Durmitor National Park

Durmitor National Park, in the rugged north of Montenegro, is a UNESCO wilderness of dramatic mountain beauty, a landscape of jagged limestone peaks, dense pine forests and some eighteen glacial lakes, the loveliest known as mountain eyes. Its greatest natural wonder is the Tara River Canyon, one of the deepest gorges in the world, carved over a kilometre deep, offering thrilling white-water rafting, while the park itself is a paradise for hiking, and in winter for skiing around the town of Zabljak.

What you actually see

• The Black Lake - the beautiful glacial lake beneath the peaks.
• The Tara Canyon - one of the world's deepest gorges, for rafting.
• The mountain peaks - the jagged limestone summits and hikes.
• The Tara bridge - the great arched bridge over the canyon.

When to go

June to September, the summer, for hiking, the lakes and the rafting season, when the mountain weather is mildest and the roads clear; winter brings snow and skiing. Spring can be wet with snowmelt, and the high country is cold outside summer.

Honest expectations

It is a mountain region reached by winding roads from the coast, so it takes a few hours to get there, but rewards those who venture inland from the busy coast with dramatic, uncrowded scenery. The Tara rafting is seasonal and its intensity varies with the water level. It is much cooler than the coast, so bring layers. It is a wonderful contrast to the Adriatic.

Nearby

The Tara Canyon, the Ostrog Monastery and the coast are within reach.