Montenegro is a small Balkan state located in the southern Adriatic. Thanks to a wide variety of landscapes and a rich historical past, Montenegro is ready to offer travelers the most diverse holiday. Thanks to this, the tourist flow here does not dry out even with the onset of winter.
During the cold season, several winter recreation centers open in the mountainous regions of the country, including international-level ski resorts. These are Zabljak, located in the Durmitor Mountains, and Kolasin in the Belasice mountain range. Below we will consider these two winter Montenegrin resorts in more detail.
Zabljak
Located in the Durmitor mountain system, the small town of Zabljak is considered the highest in the entire country. It is located in a picturesque valley at an altitude of more than 1500 meters above sea level. Travelers are attracted to these places for their beautiful landscapes and natural attractions. Near the city, the territory of the Durmitor nature reserve begins with the famous Black Lake and Tara Canyon, and nearby there is an amazing architectural monument – the Djurdzhevich Bridge. Zabljak is no less attractive for tourists in winter: from the end of November the ski season begins in this area and the most popular winter sports center in all of Montenegro opens. You can get here from the capital of the country, Podgorica, by bus for 8 €, or by taxi for 70 €.
The popularity of this ski center is due to the excellent quality of the slopes and the length of the season. Thanks to the large amount of snow in this mountainous part of the country, the winter holiday season in Zabljak lasts more than a hundred days a year. Even during the spring thaw, skiing remains quite comfortable thanks to the system of artificial snowmaking on the slopes. The trails here are equipped on the slopes of the surrounding mountains, soaring above the surrounding area to a height of more than 2.2 km. The high quality of the slopes and their excellent technical equipment is evidenced by the fact that international ski competitions are regularly held in Zabljak, such as the Angel Cup, the Durmitor Golden Eagle Championship, International Para, All On Snow. Particularly noteworthy is the comfortable winter temperature: even in mid-January it rarely drops below -8…-10°C.
The entire resort area is divided into three ski centers, each of which has its own mountain slopes:
- Savin-Kuk , characterized by significant elevation changes and a long length of trails. This slope is best suited for experienced amateurs and professional athletes.
- Stutz is the main resort area, equipped with ski slopes of medium difficulty with a maximum length of 2.6 km. It is laid through picturesque forests covering the mountain slopes.
- Javorovach . This ski center has gentle, safe slopes and is perfect for beginner skiers and families with children. The length of the longest descent here is only 800 meters; the slopes are illuminated in the evening and equipped with a baby lift.
In total, Zabljak has 12 trails of varying difficulty, each of which is served by a mechanical lift. The longest and most complex of them is located on the Savin-kuk slope and has a length of 3.5 km with a height difference of 750 meters. Each ski center has its own sports equipment rental and ski school. In them, beginners, under the guidance of an experienced instructor, will be able to master the primary skills of high-speed mountain descent. One hour of individual lessons will cost 25 €.
Zabljak has a lot of aper-ski entertainment that can satisfy even the most demanding traveler. There are fashionable restaurants and snack bars serving dishes of national Montenegrin cuisine. Here tourists can take walks, horseback rides or ski tours through the picturesque surroundings of the town, visiting the Djurdjevic arched bridge and the deepest Tara canyon in Europe, go ice fishing on one of the nearby lakes or go on a snowmobile safari. You can also take mountain equipment in Zabljak and go rock climbing on the nearby cliffs or try to conquer one of the surrounding peaks.
How to get there?
The resort of Zabljak is 175 km away from Podgorica International Airport. The second Montenegrin international air hub, Tivat, is about 250 km away. The resort is located at a considerable distance from the country’s largest transport centers, in the highlands. There is no train connection with Zabljak and the easiest way to get here is to order a taxi transfer from the airport. A car rental service is also available right at Podgorica airport, but tourists should be careful when driving. The mountain route to Zabljak is quite difficult, and often winds in serpentine paths through the surrounding mountains.
Specifications:
- Height difference – 698 meters
- Resort altitude – 1515 – 2213 meters
- Length of running tracks – 12 km
- The total length of the ski slopes is 14 km
- Number of tracks – 12
- “Blue” – 4 units, 8 km
- “Reds” – 4 units, 4 km
- “Black” – 4 pcs., 2 km
- Lifts – 12
- Day ski pass in high and low season – 15€ – 13€
- The duration of the season is from November to March.
