KUČKA KORITA: THE PATROL PATH TO GRLO SOKOLOVO

 A trip through the Kučka Krajina mountains is always a special experience. This region, close to Podgorica but also close to the Albanian border, is rather unknown among tourists, although it offers many hidden surprises.

This time we decided to make a walk along the former patrol path of the border guards in Kučka Korita, a mountain village that is situated at a distance of 32 km from the capital city of Podgorica. We passed through the Maslina suburb and followed the asphalt road to Kučka Korita until the signpost of Zatrijebač / Fundina (at around 8 km from Podgorica), where we turned right. A narrow asphalt road was winding uphill through different hamlets and villages, populated by Albanian Catholics, the Malissores. Gardens and fields, but also the road itself, were bordered by dry stone walls. Big graveyards with huge marble tombstones could be seen in each village. In the village of Deljaj (700 m above sea level) the road touched the edge of the Cijevna canyon, near a large white cross that can also be seen from the bottom of the canyon. The view was magnificent!

After many curves, the road finally reached the rocky plateau of Kučka Korita. Once, this place was a „katun“ (shepherd’s summer cottage settlement) for the Kuči  clan, but now it has become a kind of weekend resort. The pastures were full of flowers (photo 2) and some people were cultivating their land, enjoying the sunny weather.

We parked our car in the center, between the stone church (photo 3) and the abandoned military barracks. Beside the dilapidated barracks, a path leads – through pastures, interrupted by weird karst formations (photo 6) – towards the edge of the Cijevna Canyon. The high, snow-covered tops of the Prokletije mountains on the Albanian side could already be seen from the village. There are no signposts at all, many different trails lead in various directions, and it was thus difficult to find our way. We had to ask several times how we could reach the panorama point of Grlo Sokolovo or Falcon’s Throat (the coordinates of the path entrance in front of the barracks are N 42°29’23“ and E 19°32’00“).

But after 30-40 minutes of hiking (photo 4), our efforts finally paid off. We reached a magnificent place, one of the most beautiful viewpoints I ever saw in Montenegro (and I have seen a lot of them): Grlo Sokolovo or, in translation, Falcon’s Throat. At an altitude of 1386 m, we saw the remainders of what was once a border post used by the border patrol of Tito’s Yugoslavia (photo 1). Unfortunately, it was completely ruined. Here we had a breathtaking view of the Cijevna Canyon and the mighty Prokletije mountains.

Deep down we could even see the village of Tamara in Albania. Caves were scattered all over the huge rocky „wall“, pine trees were growing directly out of the steep rocks. This is where Montenegro showed, once more, the enormous power of its nature. I was deeply impressed…

After this phantastic experience, we turned back to Podgorica, following the (better) road downhill to Podgorica, through Ubli and Medun. Can you imagine that this place is situated at a ONE HOUR’s distance from Podgorica only??