Hi travelers! Welcome to our guide on Durmitor National Park. We are Vivian & Rebecca – a couple currently visiting every country in Europe in our camper. Vivian (the shorter, dark-haired one) is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Rebecca (the taller, blondish one) is from Manchester, UK.
We met in a very unusual way back in 2012 in a forum looking for fanfiction. We dated long-distance for four years, meeting up in different parts of the world that we could afford, until we graduated from university and started to live full-time on the road. We’ve done two coast-to-coast road trips in the US and loved the freedom of moving around, hiking and camping in different national parks. From these experiences, we got inspired to continue our adventures in Europe during the pandemic when we built our campervan and started to slowly visit every country in Europe.
Our Three Week Adventure in Montenegro
One of the countries we have visited on our journey so far was Montenegro and we had a fantastic time! It surprised us how such a small country could have a bit of everything. We spent days at beautiful beaches and lakes, tucked away in valleys and up above the clouds in the mountains. In total, we spent three weeks exploring different parts of Montenegro.
We started by the Croatian border in Herceg Novi, and continued down the coast to Ada Bojana, before heading to Lake Skadar, Durmitor National Park, Tara Canyon, the Komovi Mountains and finally the border south with Albania around Prokletije National Park. It was an awesome trip!
Exploring & Hiking in Durmitor National Park
We spent two days in Durmitor National Park. There’s only one road to follow that cuts right through the park and it’s so scenic! We stopped at different spots along the way and went on two longish hikes: Bobotov Kuk and Mt Prutas. The views of both of these places were incredible and the sunrise from the park is still one of the best sunrises we’ve ever seen.
Durmitor National Park felt like a mix of the Dolomites, the volcanic mountains of Iceland and something unique we had never witnessed before (like the shapes and cuts of the mountains). The scenery blew us away as we didn’t expect every turn to be so drastically beautiful. The hikes took longer than usual because we constantly stopped to admire the view.
Parking for the Night at the Park’s Pull-Ins
Our favorite place in the national park was where we parked for the night. It was a small, random pull-in but had the most beautiful views. We made dinner as we watched the sunset over the mountains and woke up the next morning to be greeted by the most amazing sunrise. There are so many beautiful places in the park but this spot just felt so special!
There are no campsites at the park but they allow you to park at the road pull-ins. There were lots of stunning spots with epic views. We drove a little further through the park to find a quieter spot, but we’d recommend just driving and stopping at whichever spot wows you the most.
How Much Time to Spend in Durmitor National Park
We spent two days in Durmitor National Park and believe it was the right amount of time. We could have stayed longer, enjoyed more of the views and hiked more, but we felt like two days was enough to be satisfied. One day in the park would definitely feel a bit rushed so we’d advise spending at least two days, depending on what you want to see of course.
When to Visit Durmitor National Park
We visited the park in September and the conditions were ideal. The weather was nice – warm but not hot, the days were still long, we got to swim a lot and there were much less people around since high season was over. This meant that parking the camper was stress-free as well.
Need to Know Before You Go
- Bring a Jacket and Hiking Shoes: Durmitor National Park gets windy, especially on top of the mountains! Make sure you bring a jacket (ideally a wind-proof one) and good hiking shoes to keep your feet comfortable.
- Bring Some Cash: Whilst there’s no one charging at the park entrance, they do have rangers that come around to charge you the entrance fee. You can only pay in cash, so make sure you bring enough with you.
- Top Up on Petrol and Food: There are no restaurants, cafes or petrol stations inside the national park. It’s pure nature – so be prepared with a full tank of gas, and plenty of food and water to keep you sustained.
- Be Aware of the Lack of Facilities: There are very few toilets in the national park and little to no phone service. Be sure to plan in advance.