Žabljak

Žabljak is small town in northern Montenegro, and is the centre of Montenegro's winter tourism.

Žabljak is the largest town around the Durmitor, a high mountain in northern Montenegro (2,522 m). Žabljak is the town with the highest elevation in the Balkans at 1,450 m above sea level. The town of Žabljak and the whole municipality (including Durmitor, Sinjavina, and the Tara Canyon) offer breathtaking mountain landscapes and plenty of opportunities for both winter and summer sports.

The town itself (with some 2,000 inhabitants) offers a handful of restaurants and cafes. A one day visit to Žabljak might be enough for moderate outdoor enthusiasts who simply want to see the Tara Canyon and Black Lake, while enthiusiasts of treking, hiking, rafting, canyoning, and skiing will enjoy longer stays.

• Eyes of the Mountain - any of the 18 glacier lakes on Durmitor mountain.
  • Black lake. The biggest, most beautiful lake in the area, and the closest to Žabljak.
• Tara Canyon - deepest canyon in Europe, second deepest in the world, right after Arizona's Grand Canyon. It figures on UNESCO World Heritage List. Some 20 km east of town.

Eyes of the Mountain - any of the 18 glacier lakes on Durmitor mountain.

• Black lake. The biggest, most beautiful lake in the area, and the closest to Žabljak.

Tara Canyon - deepest canyon in Europe, second deepest in the world, right after Arizona's Grand Canyon. It figures on [[UNESCO World Heritage List]]. Some 20 km east of town.

• Skiing - Durmitor's snow cover lasts 120 days per year and its best slopes are Savin kuk, Štuoc and Javorovača. Savin kuk has two chairlifts, a ski lift, nursery lift and a ski service. Savin kuk slope is 3,500m long. Štuoc is somewhat shorter (2,600m) but very exciting, and Javorovača's 800m are perfect for those preferring short runs. The Nordic skiing tracks are 3 to 12km long.
• Snowboarding is increasingly popular in recent years, as many enthusiast gatherings and competitions are being held at Durmitor.
• Rafting - 1.3km deep Tara river canyon offers unforgettable rafting experience. You can go rafting by boat or a wooden raft down the 100km of the most beautiful and exciting part of Tara. The usual route is from Splavište down to Šćepan Polje, and in between you can see Ljutice Falls, the 165m high magnificent Tara bridge, an old Roman road, and Lever Tara. The scenery at Tepački bukovi, Sušica canyon, Bailove sige, and Brstanovića bukovi is breathtaking. During the river trip, either dinner or lunch is served in natural scenery on the river banks. Rafting tours can also start at Radovan luka or Brstanovica. There is a couple of travel agencies offering rafting tours. Half-day tour costs 40-50 euro, you it is strongly suggested to book the tour one day ahead. Full day is 100 euro, and you must have a group of at least 4 people.
• Mountaineering - Durmitor has perfect conditions for this sport, as cliffs and slopes are abundant. There are many well marked routes taking you high in to the mountains.
• Cycling - from the lake to Žabljak and numerous other paths are great for this type of recreation. Paths around the Crno Jezero (Black Lake) can also be done but they are not well suited to this due the hilly terrain and the rocky surface of the trails. A one day mountain bicycle rental costs ~10 Euro. However, the bicycles are not always in the best condition. It is best to check the bicycle before biking away from the shop.
• Hiking anywhere around the town, exploring the wilderness.

• The usual and the most visited one is to go around the Crno Jezero and then Malo Jezero adjacent to it. Allow 1.5 hrs for leisurely walk.
• There are a few trails starting at Crno Jezer that leads to several other lakes. Beware that anywhere except summer time it can be covered with snow so you'd need a proper shoes. As an example there is a hike to Zmijino Jezero which is about 1.5 hrs one way. Also there are a few paths going there so no need to return the same way.
• A few peaks can be conquered, and those are pretty exhausting although rewarding hikes. E.g. hike to Bobatov Kuk Peak which can take up to a full day (at least 5-6 hrs one way). It's possible to get to the peak from the village of Sedlo, and it's a much easier option as the starting point is much higher than Crno Jezero, after traversing the mountain go down to Crno Jezero.
• A few climbing routes available which would require special gear.
• One of the forks from Crno Jezero is a hike to Ice Cave (Ledena Pecina). Starting at the western part of the lake, it can take up to 4 hours steep climbing one way. Please note, it's all melted during summer time.

