Pljevlja: Cultural History and Mountain Landscapes

Pljevlja offers a range of options for planning your trip: monasteries, a mosque, and archaeological remains tell the story of the area’s history, while Ljubišnja, designated cycling routes, and Vodice City Park appeal to nature lovers and those looking to stay active. The following places and activities will help you plan your visit.

Monasteries, a Mosque, and Archaeological Traces

The Husein-Pašina Džamija was built in 1569 to plans by the architect Hajrudin, who also built the famous bridge in Mostar. A 16th-century Quran is kept in the mosque: it is written in Arabic script and decorated with gilded miniatures. Another historic church is located at the Dubočica Monastery. The Church of St. Nicholas there was built and painted in 1565.

The monasteries of Sveta Trojica and Dovolja also offer different historical perspectives. The earliest known written reference to Sveta Trojica dates to 1537. Its treasury contains icons, liturgical objects, goldsmiths’ work, ecclesiastical embroidery, furnishings, and documents. The monastery was an important center of religion, education, culture, and national life for the Orthodox population of Stara Raška, Polimlje, and Potarje. Dovolja is first mentioned in 1513; this reference is taken to indicate that the monastery was already built in the 15th century.

The archaeological site of Municipium S. lies at Komini, near Pljevlja. It includes the remains of an ancient city and two necropolises. Founded in 1952, the Pljevlja Local History Museum holds nearly 5,000 museum objects. Its collections make it possible to trace human settlement in the Pljevlja area almost continuously back more than 40,000 years. The museum thus offers another perspective on the region’s long history.

Another historic landmark is the monument on Stražica, built in 1961. It is dedicated to those who fell in the Battle of Pljevlja, fallen fighters from the municipality of Pljevlja, and unknown fighters from various parts of Yugoslavia who fell in the municipal area during the National Liberation War.

Ljubišnja, Hiking Trails, and Cycling

Ljubišnja offers marked hiking and mountain biking routes amid striking mountain scenery. Its highest peak, Dernjačište, reaches 2,238 meters. Around a hundred bird species live on Ljubišnja, including the honey buzzard, capercaillie, hazel grouse, wood pigeon, great spotted woodpecker, and golden eagle. Nature enthusiasts will find not only the elevation but also specific information about the area’s birdlife.

For cycling, 11 marked routes with a total length of 270 kilometers are designated in the rural area of Pljevlja. This differs from the hiking and mountain biking markings on Ljubišnja: the information describes both a particular mountain landscape and a network of designated routes in the rural area. The hiking options in Pljevlja also include the Tara Canyon.

If you are looking for another option for walking or cycling, you can include Vodice City Park in your plans. The park has marked fitness, walking, and cycling trails, two artificial lakes, and a fishpond. This combination differs from the mountain and canyon landscapes: the park’s designated trails and the bodies of water mentioned above take center stage. This gives you a choice of historic sites, mountain nature, and various marked trails for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Pljevlja, Šljuke, Mojkovac, Žabljak, Podgorica, Bar, Bijelo Polje, Rožaje.

Return to the main travel overview: Montenegro.