5 ways to immerse yourself in Montenegro’s wilderness 

Montenegro is the adventure capital of the Balkans. From epic hiking routes to long-distance cycling adventures, white water rafting trips and slow-paced kayaking tours – Montenegro has enough experiences in the great outdoors to last half a lifetime. Its stunning landscapes range from rugged, rocky mountains to some of the most exquisite wetland areas in Europe – and it’s at its best outside the summer months. An outdoor holiday in Montenegro is excellent value, and great for families as well as more seasoned travellers. Plus, there’s culture in spades, the wildlife is extraordinary and the gastronomy is fantastic. 

As it winds its way across the highland plateau of the Durmitor mountains, the River Tara has carved a spectacularly deep canyon. Reaching over 1300m deep, this is the deepest canyon in Europe – and it’s also an excellent place for white water rafting. So, it goes without saying that to experience it at its wildest, you’ll want to join a rafting trip. There are plenty of experienced local operators offering rafting trips on the Tara, with licensed guides. Trips typically last a full day, including all equipment, with lunch at an ethno-village or rafting camp. They cover various stretches of the river, including the landmark Đurđevića Tara Bridge, and the last section of the river in Montenegro, finishing at Scepan Polje on the border with Bosnia. Some trips also include a visit to Ćurevac on the drive back to Žabljak – one of the best viewpoints on the edge of the canyon. 

But there’s more to Montenegro than its epic outdoor credentials – namely, its delicious food and wine. Try Montenegro’s finest dry-cured ham, which comes from the village of Njeguši, on the slopes of Mt Lovćen, high above the Bay of Kotor. Or for the country’s best kajmak (clotted cream) head for Trsa, set among the high pastures of Durmitor. There’s also Njeguši sausage, and kastradina (dried mutton), as well as traditional staples such as kačamak (a polenta-like dish cooked with cheese and kajmak). For the best freshwater fish, including grilled carp, look to Lake Skadar. Plums, pomegranates, quinces and persimmons are some of the fruits you’ll find growing in Montenegro, along with wild blueberries and bilberries – and olives have been cultivated here for over 2000 years. As for wines – think deep, dark, brooding reds from the Crmnica wine region near Lake Skadar. And to top it all off? Try some homemade rakija (plum or grape brandy). 

Less well known than Durmitor, and less visited than Lovćen, Prokletije is Montenegro’s youngest national park – and it’s home to some of the most awe-inspiring and remote-feeling mountain scenery anywhere in Montenegro. Straddling the borders between Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo, the Prokletije mountains are a place of towering limestone peaks, saw-toothed ridges and seasonal lakes, dotted with wildflowers, and boasting some jaw-dropping views. There are plenty of hiking trails to choose from, many of them radiating out from the Grebaja and the Ropojana valleys – enough to keep you busy for a few hours or a few days. Prokletije is also the setting of the Peaks of the Balkans, a 190km trans-border trekking route through Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania, with overnight stays at some wonderfully authentic and welcoming guesthouses. Yes, Prokletije means ‘the accursed mountains’ – but hike here and you’ll find this is simply one of the most breathtakingly beautiful spots anywhere in the Balkans. 

The Trans Dinarica is an epic cycling route stretching some 5,500km across the Western Balkans, connecting no fewer than eight countries between the Alps and northern frontiers of Greece. Meandering through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia, it follows a mixture of gravel tracks, forest paths and mostly quiet asphalt roads, making it surprisingly accessible – this is emphatically not a mountain bike route.

The Montenegrin section of the Trans Dinarica clocks in at around 370km and takes in some of the most breathtaking landscapes this country has to offer – plus there’s plenty of scope for including visits to cultural sites, wildlife watching and wine tasting. As well as crossing the Durmitor plateau, with its sweeping high grasslands surrounded by jagged peaks and dotted with wooden shepherd’s huts, the Trans Dinarica swings past Biogradska gora National Park, with its peaceful lake and ancient forests, and it visits Komovi, an iconic cluster of peaks close to the Albanian border.   

Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans, covering an area of some 370km2 (more in winter) and sprawling across the border between Montenegro and Albania. A national park and a RAMSAR site (Wetland of International Importance), this is Montenegro’s greatest area for birdlife – Dalmatian pelicans breed here, and you can see thousands of pygmy cormorants. There are squacco and purple herons, spoonbills, great egrets, otters. Its surface is covered with water lilies, and it’s surrounded by vast reed beds – plus there are hidden coves and beaches, not to mention a scattering of islands, some with atmospheric ruins. The best way to see and experience Lake Skadar is obviously on the water, by boat – or better still, by kayak. Joining a kayak tour on Lake Skadar with a knowledgeable local guide allows you to explore this watery wilderness up close, unobtrusively and at a slow pace, while learning more about this genuinely amazing landscape.