Durmitor National Park

1016 Reviews

Star Travel Rating

3/5

Review type

Things to do

Location

Date of travel

June, 2019

Product name

Product country

Product city

Travelled with

Partner

Reasons for trip

On our tour of Montenegro, we stayed in the town of Žabljak so we could enjoy “Durmitor National Park”:http://nparkovi.me/en/map-of-parks/ with its 39,000 hectares, 27 peaks over 2,200 metres, 18 glacial lakes, canyons and dense pine forest.

From the “Hotel SOA”:https://www.silvertraveladvisor.com/review/accommodation/198444-review-hotel-soa, it was a 15-minute walk along the road to the park entrance (fee €3) and a further 15 minutes along a paved road to our destination, the Black Lake (or Crno jezero).

We’d read that we could walk around the perimeter of the lake in an hour. However, Lorenc who’d driven us to Žabljak from Bosnia and Herzegovina, had helpfully checked conditions beforehand. He told us that the route was blocked halfway round because of a spring which was now impassable due to recent heavy rainfall.

On arrival at the lake, we did as Lorenc had suggested and started with the clearly marked right hand anti-clockwise path. Although it was relatively good walking, we needed walking boots and poles. The huge lake was spectacular: surrounded by tall pine trees with snow clad mountains as a backdrop. At 9.30am, there were only a couple of other walkers around. I stopped to take a photograph at a viewpoint and jumped when I realised a fit young man had crept up behind me without me noticing. He joked he was glad he wasn’t wearing black, as I might have thought he was a bear.

In the distance we saw three waterfalls gushing into the river, and assumed they were the ones which would block out path. However, before we got to them, we encountered another, which from a distance was unremarkable, but was far too deep and fast flowing to cross and so we retraced our steps.

Back where we started, we stopped for coffee in a lovely modern pine restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating, although it was too cold for the terrace. Refreshed, we tackled the left-hand path. By now, it had started raining, the path was steeper, the stones were slippery in the wet and tree roots were a trip hazard. We reached a set of steep stone steps with rope handrail. Lorenc had warned us these could be treacherous and so we cut our losses and retraced our steps once again. The visibility was now poor, and the snowy mountains were shrouded in mist.

Back at the café, we enjoyed beer and chicken soup before walking back to the hotel in the sun – our leisurely trip had taken us nearly 5 hours.

If someone suggests you can walk right around the lake in an hour, do not believe them. Also, although we’d carried binoculars with us, we did not see or hear a single bird.

Helen Jackson

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.