Durmitor

The Durmitor region was declared a national park in 1978, and in 1980 was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park's 39000ha boasts majestic mountains, over a dozen glacier lakes, ancient forests and caves with stalagmites and stalactites. It is bordered by two deep canyons, the Piva and the Tara, the latter being Europe's longest and deepest canyon. The area is also home to numerous species of wildlife,including bears and wolves, as well as interesting flora and fauna.

In the summer months the region offers a wealth of opportunities for walking, biking, hiking and mountaineering with over 2000km of trails. There are 27 peaks over 2,200m high in the park, a number of which are accessible without special equipment as well as some which offer more challenging climbing.

In the winter there is skiing and snowboarding between December and April, with red and blue runs and one challenging black run. The mountain town of Zabljak, the highest in the Balkans, is the tourist centre of the National Park, and its base for winter sports.

Close to the Durmitor massif is the Tara, the longest river in Montenegro. During the summer months the adventurous can enjoy the thrill of white water rafting, gliding over the river's crystal clear water through the stunning scenery of this mighty canyon.

The largest and most famous of Durmitors glacier lakes is crno jezero, the black lake, surrounded by dense pine woods. In summer you can swim in the lake's water, but in the winter months it freeezes over.