Hotels in Žabljak, from the town centre to the Black Lake

In Žabljak the area matters more than the hotel. The town is small and everything you’ve come to see, the Black Lake, the Tara Canyon, Savin Kuk, lies around it rather than in it, so the first decision is whether you want the square on your doorstep or the forest. For this guide I’ve worked from the national tourist board’s accommodation listings and the hotels’ own websites, and I leave out nightly prices, which move with the season.

One figure is handy for planning. In 2024 Žabljak logged 42,214 arrivals and 121,552 overnight stays according to MONSTAT, almost three nights a head. People don’t pass through, they stay, which is why the best rooms go quickly in July, August and over Christmas.

The centre, with everything on foot

Without a car, or with children, the centre makes sense. MB Hotel is on Tripka Đakovića, right in the middle, with 36 rooms and an à la carte restaurant serving Durmitor cooking, kajmak, pršut, lamb, kačamak and cicvara, open from 8am to midnight. Its website says it was the first winner of the national Wild Beauty award in the mountain hotel category. Gorske oči is also central and open all year, according to the national tourist board.

Five hundred metres from the centre, the Javorovača guesthouse sits at the foot of the slope of the same name. The Žabljak tourist board points out that it currently has no lifts or organised skiing, but in winter people use it for sledging and for skiing after walking up, so it works well with children.

The Black Lake road, forest and quiet

My favourite area is the road out to the Black Lake. Soa is on the first kilometre, surrounded by conifers, and describes itself as a four-star that reinterprets traditional Durmitor architecture. It has 16 units, from doubles to family suites, a small spa and a restaurant, and its own agency runs trips into the park. From here you can walk to the lake and to the visitor centre of Durmitor National Park.

Further on, the national tourist board places the Zlatni bor hotel 4.2 km from the Black Lake and 11 km from the Tara viewpoint.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Žabljak on Expedia and filter by area before price.

Borje and the outskirts, with more space

Out at Borje, Polar Star is built in a traditional mountain style, with 9 rooms and 6 studios with kitchens, a wellness area with sauna, steam room and massage room, and a restaurant cooking with Durmitor produce. Its website puts the Savin Kuk ski area 9 km away. Other hotels with an official listing are Enigma, with 18 rooms each with a terrace, and Lovac, with studios and apartments with balconies, a restaurant and parking. Hotel Žabljak, which shares the town’s name, went up when this was still a small mountain village, according to the national tourist board.

Sleeping inside the park

For proper mountains, National Parks runs two staffed huts. Škrka, in the valley of its two lakes en route to Bobotov Kuk, takes walkers from mid-June through September, with about 9 places, and you’ll need your own sleeping bag. Sušica, on its lakeshore not far from the scenic loop road, lets four doubles at €10 per person per day between late June and September. The park also sets aside camping areas at Žugića luka, Radovan luka, Škrka, Sušica, Šarban and Lokvice, at €3 a day for a pitch.

If you are short on time, see the best tours in Žabljak and pick one that fits your day.

Registration and tourist tax

Tourist registration is compulsory within the first 24 hours, and hotels handle it for you. In a private rental it’s down to you. Tourist tax is often charged separately, and MB, for one, notes that its rates exclude tax and insurance at €1.30 per person. If you’re still choosing between regions, where to stay in Montenegro weighs them up.

To sleep close to everything, search places to stay in Žabljak on Booking.com and filter by area before price.