Kolasin
Near the town of Kolasin there is a popular ski center, built here during socialist Yugoslavia. In those years, it was an ordinary tourist base, providing vacationers with a varied vacation both in winter and summer. The purposeful transformation of Kolasin into a ski resort began in 2008, when wealthy Western European travel companies began investing in its development. Today, the re-equipment and modernization is completely completed, the quality of the tracks and their technical equipment meet the highest world standards. The safety of skiing and the provision of accompanying tourist infrastructure are also at the proper level.
The resort area is located in the Belasitsa mountain range, at an altitude of almost 1.5 km. You can get here from Podgorica by bus for 6€, by minibus for 14€, or by hiring a taxi for 40-50€. The surrounding area of Kolasin is part of the Biogradska Gora National Park and is covered with relict mixed forests. Thanks to this, the cleanest mountain air of this area is saturated with coniferous phytoncides, acquiring healing properties. A stay at the Kolasin resort is especially beneficial for people suffering from diseases of the respiratory system – here active skiing can be combined with the restoration of poor health.
The Kolasin ski resort is divided into two independent ski centers: Belasice and Trebaljovo. They are 8 km apart and have a common ski pass, which gives the right to use the lifts on both slopes. In total, ski centers are equipped with 16 slopes with a length of over 30 km. Many of them have been certified by the international ski association FIS and are allowed to hold competitions at the international level. All slopes are equipped with snowmakers and artificial lighting, which allows you to ski comfortably even in winters with little snow and in the evening. The longest of the Kolasin tracks is 4.5 km long with a height difference of 500 meters. At the same time, many slopes intersect with each other, which allows you to change the route and difficulty of the route if desired.
All slopes are equipped with modern mechanical lifts that can deliver a skier to the starting point in just 5-6 minutes. The capacity of the Kolasin cable cars exceeds 5.5 thousand people. per hour, so queues for the cable cars are extremely rare here. Vacationers are offered rental ski equipment at a price from 13 to 19 €, depending on the season and class of sports equipment. The resort also operates a school for beginner skiers, staffed by a staff of experienced instructors. Individual lessons with trainers will cost beginners €60 for four hours.
In addition to skiing or snowboarding, vacationers can visit an ice skating rink, an indoor swimming pool or a fitness room in Kolasin. In the evening, young people can relax at one of the discos held in nightclubs at local hotels. The resort has two restaurants, Savardak and Konoba, offering European and traditional Montenegrin cuisine. You can stay here in one of six branded hotel complexes, or in the private sector, renting a room from local residents.
Particularly popular among travelers is the Bianca SPA resort, located not far from the city in the middle of a pine forest in a building stylized as an ancient hunting estate. Here you can undergo health and beauty treatments, visit the fashionable Chives restaurant, a 24-hour bar or a night disco.
Vacationers will be able to book a guided tour in Kolasin, who will take tourists to the most remarkable places in the city and its surroundings. The program includes a visit to the local history museum, the medieval monastery of Morocha, built at the turn of the 12th-13th centuries. and the beautiful Biograd Lake even in winter.
How to get there?
The Kolasin ski resort is located 9 km from the town of the same name. You can get here from both Montenegrin international airports by ordering a transfer in advance. The easiest way to do this is from Podgorica airport, which is 70 km from Kolasin. There is also a regular bus and an electric train from the capital of Montenegro. Tourists need to get off at the Bijelo Polje station, where they can hire a taxi and take it directly to the hotel.
Specifications:
- Height difference – 615 meters
- Resort altitude – 1420 – 2035 meters
- Length of running tracks – 16.5 km
- The total length of the ski slopes is 30 km
- Number of tracks – 16
- “Blue” – 5 units, 12 km
- “Reds” – 7 units, 14 km
- “Black” – 2 pcs., 4 km
- Lifts – 6 (2 chairlifts, 3 rope tows, 1 baby lift)
- Day ski pass adults/children – 20€ / 12€
- Season duration : from November to May