"Cheese, dried meat, fruit from the garden and a glass of rakija. This is what most Montenegrins will put on their table when you approach them.
Beyond the demographic complexities and the dried lamb meat, Montenegro has a lot to offer, from canyons to highlands to its national parks... The nature of Montenegro left us speechless. We entered Montenegro on the first day of spring. However, the snow and the cold were still there and most of the mountain lakes were frozen.
Welcoming travelers who come to discover their country seems to be part of the DNA of Montenegrins. Everywhere in the villages we found open doors and people curious about each other.
Probably the most famous of the five national parks of Montenegro, Durmitor welcomes on its high plateaus our first steps in the country. Its name means "asleep" and refers to a folklore legend according to which the mountain could wake up...
Concentrated nature, the park mixes high peaks, deep canyons and sublime plateaus.
We read a lot that the best way to discover the Tara canyon is rafting. But while searching a little, we had spotted on the old maps of Yugoslavia a path winding at the bottom of the canyon and going up further on the plateau. At the end of the canyon, however, the trail stops. No way to go up on that side. Luckily, the spectacle of incredible waterfalls compensates for our bad choice of route.
Mrtvica is our most beautiful discovery in Montenegro. We didn't meet anyone for two days. From the path dug in the rock, we enjoyed the canyon probably at the best time: when the snow melt feeds the river and the waterfalls with plenty of water. It is incomprehensible (and very fortunate) that tourist activities have not yet taken over this place.
Classified in 2009, Prokletije is the newest national park in the country. The sharp peaks of these young mountains remind us of the Alps we left six months ago. At the time we were there, there was still a lot of snow on the peaks of the Albanian border. Certainly the last we will see for a long time.
"Cheese, dried meat, fruit from the garden and a glass of rakija. This is what most Montenegrins will put on their table when you approach. At least that's how we were welcomed almost systematically. Welcoming travelers seems to be part of the country's DNA.
On the high plateaus of the north of the country, we saw the winter gradually giving way to the spring and the life taking its rights. Our route was punctuated by the numerous canyons that wind between the mountains. We crossed the border with Albania, a last demanding mountain section tested us before putting away the crampons for good.
Discover the pictures of our crossing of Montenegro from the Tara canyon in the Durmitor national park to the Prokletije mountains. An adventure in the heart of Montenegro, its mythical canyons, its high plateaus and the return of spring.