Durmitor Ring is one of the most iconic roads in Montenegro. Whether you will use a car, quad, or bike, going through the National Park of Durmitor is an amazing experience and truly unique.
Why choose the Durmitor Ring for a road trip?
The Panoramic Road “Durmitor Ring” is completely paved. A significant portion of the route follows narrow, winding roads. Therefore, drive carefully and be aware of the road.
In the event of oncoming traffic, you may need to give way to let oncoming vehicles pass. In winter, the route is usually closed due to weather conditions. The best time to travel is between May and October. However, you will have to confirm whether the route is passable during this time.
After the winter months or heavy rainfall, rockfall and road damage can occur. Pay particular attention to rockfall when driving through the Sušica Canyon.
The route is not suitable for large camper vans (7 m or longer, 2.30 m or wider, 2.90 m or higher). Drivers of smaller campers should be experienced in driving on narrow mountain roads.
The Durmitor Ring is signposted in both directions. However, we recommend driving counterclockwise. Camper vans are better driven clockwise. Look for the brown signs with the Panoramic Roads logo and the number 2.
There are no petrol stations along the panoramic road, so make sure to refill your tank at one of the petrol stations in Žabljak, Šavnik, or Plužine.
Follow some important traffic rules
Follow some important traffic rules before starting your trip.
- Low beam or daytime driving lights must be activated even during the daytime
- The following is to be carried along in the vehicle:
- A high-visibility vest for every passenger
- A first aid kit
- Depending on weather conditions, snow tires or snow chains
- Do not drink and drive! The alcohol limit in Montenegro is 0.3 ‰.
- The speed limit is:
- 50 km/h within settlements
- 80 km/h outside settlements
What is the weather like?
The Durmitor Ring leads up to a height of 1,950 m.
Please note that the weather conditions in the mountains may differ from the weather in other parts of the country. Therefore, make sure to provide appropriate clothing as well as sunscreen. When hiking, wear suitable clothing and equipment and check the weather forecast.
Durmitor National Park
The Durmitor National Park was established in 1952 and covers four municipalities: Žabljak, Plužine, Šavnik, Plužine and Mojkovac. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1980.
The Durmitor mountain range, which rises from a vast plateau 1,500 meters above sea level, is the crown of the 39,000-hectare national park, as 48 of its mountain peaks are higher than 2,000 meters, including the 2,325-meter-high Bobotov Kuk.
There are numerous explanations for the origin of the word “Durmitor.” It remains unclear, however, whether its meaning is derived from the Romance “dormir,” which means “water from the Durmitor,” or whether it goes back to the Latin word “Dormire” and can be translated as “mountains where the gods sleep.”
More than 1,500 plant species are native to the Durmitor National Park. It is home to numerous endemic plants as well as a habitat for many animal species typical of mountain and subalpine flora.
About 130 bird species can be seen in Durmitor. About 50 mammals live in the park, and more than 130 species of butterflies. There are numerous fish species in its glacial lakes. Numerous reptiles and amphibians also live here.
Numerous cultural and historical monuments can be found in the Durmitor National Park: old temples and sacred places, traces of old cemeteries, mountain houses, mills, bridges, old stone roads, and other buildings that testify to the rich cultural and historical past of the Durmitor area.
Piva Nature Park
The Piva Nature Park was declared in 2015. This “youngest” national park of Montenegro covers an area of 32,477 hectares, making it the largest protected natural area in this country.
The park is located in the municipality of Plužine and borders both the Durmitor National Park and the Sutjeska National Park.
The highest peak of the park is Bioč (2,392 m). Maglić (2,386 m) and Volujak (2,336 m) are the next highest mountains. The Piva Lake is 45 km long and almost 200 m deep, and the Piva River is one of the strongest karst rivers in Montenegro. The Lake of the Piva River stretches deep into the mountains.
The park’s mild climate and many watercourses create favorable conditions for a variety of flora and fauna. Numerous species require protected conditions and are very rare, such as the brown bear, chamois, lynx, and wolf.
The park has a number of cultural monuments.
Žabljak
Žabljak is the center of the Durmitor Mountains. It lies at an altitude of 1,456 metres and is, therefore, the highest situated settlement in South-Eastern Europe. The town has less than 2,000 inhabitants, and the municipality has about 4,200.
The Illyrians and Celts are said to have settled here first, then came the Romans and Slavs. In the 15th century, this place was occupied by the Turks. It was not until 1878 that the territory of the Durmitor region became part of Montenegro.
The town got its name from the name of the river Žabljak that flows through the town. Žabljak has been developing rapidly since 1870. During the Balkan War of 1912-1913, twenty-five houses were burned down in Žabljak. Traces of the war were still visible at the beginning of the 20th century.
The settlement had only 52 houses and 300 inhabitants in 1922. The number of inhabitants of Žabljak doubled during the Second World War; there were more than 300 houses. After the war, Žabljak was rebuilt and developed into a prosperous tourist center.
