Day 8 (3/6) – Farewell Dubrovnik, Hello Bosnia & Montenegro

We missed the glittery coastline of Dubrovnik immediately the moment we turned inland and drove towards the Croatia-Bosnia border. The road conditions changed visibly ie narrower lanes, bumpier road surfaces but still very decent.

As we neared Trebinje, vehicles began to build up and traffic jams started to form. We were looking for the best vantage point to see the Arslanagić Bridge also known as the Perović Bridge, also known as Arsenic Bridge (our way of remembering the name).

It is an Ottoman-era stone bridge built in 1574 over the Trebišnjica River. In the 1960s, due to the construction of a hydroelectric dam, the bridge was disassembled stone by stone and reconstructed 5km upstream at its current location.

From the Arslanagić Bridge, we drove up to Crkvina Hill to the Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery. It was a challenging drive: we had to deal with a bad traffic jam as we cut through town and maneuver the car over some very steep and sharp turns.

The Monastery was a recent addition – built in 2000 in the traditional Serbian-Byzantine style – for worship by Orthodox Christians. The view of the town of Trebinje from the hill top was ooh-la-la! breathtaking and totally deserved this little detour.

First Impressions – Nikšić, Montenegro

From Trebinje we headed east towards Nikšić, Montenegro’s second largest city, for a lunch-cum-stopover (drive: 2 hours). Nikšić is a major industrial centre known as much for its steel production as the Nikšić Brewery, one of Montenegro’s most famous beer producers celebrated for its Nikšićko Pivo. But we didn’t know that yet.

Traffic to Nikšić was heavy and dominated by big vehicles but it didn’t feel unsafe to drive. Parking in town was cheap but quite a challenge to find.

We found a gem in Konoba Portun (last minute research on google). Originally a pizza factory built in 1910, the owner transformed it into a restaurant in 2004. The owner couldn’t speak English but with the help of his handphone (translator), managed to convey so much hospitality towards us. The food was simple, hearty fare, basic but very delicious. It was hands down, our favourite meal in Montenegro.

Into the Belly of the Durmitor

From Nikšić, we drove northwards towards Plužine and Lake Piva (drive: 1 hour 11 minutes).

I had qualms when I was planning this part of the route. Would it be too far? Too tough? Would it be worth it? The answer: a resounding yes!

From Plužine town (nestled by Lake Piva), we drove on the E762 across the bridge to the other side of the lake and started to ascend the P14 on some very tight, skinny hairpin turns which cut into the terrain via (unlit) tunnels. Enter at your own peril!

It was a challenging drive but quite an adrenaline rush.

The toughest part over, we were drove straight into the best part of the P14: the Seldo Pass View (drive: 1 hour 40 minutes). It was the most scenic drive this trip.

It’s summer so we were surprised to see big swaths of snow. We got our jackets out in a jiffy but generally made do by being very fast. Fast getting out of the car to snap photos and fast getting back in.

We reached Bosača before nightfall but took a while to find our chalet because mobile signals were weak and google maps struggled with the coordinates.

Bosača was a village spread out across the valley with no eating establishments so we drove to Žabljak for dinner at the most up class restaurant in town – Or’O. Žabljak is a ski village, the epicentre of all activities in the Durmitor National Park. It is a good idea to stock up on essentials ie wine, chips, snacks at nearby IDEA, Žabljak’s only supermarket (closed on Sundays).

Distance driven: 125km, via P14
Steps walked: 9,127
Food: Konoba Portun, Restaurant Or’O, Podogora

Day 9 (4/6) – Durmitor, Black Lake, Tara Gorge

We left early for Black Lake (€5/pax & €2 for car parking). The trails would have been quite walkable if not for the previous day’s storm/drizzles; all those water made muddy slush out of the trails.

And we weren’t impressed by the views. Any lake in Europe would have bested this anytime.

Frustratingly, we also had to ford 2 newly formed waterfalls. Extremely challenging with our running shoes!

Lunch was at Ukus Durmitora (near to IDEA), well reviewed but not as good as Konoba Portun. And we finally tried the famed Nikšićko pivo!

After lunch,, we drove eastwards to the Tara Canyon’s Đurđevića Tara Bridge (20 minutes).

Completed in 1940, it was the largest vehicular concrete arch bridge in Europe at that time. With a span of 365m, it rises 172 metres above Tara River, offering amazing views of the Canyon.

The Tara River Canyon, often referred to as the ‘Grand Canyon of Europe’, is 1300 metres deep, the deepest canyon in Europe and the second-deepest in the world, after the Grand Canyon in the USA.

We would have liked to chill in a nearby cafe while marveling at the turquoise waters but the flurry of activities at the nearby Zipline station marred the entire atmosphere. It felt like blasphemy to taint the natural beauty of this place with noise pollution and boisterous activities.

We went back our chalet to chill instead. Which turned out to be a wise choice because it began to rain heavily shortly after we returned.

Once in a while, it’s good to take stock, do housekeeping, have a wine and curl up to watch Netflix.

Oh scratch the Netflix. We’d just enjoy the view outside.

Steps: 17,421
Food: Ukus Durmitora, Pekera Maja (bakery)

About Durmitor: The Durmitor National Park is a mountain range renowned for its rugged peaks, glacial lakes and pristine natural beauty. Part of the Dinaric Alps, the Durmitor covers an area of approximately 390 square kilometres. Bobotov Kuk is the highest peak, standing at 2,523 metres above sea level. The Park also boosts 18 glacial lakes and 200 kilometres of marked hiking trails.

Visited 3-4 June 2023