Skip to content
eMontenegro
Green high pastures and limestone peaks around the Sedlo pass in Durmitor under a summer sky

Northern Montenegro

Photo: Ingo Mehling · CC BY-SA 4.0

The north is the mountain half of the country: three of the five national parks, the highest massifs, Durmitor, Prokletije and Komovi, and the rivers that flow to the Danube. Žabljak, at about 1,450 m the highest town in the Balkans, is the base for Durmitor (UNESCO since 1980). Kolašin, at 954 m on the Tara, has the Kolašin 1450 and 1600 ski centres and Biogradska gora 23 km away. Plav and Gusinje are the gates to Prokletije. The larger towns are in the Lim valley, Bijelo Polje (municipality 38,662) and Berane (24,645), and in the far north Pljevlja (24,134) and Rožaje (23,184) at about 1,100 m.

Towns

All cities

Trips

Itineraries

Mountains

All mountains

Monuments

All monuments

Ski resorts

All ski resorts
Full map

What to come for

The Tara canyon. 1,333 m deep, with rafting from Brštanovica and the 365 m Đurđevića Tara bridge of 1940; see the Tara. Durmitor. 48 peaks over 2,000 m, Bobotov kuk at 2,522 m and 18 glacial lakes, among them the Black Lake 3 km from Žabljak; see Durmitor and the viewpoints along the Durmitor Ring. Biogradska gora. The primeval forest and lake on Bjelasica. Prokletije. Zla Kolata, 2,534 m, and Plavsko jezero, the largest glacial lake in the country; see Prokletije. Piva. The reservoir, 187.5 m deep behind the 220 m Mratinje dam, and the relocated Piva Monastery. More massifs. Komovi (2,487 m) between the Tara and the Lim, Hajla (2,403 m) above Rožaje, the Sinjajevina plateau. Winter. Skiing at Kolašin 1600, Kolašin 1450 and Savin kuk; the hiking season on the high massifs is June to October.

Steep forested mountainsides with snow on the upper ridges, descending into a deep valley in Durmitor
Durmitor National Park, February 2021Photo: Jackmaldow, CC BY-SA 4.0

Getting around

The Bar-Belgrade railway stops at Kolašin (station 1.5 km from town) and Bijelo Polje. By road from Podgorica: Kolašin 75 km (about 30 minutes on the motorway to Mateševo), Žabljak 122 km via Nikšić or 124 km via Kolašin and Mojkovac, Plav 180 km, Plužine 110 km. Žabljak, Pljevlja, Berane, Rožaje and Plav have no railway, so buses or a car are the way in. The Morača canyon road between Podgorica and Kolašin and the junction at the Đurđevića Tara bridge, where the Mojkovac, Žabljak and Pljevlja roads meet, are the main passes; winter closures are on the road conditions page.

Biogradsko jezero between forested slopes, with clouds reflected in the calm water
Biogradsko jezero, Biogradska gora National ParkPhoto: Miomir Magdevski, CC BY-SA 4.0

Common questions

Which town is best for Durmitor?

Žabljak: the park's visitor centre is in the town, the Black Lake is 3 km away and the Savin kuk ski centre 5 to 6 km.

Where is the highest peak?

Zla Kolata (2,534 m) on Prokletije above Gusinje, on the Albanian border. Bobotov kuk on Durmitor (2,522 m) is the highest peak entirely inside Montenegro.

Which northern towns have a railway station?

Only Kolašin and Bijelo Polje, on the Bar-Belgrade line. Žabljak, Pljevlja, Berane, Rožaje and Plav are reached by bus or car.

Sources