This is evidenced by the fact that Žabljak municipality is the center of the mountain region of Durmitor. Every year, many guests come here in winter to ski and in summer to enjoy the beauty of the Durmitor region.
Even if you do not prefer the bike, you should plan the Durmitor Ring. It is a wonderful day trip and the most popular attraction of Žabljak.
The Ring is 82 km long and has an easily passable asphalt road for the most part. It leads around the Durmitor massif with picturesque mountain villages, a unique landscape, and spectacular views of the surrounding high mountains.
The strictly protected part of the Durmitor National Park remains untouched. The road is an asphalt road except for a 2.5 km long macadam stretch shortly before the pass Sedlo.
In the route description, we have taken into account that most visitors will ride the route clockwise.
This is because most travelers enter Žabljak from the south, and the entrance is at the Irish bridge over the Tara River at the village of Tepca. Return to the same path.
Curevac
Even if you don’t prefer the bike, you should plan the Durmitor Ring. You can climb Curevac on foot from Žabljak in about 2 hours. Along the way you will walk through the coniferous forests and along well-tended paths.
The Durmitor mountain range takes you to the famous viewpoint at 1,625 meters above sea level. The view of the Tara Canyon, which is 1,300 meters deep here, is breathtaking.
The view goes from the mountains to Mojkovac, to Šarban, to the summit of Sinjajevina, over the mountains of Morača, Maganik, Prekornica, Vojnik, Komovi, and up to Prokletije.
The path to Curevac is marked, and you can also be accompanied by local guides.
Tara Canyon
The Tara Canyon is an impressive wonder of nature. It is the deepest gorge in Europe and the second deepest on earth, after the Grand Canyon in the USA.
The difference in altitude between the edge and the bottom of the valley is more than 1,300 meters. It is 78 kilometers long and was formed by the river Tara. Read our guide on rafting in Montenegro.
Because of its crystal clear water, the Tara is also known as “Europe’s Tear.” With a length of almost 150 kilometers, it is the longest river in Montenegro. The river meanders its way through the mountain and brings people and animals water in the precious tracts of land. The upper part of the Tara Canyon is 1,700 meters wide, while the lower canyon narrows on its slope, making the river’s course faster and sometimes dangerous.
The canyon is extremely difficult to access and is therefore still largely untouched. The Tara River has created 40 large and 80 smaller rapids and 10 sparkling waterfalls, called “Buje.” The river has 130 potholes. The river fascinates with its impressive green-blue water. The river has many tributaries.
The most important are the rivers Ljutica and Sušica. The bridge on Đurđevića Tara over the Tara is a breathtaking mountain bridge built in 1940. The bridge was restored after being partly demolished in 1942. The bridge is 365 meters long and its highest point is at 149 meters above the Tara.
In 1977, the Tara River and the Durmitor National Park were the first in Montenegro to be included in the UNESCO program “Man and Biosphere” since 1977.
Bosaca and Stuoc Mountain
The small hamlet of Bosača, with just 10 inhabitants and 4-5 houses, is the highest settlement situated at the foot of the hills above Štuoc.
It can be visited by car or on foot from Žabljak in about an hour. In the past, the hamlet was inhabited by shepherds. Today, the residents live from agriculture and from the visitors who come here in winter.
From the village, you can reach the traditional resting place of Štuoc. It is one of the peaks that define the skyline, the mountain of the Durmitor’s city. The highest peak is called Mali Štuoc (2,114 m).
The path leads through meadows and spruce forests. First, you walk along an asphalt road, then a wide macadam path to the saddle of Razvršje, then through the forest to the pass below Mali Štuoc and to the right to the top. If you continue from Razvršje to the peak of Mali Štuoc, you can enjoy a beautiful view from the top. On the same path, you return to Bosača.
The road finally crosses the pass between the two great mountains, Štuoc and Međed. This pass links the Great Žabljak valley and the small valley of Činivi. After 3 km you are at the highest point along the Durmitor Ring.
Small Montenegro (Mala Crna Gora)
Below Velika Štuoc, the Panoramic Road now runs directly along the edge of the Tara Canyon. The route then follows a winding road through dense forests. At a sharp bend, you finally reach the village of Mala Crna Gora.
Translated, Mala Crna Gora means “Small Montenegro.” The name Crna Gora originates from the time of the Turkish occupation and had nothing to do with the name of the country originally. Officials in the 16th century already used it to refer to “dark forested mountains.”
The village was founded here only in 1950. Today, it has a few houses belonging to the municipality of Žabljak, and the village bears the name village Mala Crna Gora. Mala Crna Gora is where people survive in extreme conditions even today.
There is no electricity here. Having neither water supply nor sewage system, the villagers live on what they produce on their farms.
Summer shepherds bring their flocks of sheep and goats to the mountain grass during the summer in the new villages.
