

€4 per person per day, free under 15, half price for organised groups of 20 or more. The €13.50 annual ticket covers all five national parks.

Is it one of the last primeval forests in Europe?

The park is described as one of three remaining primeval forests in Europe. That is a description rather than a measurement; the measured facts are a 1,600 ha strict reserve, trees over 40 m and up to 500 years old, and more than 2,000 plant species.

Can you swim in the lake?

A swim is possible, but it is not organised: there are no lifeguards. Fishing and boating are the uses the park runs.

How long does a visit take?

The lake loop is about an hour. Bendovac is a 680 m climb from the lake; Zekova glava and Crna glava from Vranjak take 1 h 20 min and 2 h 15 min one way.