Montenegro showcases natural and cultural landscapes with a range of distinct features: from high peaks and glacial lakes to historic settlements and regional specialties. When planning your trip, you can first consider whether you are most interested in mountain landscapes, cultural history or activities in nature. These priorities can also help you choose a hotel based on the places you want to visit.

Mountains, glacial lakes and primeval forest

Durmitor, a limestone massif, lies in the north of Montenegro. Around fifty peaks over 2,000 metres high rise within Durmitor National Park. The glacial lakes of Durmitor are locally known as the “Eyes of the Mountains.” The area also offers opportunities for hiking. The Durmitor landscape includes the Tara Canyon, Europe’s deepest gorge. Brown bears, grey wolves and European wildcats live in the national park. The peaks, lakes, canyon and wildlife each give the region a different connection to nature.

Prokletije National Park extends across the municipalities of Plav and Gusinje in Montenegro. It includes numerous glacial lakes, among them Lake Hridsko. Montenegro’s highest peak is Zla Kolata. This means that different alpine features sit side by side in the country: in Durmitor, around fifty high peaks and the “Eyes of the Mountains” shape the landscape; in Prokletije, numerous glacial lakes are part of the park landscape described here.

Biogradska Gora National Park is also notable for its natural features. It is home to around 2,000 plant species and subspecies, including about 400 Balkan endemics. Primeval forest covers the shores of Lake Biogradsko and the canyon of the Biogradska River. The trees in these forests are several hundred years old and more than 40 metres tall. Plant diversity and ancient forests make this national park a distinct focus for nature lovers.

Cultural landscapes and history

The natural and cultural landscape of the Kotor region lies in the Bay of Kotor on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast. It includes fortified and open towns, settlements, palaces and monastic ensembles, as well as a cultivated terraced landscape. The region bears witness to the spread of Mediterranean cultures across the Balkans. Those interested in architecture, settlement patterns and landscapes will find several aspects here that can be considered together.

Lovćen is another point of cultural interest. The mausoleum of Montenegrin ruler and poet Petar II Petrović Njegoš stands on Jezerski vrh in Lovćen. The Lovćen hairpin bends form part of the old caravan route from Kotor to Njeguši. They thus point to a historic connection between these two places, while the mausoleum offers its own link to Montenegro’s history and literature.

The katuns in Lovćen are traditional, temporary livestock-herding settlements. They consist of huts, cisterns, barns and pens. These features make the katuns an illustrative form of settlement: they combine temporary accommodation with facilities for livestock farming. For a trip that includes an interest in traditional ways of life as well as landscapes, they offer a different thematic perspective from the historic architectural ensembles of the Kotor region.

Activities and regional specialties

Nature activities include hiking opportunities in Durmitor and cycling routes in Montenegro. The country has many cycling routes, including challenging sections. Exploring hidden waterways by kayak is one possible activity in Lake Skadar National Park. As availability may change, check before your visit whether kayaking is offered on your travel dates. The range of options can help you shape your trip around the activities that interest you.

Regional foods and how they are made can also be a reason to travel. Montenegro’s culinary routes include cheese trails for Lisnati sir in Kolašin, Trebaljevo, Gornji Pažanj, Blatina, Lipovo, Drijenak, Šljivovice, Štitarica, Podbišće, Tomaševo and on the slopes of Sinjajevina. In katuns, visitors can take part in making cheese. This connects a regional product with an insight into its production, without limiting you to a single location.

Another culinary destination is the Šipčanik wine cellar. It is more than 30 metres underground in a 356-metre-long tunnel. Visits are available by appointment. The unusual location and the tunnel’s dimensions make a visit a different kind of experience from the cheese trails or taking part in cheesemaking.

When choosing a hotel, you can take these differences into account in your planning: consider which destinations matter for your trip, then check the location of each hotel in relation to them.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Bar, Kotor, Podgorica, Ulcinj, Tivat, Budva, Herceg-Novi, Nikšić, Bijelo Polje, Berane, Andrijevica, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Kolašin, Mojkovac, Plav, Pljevlja, Plužine, Rožaje, Šavnik, Žabljak.

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