Skiing - Durmitor's snow cover lasts 120 days per year and its best slopes are Savin kuk, Štuoc and Javorovača. Savin kuk has two chairlifts, a ski lift, nursery lift and a ski service. Savin kuk slope is 3,500m long. Štuoc is somewhat shorter (2,600m) but very exciting, and Javorovača's 800m are perfect for those preferring short runs. The Nordic skiing tracks are 3 to 12km long.

Snowboarding is increasingly popular in recent years, as many enthusiast gatherings and competitions are being held at Durmitor.

Rafting - 1.3km deep Tara river canyon offers unforgettable rafting experience. You can go rafting by boat or a wooden raft down the 100km of the most beautiful and exciting part of Tara. The usual route is from Splavište down to Šćepan Polje, and in between you can see Ljutice Falls, the 165m high magnificent Tara bridge, an old Roman road, and Lever Tara. The scenery at Tepački bukovi, Sušica canyon, Bailove sige, and Brstanovića bukovi is breathtaking. During the river trip, either dinner or lunch is served in natural scenery on the river banks. Rafting tours can also start at Radovan luka or Brstanovica. There is a couple of travel agencies offering rafting tours. Half-day tour costs 40-50 euro, you it is strongly suggested to book the tour one day ahead. Full day is 100 euro, and you must have a group of at least 4 people.

Mountaineering - Durmitor has perfect conditions for this sport, as cliffs and slopes are abundant. There are many well marked routes taking you high in to the mountains.

Cycling - from the lake to Žabljak and numerous other paths are great for this type of recreation. Paths around the Crno Jezero (Black Lake) can also be done but they are not well suited to this due the hilly terrain and the rocky surface of the trails. A one day mountain bicycle rental costs ~10 Euro. However, the bicycles are not always in the best condition. It is best to check the bicycle before biking away from the shop.

Hiking anywhere around the town, exploring the wilderness.

Žabljak is not really a shopping resort. It is, however, the right place to buy genuine Montenegrin food.

Žabljak has some excellent local cuisine restaurants. Notably, there is "Katun" restaurant on the very shore of Crno Jezero (temporarily closed in 2014), "MB" motel-restaurant, and "Momčilov grad" on the Štuoc. Cold hors d'oeuvres include the famous njeguški pršut (smoked ham) and njeguški cheese, pljevaljski cheese, mushrooms, fried pastry and dried bleak. The main courses specific for the northern mountainous region are boiled lamb, lamb cooked in milk, cicvara in fresh milk cream (creamy buttered polenta), boiled potatoes with kajmak (local fresh cream cheese).

It might be a good idea to make an order and reserve seats a few hours in advance, as restaurants are small, may be crowded, and it might take some time to prepare the courses.

• Hotel Zabljak Restaurant. Fancy upscale restaurant with some excellent food, including some special local cuisine. entrees €2-8; mains €4-15.
• Konoba "Luna", 2 Njegoševa st, +382 68 431 808. Fine family restaurant popular with locals. Offers some tasty local delicacies. Do not order the Cevapi here; it is not home-made. entrees €1-5; mains €2-12.
• Lupo Verde. Good breakfast foods (omelettes; breads and jam), but espressos are not very good.
• Restaurant Durmitor. Excellent Durmitor local dishes at fair prices. Homemade Cevapi, soup, and lamb dishes are very tasty.

Hotel Zabljak Restaurant. Fancy upscale restaurant with some excellent food, including some special local cuisine. entrees €2-8; mains €4-15.

Konoba "Luna", 2 Njegoševa st, +382 68 431 808. Fine family restaurant popular with locals. Offers some tasty local delicacies. Do not order the Cevapi here; it is not home-made. entrees €1-5; mains €2-12.

Lupo Verde. Good breakfast foods (omelettes; breads and jam), but espressos are not very good.

Restaurant Durmitor. Excellent Durmitor local dishes at fair prices. Homemade Cevapi, soup, and lamb dishes are very tasty.

Montenegrin quality wine is a must-try. The best known Montenegrin wines are the premium "Vranac", "Pro Corde", "Krstač", "Cabernet", "Chardonnay" and the famous home made Crmničko red wine.

Grape brandy (rakija) "Montenegrin loza", "Prvijenac", "Kruna" or home made grape brandy (lozova rakija, lozovaca) is also great.

• Durmitor National Park
• Podgorica — the capital and biggest city in Montenegro.
• Nikšić — the second largest city in Montenegro and economically important, not of the big interest though.
• Biogradska Gora National Park — some of the last remaining untouched forests in Europe.
• Mount Ostrog — the amazing monastery situated on the almost vertical cliff of Mount Ostrog.
• Prijepolje - small town in neighboring Serbia, housing Mileseva Monastery.