Hiking in Montenegro, from Durmitor to the trails above the sea

Montenegro is made for walking, and you notice it the moment you leave the coast. The national tourist board counts around 3,000 km of mountain trails, about 1,480 km of them waymarked, plus the trekking routes, and some 800 km run through the five national parks. There’s everything from a one-hour stroll to multi-day treks, and Montenegro is so compact that you can sleep by the sea and be standing beside a glacial lake the next morning.

The main hiking areas

The national tourist board singles out Durmitor, Bjelasica, Komovi, Sinjajevina, Prokletije with Visitor, Pivska planina, Maglić and Lovćen. The two highest summits are in the north. Zla Kolata in Prokletije stands at 2,534 m according to the national park, and Bobotov Kuk in Durmitor at 2,523 m. Bjelasica and Sinjajevina are the gentlest, fine for all ages between May and late October, and in winter they’re good for snowshoeing and ski touring.

Durmitor, the all-rounder

Durmitor has 25 waymarked trails adding up to about 150 km, according to its national park. The recommended ones include the nature trail around Black Lake, the route from Crno jezero to the ice cave via Lokvice and the climb from Sedlo to Bobotov Kuk. Ćurevac viewpoint, at 1,625 m, looks straight down into the Tara canyon. The tourist board suggests coming in July, August or September and doing the Durmitor Ring and Ćurevac with a group, as they call for real fitness. For nights up high there are the Škrka and Sušica huts in summer and the Lokvice and Kalice shelters all year.

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Prokletije, Montenegro’s Alps

Prokletije has 77 peaks above 2,000 m, according to the national tourist board, and it’s the most demanding area in the country. Most routes set off from Plav, and the easier walks are in Grbaja near Gusinje, around Lake Plav and between Babino Polje and Lake Hridsko, which is a 3.1 km, one-hour walk. The national park also suggests a 10.2 km loop of about five and a half hours from Karanfili hut over Volušnica, Popadija and Talijanka, passing a prehistoric carved slab. Even in summer you might meet snow up top. This is also where the Montenegrin section of Peaks of the Balkans begins, heading on into Albania and Kosovo.

Lovćen, Biogradska Gora and Lake Skadar

Lovćen has five trails through beech woods and along old Austro-Hungarian roads built of dressed stone, each leading to a viewpoint or a cluster of vernacular buildings, with Njegoš’s mausoleum on top. Biogradska Gora has six waymarked trails climbing to Bjelasica’s summits and glacial lakes, and you can hire walking poles at the reception by the lake. Lake Skadar has nine trails through villages where traditional life carries on, with a map available at the Vranjina and Virpazar visitor centres.

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Walking by the sea

The Bar tourist board has waymarked dozens of kilometres between the coast and Lake Skadar. Easy ones include Volujica to Bigovica, 5 km, and Sutomore to Haj-Nehaj, 2.7 km. Among the moderate walks is Stari Bar to the Rikavac bridge, 6.5 km. And among the hard ones are the two climbs up Rumija, 5.1 km from Gornja Briska and 4 km from Dobri do. The national tourist board adds the Kotor walls up to St John’s fortress, heart-shaped Lake Trnovačko and the Lukavica valley to Lake Kapetanovo. The climb to St John’s is the shortest and busiest of them; Kotor’s stair race measures it at 1,350 steps, 1.2 km and 260 m of ascent from the church of Blessed Osanna, so I’d set off early, ahead of the heat and the cruise passengers.

Long-distance trails

For several days on foot, Montenegro has two transversals on its national network, the PPT “Orjen-Lovćen-Rumija”, which links the coastal ranges, and the CT-1 “Planinama Crne Gore”. The Via Dinarica runs the length of the Dinaric Alps, and the tourist board notes that National Geographic Traveler picked it as one of the world’s best hiking destinations.

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Safety and kit

The national tourist board advises against going alone and recommends walking in a group with a licensed mountain guide, listed on the Mountaineering Association of Montenegro’s website. You’ll need proper boots, layers and your documents, and the trails are used at your own risk. The Foreign Office adds that hikers have got lost after straying from marked paths, so tell someone your route and keep your phone charged. In an emergency, dial 112. I’d add one more thing, which is to check the forecast before any summit and turn back without a second thought if the sky turns nasty. And since Montenegro isn’t in the EU, check that your travel insurance covers mountain rescue; a GHIC only works there with a certificate from the local health fund.