In winter, the inhabitants of Mala Crna Gora move to the temporary settlement on the slopes of Sinjajevina. The settlement around the small Church of the Holy Saviour (Saviori Jesus) next to the cemetery of the village dates from 1889.
Sušica Canyon
Just a short distance behind Mala Crna Gora, you can see the Sušica Canyon through the trees. The Sušica River rises in the slopes of Durmitor beneath Međed and flows into the Tara River. The canyon is 14 km long and very narrow cut.
Only a couple of metres wide in some places. Its sides are high and often overhanging walls. In the spring, the Sušica lake is formed by snowmelt and heavy rains. In the summer months, the lake dries up completely.
Nedajno
The village of Nedajno is situated in the area of the Piva Nature Park. From here, the unique viewpoint called “Nedajno” is only 1 km away. The view of the Sušica canyon is spectacular.
The village has a church of Milogora, begun in 2003 and consecrated in 2005. St. George (Sveti Đorđe) is the church’s patron.
Trsa and Pisce
The small village of Trsa is an ideal break on the Durmitor Ring. At the Irish bar, you have to try the lamb, which is one of the best in the region.
The road leads from Trsa to Pišče on easily passable bends along the road. The view opens into the past of the plateau and the high mountains.
On the right-hand side, the deep valley and the valley of Komarnica can be seen. After a short stretch of forest, you reach the village of Pišče at a height of 1,350 meters above sea level, where the Ružinica River rises.
In spring, the meltwater and the rain cause the water level in the Pišče fields to rise, while in the summer it becomes a green lowland. Pišče is a typical village of the Durmitor region. All year long, the people are engaged in cattle breeding.
Houses are dispersed. People live in stone houses. In summer, the shepherds live in the summer houses together with their flocks in the mountain pastures. Pišče is not suitable for growing crops.
Only buckwheat is grown here. The highest mountain peak in the Durmitor group, Bobotov Kuk (2,525 m) can be seen in the far distance from here, as well as the peaks of Prutaš (2,393 m) and Sedlena Greda (2,222 m).
This is the center of Skajna Nikolina. It is located in the middle of the Durmitor.
Sedlo
The road now climbs steeply uphill and opens the view of the high valleys of the Tara and Piva rivers. At the top, high above, at the foot of Prutaš, the openness and view of the mountains becomes breathtaking.
It looks as if unknown peaks appear from the valley. In the middle of the circle of the highest Durmitor mountains, there is a true jewel of nature: the Škrčko Jezero. The glacier lake consists of 2 lakes.
The big lake is at an altitude of 1,686 m, and the small lake is at an altitude of 1,711 m. It is surrounded by the peaks of Prutaš (2,393 m), Planinica (2,330 m), Bobotov Kuk (2,525 m), Mace (2,386 m), Soa (2,441 m), and Savin Kuk (2,313 m). Under the slopes of these impressive peaks lies the Sedlo pass.
From the top of the pass, there is a panoramic view of the entire arched chain of peaks: Šljeme, Uvita Greda, Stožina, and others. There is also a road sign to Bobotov Kuk at the top. The ascent to the highest mountain of Durmitor, however, requires alpine experience and appropriate equipment.
If you do not plan to climb the highest mountain, a walk along the gravel path towards the lovely Ledena pećina (Ice Cave) is a good alternative. You walk approximately 30 minutes to the entrance.
The cave is covered by ice and is beautiful. In summer, the ice never melts completely.
In the ice cave, there are stalactites and stalagmites. You can enter the cave at your own risk. Be sure to carry lights and warm clothes.
Back to the starting point
After the pass, the road descends. The surroundings are impressive, and the landscape looks very surreal.
The road runs between the rocks. In some places, blocks of stone piled up one upon the other, as if they had been thrown here long ago by giant creatures.
On the right-hand side, you can see the peaks of Sedlena Greda (2,222 m), Međed (2,287 m,) and Savin Kuk (2,313 m). Below is the green valley of Velika Kalica and the valley of Mala Kalica.
You will pass Žabljak’s ski center, Savin Kuk. In winter, you can often see skiers on the slopes here. The ski center has two cableways and two ski-lifts. The ski center is a popular destination in the summer as well.
There is a restaurant, and the cableway operates in summer for hikers and visitors. The beautiful Black Lake (Crno Jezero) is not far away.
It is one of the most beautiful lakes in Montenegro and the best-known attraction in Žabljak. The lake consists of two connected parts. The smaller lake is known as Malo jezero and the bigger as Veliko jezero.
The lakes are surrounded by a thick pine forest, and a trail leads around the lake. The shore is suitable for walks and breaks.
If you have more time, return from the pass of Sedlo to Žabljak on the same way and visit the Black Lake. If you are short of time, you can drive directly to Žabljak from the Sedlo pass across the hill of Pisce.
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