Durmitor National Park: a day trip from Piva Canyon

Durmitor National Park lies east of Plužine, across the mountains. In summer you reach it over the Sedlo pass: Plužine to Žabljak, the park’s town, is about 50 km and about 1 h 40 by car, and from the via ferrata bridge in Piva Canyon it’s about 1 h 50. That’s close enough for a day trip, but if you can, stay a night in Žabljak and see the park without rushing back.

The park

Durmitor was put on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. The park covers the limestone massif of Durmitor, its glacial lakes and forests, and the canyons of the Tara, the Draga and the Sušica, as well as the highest part of the Komarnica valley. About 60 km of the Tara canyon lies inside the park. Tara Canyon vs Piva Canyon covers that side of the park.

Entry is €5 per person per day, which includes the visitor centre and the marked educational trails. Children up to 15 go in free. You can buy tickets online from National Parks of Montenegro (nparkovi.me), and there’s a fee station at the Sedlo pass.

Žabljak

Žabljak stands at 1,456 m and is usually described as the highest town in the Balkans. It is the base for the park, with places to stay and eat and the start of the walk to Black Lake. The Đurđevića Tara bridge is about 20 km away by road, on the north-eastern side of the massif.

Black Lake

Black Lake (Crno jezero) is 3 km from the centre of Žabljak, at about 1,416 m, under the peak of Međed. It is two lakes, the Big Lake and the Little Lake, joined by a narrow strait that dries up in summer, when they become separate. The Little Lake is the deeper of the two, about 49 m against the Big Lake’s 24.5 m.

The path round both lakes is about 3.5 to 3.6 km and takes about an hour. The park authority lists it as an educational trail, and the last quarter has some steeper stretches with steps, so wear proper shoes.

Bobotov Kuk

Bobotov Kuk (2,523 m) is the highest peak in Durmitor. It isn’t the highest point in Montenegro, as three peaks on the Albanian border in Prokletije are higher. The usual route starts at the Sedlo pass. It is about 5.6 km to the top with 615 m of climbing, and the park’s guide gives about 3 h 30 for the ascent, so allow most of a day for the round trip. The path passes the Surutka spring and goes under the cliffs of Uvita Greda before the steep climb to Velika Previja (2,351 m). The last part to the summit crosses boulders and exposed ledges, where there is often a cable to hold. You need good fitness and a dry day, and snow can lie on the upper slopes into summer. Our partners Adventure Montenegro run guided hikes in Durmitor, from the walk round Black Lake to the top of Bobotov Kuk.

The Sedlo pass road

The road from Plužine to Žabljak is the R-16, often still called the P14. It climbs out of Plužine with views back over Piva Lake, crosses open pasture past the hamlet of Trsa and goes over the Sedlo pass at 1,907 m. From Sedlo it’s about 13 km down to Žabljak. Snow closes the road in winter. It has reopened in late May in recent years, most recently on 21 May 2026, and there’s no fixed opening date. There are no petrol stations on the way over the pass, so fill up in Plužine or Žabljak.

When the pass is closed, you go round by the M-6 on the Nikšić side instead.

The Durmitor via ferrata

Durmitor has its own via ferrata on the rock of Uvita Greda, a ten-minute walk from the Sedlo pass. It was built in 2018, starts at about 2,000 m and finishes at about 2,190 m, with about 400 m of route. Viaferrata.rs grades it B/C, and a guided climb takes about two hours. Because of the snow, it’s climbed from about June to October. The route charges its own entry fee, and you pay the national park ticket on top.

Our route in Piva Canyon is far lower, down by the river, and is open all year, weather permitting. Via ferrata in Montenegro compares the two with the other routes in the country.

A day in Durmitor from Piva

In summer, leave Plužine early and drive the Sedlo road to the pass, about 37 km. Bobotov Kuk takes most of the day from there, and the Uvita Greda via ferrata about two hours. If you’d rather not hike or climb, carry on to Žabljak and walk round Black Lake, then come back over Sedlo before dark, because the road is narrow and winding.

Combining Durmitor with our climb works best over two days. Climb in Piva in the morning, drive over Sedlo in the afternoon and spend the next day in the park. Or do it the other way round and come down to Piva for an afternoon start. We offer start times up to 18:00. Plan a day at Piva has more on the climbing day, and things to do near Piva Canyon lists other trips from Plužine.