Like many other countries in Europe, Montenegro has started to gradually relax the corona-virus lockdown measures, but intercity passenger traffic is still forbidden and people can only stay in their city of residence. Many people are longing for fresh air, sun and untouched nature, in particular the inhabitants of Podgorica – locals and expats – , who mostly live in apartment buildings. Fortunately, they can ‘travel’ within the municipal borders of the entity Podgorica-Danilovgrad-Tuzi, a region that abounds in beautiful, quiet places.
Starting from May 4th, people will also be allowed to travel to their weekend houses or village cottages in other municipalities, but what if they don’t have such a possibility? Of course, they can stay at home, make a city walk or go jogging, but wouldn’t it be much nicer to make a day trip in the surroundings?
And even in post-corona times, I would warmly recommend you to make a day trip to the following places:
- Piperi
- Studeno
- Bukumirsko Lake
- Grlo Sokolovo (Falcon’s throat)
Maybe some of these places have already been discovered by local nature lovers, but they are still rather unknown to foreign tourists and there are hardly any tourist or catering facilities.
1. PIPERI
The Piperi clan is one of the seven traditional highland tribes of Montenegro, famous in Montenegro’s history for their courage during the wars with the Ottoman empire. Their rough, mountainous region is situated between the Morača and Zeta rivers.
How to get there? Just pass the Rogami bridge over the Zeta river and continue further uphill. Many narrow asphalt roads lead to small hamlets and old churches with picturesque graveyards. You can park your car and start hiking wherever you like (there is hardly any traffic) – you will be surprised with the abundance of flowers along the roads and the breathtaking panoramas of the Bjelopavlići valley.
And if you want to experience genuine silence and untouched nature – drive up to the plateau of Kopilje (photo 1) – covered with wild orchids and other flowers in this time of the year – and then keep left and continue to the village of Gostilje (860 m above sea level). This region is magnificent for a walk or picnic and the narrow road to Gostilje offers impressive vistas of the Kopilje plateau, the steep rocks of Piperska Stijena and the Bjelopavlići valley.
A few kilometers before Gostilje, you will see a brand new asphalt road turning left, downhill. There are no signposts yet, but this road leads directly to the old road Spuž-Danilovgrad. You will thus have the opportunity to make a nice round trip!
2. STUDENO
The mountain massif and recreative area Studeno (around 1200 m above sea level) represents a real climatic spa with more than 400 weekend houses. The area is famous for the beneficial effect of its pine forests. Several forest roads and hiking trails lead further to the mountain peaks of Kula and Lisac. Studeno is situated at a distance of 45 km from Podgorica
How to get there? The easiest way is taking the old road to Danilovgrad (along the right side of the Zeta river through Rogami, Pričelje, Spuž and Martinići). After the signpost “Rasadnik Lakića” pass the small bridge and turn right (Ostrog monastery). Drive another 700 m and turn right once more (Ostrog is to the left). After 15 km on this narrow winding asphalt road you arrive at the last junction, which can be recognized by a huge beech tree. Now you can make a decision: turning left you will find a forest area and a beautiful green pasture among huge beech trees – ideal for a picnic, and turning right you will reach the weekend settlement and mountain hut of Studeno after 3.5 km.
At both sides you will find mountain pastures, beech and pine forests, and there are several wells where you can have a rest and take a walk through the forests. Just imagine: there are almost 500 species of medicinal and aromatic plants in this area.
The magnificent Bukumirsko Lake (Bukumirsko Jezero) is situated at an altitude of 1,440 m above sea level. The distance from Podgorica is only 45 km.
How to get there? Take the panoramic road to Kučka Korita (No. 4). After around 20 km, turn left after having passed the picturesque village of Ubli. The road is steep, narrow and winding, but the vistas are breathtaking! The asphalt road stops at 25 km from the junction, but there is a farm road that directly runs to the Lake.
Here you will see one of the most beautiful panoramas of Montenegro. Several over 2000 m high mountain peaks are dominating over the Lake, creating an impressive mountain landscape.
For the hikers and mountain lovers among you: there are several marked paths from the Lake to the summits of the surrounding mountains. The well-marked hiking trail to Katun Torač is wonderful and not too demanding.
4. GRLO SOKOLOVO (FALCON’S THROAT)
The plateau of Kučka Korita, around 30 km from Podgorica is situated at an altitude of 1350 m above sea level. Approaching Kučka Korita, you will drive through a magnificent landscape with green pastures and grey-white karst rocks, which hardly differ from the dry walls that can be seen everywhere.
How to get there? Follow the Panoramic Road No. 4, „Circuit around Korita”. You can park the car near the church or at the crossroads in front of the pub. From there, a two-hour hiking trail runs along the old patrol path that leads to “Grlo Sokolovo” or Falcon’s Throat, a panorama point that offers a breathtaking view of the Cijevna Canyon and the Albanian Prokletije mountains, also called Albanian Alps. In this time of the year, the meadows and forests along the trail are covered with spring flowers: grape hyacinths, gentians, wood anemones, hellebores….
The path continues through dense beech forests, uphill, and finally downhill again, with a fantastic view of the weird rocky landscape of Kučka Korita.
Going out for some fresh air can make a huge difference by improving your physical and mental health during this corona period. Just avoid contact with other people and wash your hands properly when you get back home!
Thank you for another wonderful article that inspires people to explore, especially in this COVID era. My wife and I greatly enjoyed our travels through Montenegro a few years ago and are now considering to move to Montenegro. We are looking to create or join a communal village as part of our long term plan. We’d like to know your interest in providing your input to our project, and your possible interest. Can we schedule a brief call to discuss? Thank you.
Thank you for your message, but I am afraid that I am not the right person for such an idea. Much success with your plans!
Thanks for your reply, and please know that my larger goal is to help tourist businesses in Montenegro transition into new models that will be profitable in an ongoing pandemic reality. If you know of any expat ‘leaders’ in Montenegro, please let me know.