Meander Through Montenegro - Guided or On Your Own

Meander Through Montenegro – Guided or On Your Own

Christina Heyniger
30 August 2009

This article was first published by our friends at Off the Radar, who have agreed to its republication here. View the original article on their blog.

The tourism scene in Montenegro is still mainly focused on the country’s gorgeous coastline, where boats and beachgoers flock to the sparkling Adriatic Sea. But the government is now trying to find ways to bring responsible, sustainable tourism and nature-travelers into the country’s northern areas, hoping to extend the economic benefits of tourism to more remote areas, without trashing the place in the process.

Hiking in the Prokletije Mountains of eastern Montenegro. Photo courtesy of Montenegro Adventures

We spent three weeks in Montenegro in June 2008 – and the highlight was a bike trip that roughly followed “Top Trail 4″ in this map, which you can order here. We also spent a couple weeks hiking, rafting and exploring the country by car, while based out of Kolasin.

Our Suggestion

On your next two-week holiday be brave and book yourself a flight to Podgorica, Montenegro. Take the first day to get your bearings in this capital city before starting your explorations of this compact, mountainous country, which we were told ‘would be as big as Russia, if you ironed it.’

The road out of Podgorica into the mountains gets rocky fast. Our group headed out with bikes on a trailer uphill past the historic village of Medun, the site of numerous struggles throughout the ages. (Montenegro’s history is bursting with stories of treachery, bravery and stoic survival throughout its various periods – Illyrian, Roman, Slavic, Venetian and Turkish.)

On Two Wheels

Mountain bikers on a Montenegro Adventures 14-day pilot biking tour designed in cooperation with the National Tourism Organization. Photo courtesy of Montenegro Adventures

Biking through the karst mountain areas, with the views to Prokletije (the word literally means ‘damned’) mountain range, the evidence of glacial erosion is beautiful: gray rock swirls and dips with such dramatic force it looks as though it’s flowing and moving. These steep, difficult mountains have kept the area uninhabited except for a few scattered katuns (groups of houses) with horses roaming in the green fields, and the views for bikers and hikers are rarely obstructed by any man-made constructions.

Bike tours can last as long as you wish and will take you through country that’s both rugged and gentle. I went crazy one day in the fields of wildflowers – yellow, purple and blue – the blossoms foaming over the edges of the dirt cliffs. We lunched on the shore of a turquoise glacial lake, its surface dotted with sprays of white flowers and millions of small periwinkle butterflies.

Another day, in the rain, we paused at a small katun where our local friends from the city shared newspapers with the people living in the mountains. The mountain families shared lunch – cheese, meat and the local liquor, which should not be missed.

Several traditional Montenegran mountain houses grouped together are called a katun

Several traditional Montenegrin mountain houses grouped together are called a katun. Photo © Christina Heyniger

Accommodation runs the gamut from camping to bunking in mountain huts – rooms typically have two beds each and can feel a little cramped, but will provide a nice break from your tent and are especially welcome if it’s raining!

Practicalities and Other Adventures

You have a couple options: you can take the do-it-yourself route – Montenegro is navigable if you’re on your own – or you can call in the support of one of the local tour operators. Be sure to request or plan a visit to the Katun Vratlo with views to the mountain peaks around, and ride toward Zabljak with views of Sinjajevina.

Besides the hiking and biking, we also recommend trying a day canyoning in Nevidio, rafting in Tara Canyon and exploring the botanical offerings of the mountains – it abounds with rare azaleas and orchids.

Whichever way you choose to travel, remember that time moves at a different pace in the mountains. As our friend Tane says, “I am allergic to watch. I tell people, ‘You come with me you bring calendar, not watch!’ ”