Hiking Montenegro, Amazing Rivers & Lakes

This is the biggest and oldest national park in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Located in the east of the country, it borders Montenegro. Together with Piva nature park on the Montenegrin side, it forms a large and diverse natural ecosystem. The area encompasses river valleys, high mountain peaks, mountain plateaus, natural lakes, and one of the oldest primeval forests in Europe. The park got its name from the Sutjeska River which runs in the middle of the park. The name Sutjeska means a canyon or a gorge in the local language.

Trnovačko Lake (Trnovačko Lake) must be one of the most beautiful mountain lakes in the Balkans. It lies on the Montenegrin side of the border. The usual approach to Trnovačko lake is from the Bosnian side, from the Prijevor saddle. It takes about 1h 15min to get there and it is not a strenuous hike.

The Tara River Canyon is under UNESCO protection due to its natural formations and unique ecosystem. If you’ve never been rafting before, it’s an exhilarating introduction. The raft plunges down into rapids and your heart is racing and there’s a huge smile on your face. The rafting gets better, with skillful guides getting you through some pretty hairy stretches. The views continue to dazzle when you’re not concentrating on staying in the boat. Overall, depending on your chosen rafting center and trip, you’ll cover around 25 km in around a four-hour session. Then it’s back to the camp for another wondrous feast, some more rakija, and maybe even a little bit of Balkan dancing if the mood takes you.

The whole Tara Canyon whitewater rafting trip is as much a cultural experience as it is a rafting one. Even if you don’t understand much of what’s going on, it’s clear that everyone is having a very good time.

The Via Dinarica hiking trail is considered a cultural corridor across the Balkans. Since the Via Dinarica hiking trail takes you to the junction between Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo. The mission to bring adventure travelers to the Balkans and change those misperceptions began in 2010 when the first Via Dinarica project connected national parks in Bosnia & Hercegovina and Montenegro. In 2013 the trail from Slovenia to Kosovo was hiked and documented, with Macedonia added in 2015. That walk strung together ex-Yugoslavian trekking paths with former military tracks, ancient trading routes, and shepherds’ transversals.

On the Montenegrin side, from the edge of the Tara Canyon, a demanding 19km hike keeps you surrounded by a towering amphitheater of the country’s highest peaks, including the 2523m Bobotov Kuk, on the way to Mountain Hut Skrka. The final destination is the town of Žabljak.

Lukavica Plateau and Kapetanovo Jezero offer many hiking possibilities. From simple half-day hikes to ascending the highest peaks such as Veliki and Mali Žurim, to long-distance hikes via Mrtvica Canyon.

Kapetanovo Jezero (Captain’s Lake) is located in central Montenegro in a mountain massif called Moračke Planine (Morača mountains), not far from Nikšić town. Sometimes it is also called Trebješko jezero after the nearby Trebiješ peak. The lake has a long-standing tradition of mountain shepherding. Locals still produce cheese and other dairy products as they did centuries ago. Not much has changed.

There is a lively community at the lake. Most of the people live here in the summer season when they bring their cows, goats, and sheep. Locals seem to welcome visitors and like to share their life stories or give advice on hiking.

Lake Skadar lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro and is the largest lake in Southern Europe. It is named after the city of Shkodër in northern Albania. It is a karst lake.

Discover and enjoy the incredible sights and wildlife paradise on Skadar Lake. The Dalmatian pelican is the symbol of Lake Skadar. Besides pelicans, you would also have the opportunity to see mallards, Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, bitterns, egrets, terns, Great Crested grebe, eagle (Krstas sort), cormorants and many more. With the boat Milica we are able to navigate in areas deep up to 20 centimeters, which means that the boat can go through the swamp area and pass-through mashed areas of Lake Skadar, same of them covered with reeds, and, also through the deeper woods where birds bend nest.

In the afternoon we visit the largest single vineyard in Europe and discover the tradition of growing grapevines and producing wines on terroir where climate and soil create unique synergy. Therefore, let’s enjoy our visit to a thousand-year-long Montenegrin tradition of viticulture and winemaking. As one of the most successful Montenegrin companies that passion has not withered even after half a century and it focuses its attention on autochthonous grape varieties and authentic Montenegrin wine, reflecting Montenegrin culture and spirit of the unique area, located between the sea and mountains.

We continue towards Mount Lovćen in order to conquer famous “Sea of rocks” - the well known Lake Peak located at the altitude of 1.660 meters.On top of this second highest peak of Lovćen sits officially the highest mausoleum in the world - where the greatest Montenegrin ruler and poet Petar II Petrović Njegoš rests in peace. After climbing 461 steps, we finally get reach the huge statue of the ruler made by the world's known sculptor Ivan Meštrović. This art masterpiece was made from one piece of granite which originally had 50 tones! The ceiling is covered with 220.000 golden pieces that together make one spacious, 18 kg heavy golden mosaic.

As we leave the mausoleum behind, we come to one of the most amazing viewpoints in Montenegro, from where, on a clear day, you can see 70% of our rocky land. It's time to capture a famous jumping photo!

Our second and last stop for the day is Kotor. It is one of the best preserved medieval Old Towns in the Adriatic regions, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Therefore, a magnet for artists, architects, and lovers of one of the best-preserved medieval urban centers of this part of the Mediterranean.

One of the best views in all of Kotor is from the famous Kotor Fortress overlooking this beautiful Balkan city. The zig-zag trail that can be found behind the city of Kotor is one of the best things you can do in this UNESCO city. The views from the top of the mountain will leave you speechless.

Hiking in Kotor is a must-do activity. The climb up involves a ton of stairs (my reading told me 1,355) or you can choose to walk up the angled cobblestone next to them (most of the way up you have the option). There's nothing technical about this hike but you probably want to be in okay shape to tackle all the stairs. The views from here are spectacular, and there are lots of spots to climb up and take pictures from. Finishing our tour with a very scenic drive back to Dubrovnik.

After breakfast, this unforgettable hiking tour ends. Your memories of Slovenia, however, will remain in your hearts for a long time. It was a pleasure having you!