Montenegro has an amazing landscape, from its long sunny coast with its many bays to its rivers cutting deep inland through incredible peaks – it has so much to offer to anyone who loves nature and adventuring.
We spent two amazing weeks in this wonderful country with a great guide, Vanja. We had many unforgettable adventures. Some of these incredible moments have been recorded in this collection of timelapses.
Modro Lake
On our way to the starting point for our hike to Škrčko Lake, we stopped by a lookout point as we turned round a bend. Here, the mountains opened up to reveal a shallow depression in the ground. When we visited, Modro lake was dry, but nevertheless, the area was still impressive. Modro means ‘Blue’, because when the lake’s filled, it reflects, perfectly, the blue sky above. For more on our hike to Škrčko Lake, see our post “Hike to Škrčko Lake“.
Skadarsko Lake
This was one of the strangest and most beautiful lakes I’ve ever had the opportunity to swim in. Firstly, what’s odd about it is how it is shaped. Part of it snakes around a few hills – one interestingly called the tits of Sophia Loren – before it opens out into its main body. This part is shaped like a river, but you can tell it’s a lake, due to how still the water is. We did a boat trip through the lake, which was amazing – you feel completely isolated from the human world on this very still body of water, with only many species of birds for company. The lake is beautiful all day, but is particularly stunning in the morning, when mists cover its surface, lending the boat trip an air of mystery as it cuts through the water. For more on our experience of Skadarsko Lake, see our post “Boat Trip on Skadarsko Lake“
Škrčko Ždrijelo
‘Ždrijelo’ means throat, and this timelapse was taken on the narrow pass (the throat) to Škrčko lake. The hike was a truly memorable one, with an ever changing landscape, high up in the mountains of Durmitor. This route trailed through a valley surrounded by mountain peaks obscuring the distance, lending the trek an air of mystery and making us feel like a character from Lord of the Rings. For more on our hike to Škrčko Lake, see our post “Hike to Škrčko Lake“.
Ropojana Valley
This valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in Prokletije, in the southern part of Montenegro. The valley is surrounded by really tall, striated cliffs you can tell were formed a really long time ago. The walk along this valley is truly epic, with the cliffs gently petering out near the base into vegetation that curves towards the valley floor. Ropojana Valley is truly a land before time. For an extended view of the Ropojana Valley, take a look at our post “Plavsko Lake and the Ropojana Valley“.
Plavsko Lake
One of the largest lakes in Montenegro, a land of many lakes, Lake Plav is a glacial lake between Prokletije and Visitor mountain range in the southern part of Montenegro. We stayed in a guest house by the lake, and would highly recommend it for the view and its proximity to this lake. I enjoyed watching the fog dissipate over its surface every morning as the sun came up. For more on the Plavsko Lake, take a look at our post “Plavsko Lake and the Ropojana Valley“.
Kom Vasojevićki
The most impressive peak of the Komovi massif, Kom Vasojevićki belongs to a group of peaks that mark the highest points of the mountain range. This timelapse was taken on the plateau Štavna, where our ecolodge, Katun Štavna, was located. For more on our time on Komovi, see our post “Vistas of Komovi and Bukumirsko Lake“.
Volušnica peak
Standing at almost two kilometres above sea level, this peak is really imposing. It dominates the beautiful Grbaja Valley. From here, you can see the most impressive massif in Prokletije – Karanfili (meaning Carnations), which is really a series of smaller rises that look like the points of sharp teeth. It’s a bit of a hike to get up to, but it was truly worthwhile. Despite the blustering wind and intermittent rain threatening to blow us off the mountain top, we managed to capture some of the adventure of being here, on top of the world. For more on our hike up Volušnica peak, see our post “Hiking in Prokletije National Park“.
Zminje Lake
Zminje Lake is the second most visited attraction in Durmitor national park, after Crno Jezero, the Black Lake, which is right at the entrance. Zminje lake is different in character – unlike Black Lake, it is hidden deep among pine trees in a secluded spot in the park. There’s only one narrow trail that goes around it, and not much space for many people to linger on. When we were there, we were fortunate to have it mostly to ourselves. It was a very serene experience. For more on our hikes around Zminje Lake and Black Lake, see our post “Durmitor National Park“.
Music: Ascending the Vale by Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com)
