The rock walls
Grey peaks above the pines.
Ivan25 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ivan25 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sigismund von Dobschütz — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ivan25 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ivan25 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ivan25 — CC BY-SA 3.0
Prokletije National Park is the youngest national park in Montenegro, declared in 2009 in the far north-east of the country on the Albanian border. It covers 16,630 hectares of sharp mountains, known as the Accursed Mountains or Albanian Alps, among the wildest and least crowded scenery in the Balkans. These mountains are the southern end of the 1,000 km Dinaric Alps. They include Zla Kolata, the highest peak in Montenegro at 2,534 metres, and nowhere in the Balkans have glaciers left more evidence of erosion. The park shares the long Peaks of the Balkans trail, which links three countries. You see grey rock walls above dense pine forest and green pastures. Very clear water runs through valleys such as Ropojana and Grebaje, with waterfalls dropping over the rocks. Its finest lake is the high Hrid, with its own 1,052-hectare reserve. You may find wooden country houses at the valley mouths offering food and beds. The park's mapped point is 7.8 km in a straight line south of Plav. Inner roads are narrow, and high trails are long and need experience, a guide and a map, with the border close by, so carry your passport. Snow can linger into early summer and weather changes quickly, so bring suitable clothes. Ask about trail conditions in Plav or Gusinje before setting out.
Grey peaks above the pines.
Clear water among the rocks.
Food and beds at the valley mouths.
Plav and Gusinje municipalities, on the Albanian border
Not usually for the easier valleys, but a guide and map are best for high trails.
A long walking route linking the mountains of Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo.