First of all, Montenegro is known for its beach resorts, beautiful nature, and delicious food. But few people know that this Mediterranean country also has ski resorts, which are in increasing demand among tourists every year.
This is explained by the mild climate, picturesque landscapes, clean air and reasonable prices compared to most resorts in other countries. In addition to mountain skiing, you can go on excursions and see the sights in Montenegro.
The developed infrastructure of the country of “black mountains” provides tracks for mountain, cross-country skiing, as well as snowboarding. Cable cars have a high capacity, and ski and snowboard schools, training tracks open up the opportunity to master skating not only for adults, but also for children.
The most famous ski resorts in Montenegro are Kolasin and Zabljak.
Montenegrin ski resorts are located on the territory of natural parks of Montenegro, this is a great place to relax and do sports in nature far from the noise of civilization.
For variety, you can take 1-day trips to the famous city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, the “Pearl of Croatia”, try the world-famous oysters and walk along the “European Wall of China” in the city of Ston near Dubrovnik.
In addition to downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding, Montenegrin ski resorts offer numerous winter entertainment and sports activities, as well as cafes, bars, restaurants of Montenegrin and European cuisine, discos.
Zabljak is a ski resort in Montenegro
Zabljak is the largest and highest mountain ski resort in Montenegro and the entire Balkans. The ski resort town of Zabljak is located in the north-west of Montenegro at the foot of Durmitor Mountain. The height of the resort reaches 1465 m, which allows it to be considered one of the highest mountain cities in Europe and the Balkans, in particular. The Durmitor mountain massif is small in size, but has a unique nature, and is also included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list.
At any time of the year, there is something to do here: in the summer – relax in nature, go hiking, mountain climbing, and in the winter – go skiing. In January, ski competitions, auto races “Montenegro Winter Cup” are held here, in March – the Durmitor Ski Cup. In the summer, it is full of cycling fans, as the grand cycle tour “Durmitor Ring” is held here, and in August – a rally on jeeps.
The ski season of the Zabljak resort in Montenegro lasts 5 months, from November to April.
Zabljak ski resort is located on the territory of the beautiful national park of Montenegro – Durmitor, which is known for its deepest gorge of the Tara River after the Grand Canyon in America.
Climate
Zabljak resort is surrounded by 23 peaks. Climatic conditions and mountain landscape somewhat resemble the famous Swiss Alps. During the entire season, the snow cover lasts from December to the end of March. The weather is at the level of -2 ..- 8 ° C. The size of the snow cover reaches 40 cm. Zablyak is suitable for snowboarding, mountain and cross-country skiing. There are ski schools, ski equipment rental, rescue service, etc.
In the place of Debeli Namet, the snow cover is preserved all year round, and the 300-meter track allows you to enjoy skiing from the mountains even in the summer.
Routes of the Zabljak Durmitor ski resort
The resort is famous for three slopes of varying degrees of difficulty:
Savin Cook is intended for experienced skiers and professionals, the length of the track is 3500 meters. International competitions in snowboarding and mountain skiing are held here. The descent is equipped with 8 lifts: 2 chair lifts, 4 rope lifts and 2 children’s lifts.
Shtutz is a slightly shorter ski slope, its length is 2630 meters.
Yavorovacha is a ski run 800 meters long. Skiers should pay attention to it. The track is illuminated, the slope is equipped with three lifts: 2 rope lifts and 1 children’s lift.
Map of the resort
Specifications
Altitude of the resort: 1465 m
Skiing area: 1465 – 2313 m
routes:
- the total number of tracks is 12
- the total length of the tracks is 14 km
- blue – 8 km
- red ones – 4 km
- black – 2 km
- cross-country skiing – 3-10 km
Number of lifts: only 12
- armchairs – 5
- bakeries – 4
- children’s – 3
The Savin Cook track is particularly popular among mountain skiers. The length of the Savin Cook track is 3.5 km, the height difference is 800 m, and it is equipped with three lifts and lighting for night skiing. The peak of the Savin Cook ridge is 2313 m.
There are equipped tracks for professionals, beginners and tracks for children.
At the Zabljak ski resort in Montenegro, there are ski schools and snowboarding schools, equipment rental, a first aid station and a mountain rescue service, several restaurants and bars.
Tracks for cross-country skiing from 3 to 12 km long.
Get to the Zabljak Durmitor ski resort
There are regular flights to Podgorica and Dubrovnik airports throughout the year.
The distance to the Zabljak ski resort from Podgorica Airport in Montenegro is 138 km
The distance to the Zabljak ski resort from Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia is 177 km
You can rent a car at the airport and get to the Zabljak ski resort on the mountain roads. There is also a bus to Zabljak.
Apress-ski
Cafes and restaurants of the resort will pleasantly surprise you with a variety of local and European dishes and drinks. Transfer to the main routes is carried out by regular buses. In addition, there is an opportunity to see numerous sights of the Durmitor National Park (mountain lakes, including the famous Black Lake, glacial caves).
Competition of the Zabljak ski resort
Durmitor annually hosts two international alpine skiing competitions – the Angel Cup and the Durmitor Cup.
Durmitor hosts the All On Snow ski races in January, and the Durmitor Golden Eagle and International Para ski competitions in March.
Zabljak ski resort was awarded international awards in 1976 and 1984.
Hotels and private apartments of the Zabljak ski resort
Hotel Soa 4* Zabljak
The hotel is located in the Durmitor Žabljaka National Park, 5 minutes by car to the ski slopes, 20 km to the Tara River canyon – the price of a standard 2-person room from 57 euros
Apartment Sepic 3* Zabljak
The apartment is located 400 m from the center of the town of Žabljak, 3 km from the glacial lake Crno jezero – the price of a room for two from 37 euros
Apartment Family 3*
The apartment is located 20 m from the ski slopes of Žabljak, the famous Javorovaca restaurant, 300 m from the center of Žabljak – the price of a two-level apartment for 4 guests is 104 euros. Guests can rent ski equipment and bicycles, book skiing lessons, or purchase a ski pass.
Apartment Zoris 4*
The apartment is located in the center of Žabljak, 1 km from the Yavorovac ski resort, 5 km from the Savin Kuk ski resort – the price of an apartment for 4 guests from 40 euros
Learn more about the Zabljak ski resort
Kolasin ski resort of Montenegro
The town of Kolashyn is located on Mount Belasitsa at an altitude of 954 meters with a population of about 5,000 people.
Kolasin is one of the ski resorts in Montenegro, which is considered the most developed and equipped. The resort meets all modern European quality and safety standards. Surrounded by the Komovi, Sinyaevina and Belasitsa mountain ranges, the Kolasyn resort is located 8.5 km from the town of Kolasyn. Small altitude differences and a variety of tracks are ideal for beginners and intermediate skiers.
But even experienced skiers will find a lot of interesting things for themselves. Freestylers and freeriders will also be satisfied.
The ski season at the Kolasin resort lasts from November to May. The height of the snow cover in the season is from 1 m to 3 m. The grassy slopes of Kolasin provide safe skiing even with a small snow cover.
The Kolasin resort is located next to the national park of Montenegro – Biogradska Gora.
Tracks of the Kolashyn ski resort
Kolasin includes 30 km of trails that can accommodate more than 10,000 skiers at the same time. All routes, and there are 16 of them in total, are all cut and intertwined. The lowest point is 1450 m above sea level, and the highest is 1973 m. The resort has 6 lifts, 3 ski lifts, 2 chairlifts and 1 children’s lift.
Specifications
Altitude of the resort: 1450 m
Skiing area: 1450-1973 m
routes:
- The total number of tracks is 16
- The total length of the tracks is 30 km
- Blue – 6
- Red – 7
- Black – 3
Number of lifts: only 6
- Bugelnykh – 3
- Armchairs – 2
- Children’s – 1
There are cross-country skiing trails.
Two slopes of Kolasin are certified by FIS for holding international competitions. The slopes have lighting, which allows skiing in the evening and at night.
The resort has a ski school and a school for snowboarders, a medical aid station and mountain rescuers. There are two restaurants serving local cuisine.
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There is a wooden restaurant-chalet SKY, where you can drink Montenegrin wines, try the famous stewed fish, mulled wine, and relax to the sound of crackling fire in the fireplace. There are 2 restaurants – Savardak and Konoba. The first is a Montenegrin winter house and restaurant in one. The second restaurant is located in the center of Kolasin, the menu is rich, the food is delicious and it attracts you with its atmosphere and setting. Built in the style of an old wooden house. For active entertainment, such as cinema, theater, darts clubs, billiards and bowling, you need to go to Podgorica. There are a couple of discotheques in Kolashyna, sometimes they open a rink for children. There are many slides for sledding and snowmobiling.
Prices ski resort Kolashin
The price of the ski pass of the Kolasin resort is 20 euros per day
The cost of a ski pass for the Kolasin resort is 12 euros for half a day
Get to the Kolashyn ski resort
There are regular flights to Podgorica and Dubrovnik airports throughout the year.
The distance to the Kolasin ski resort from Podgorica airport in Montenegro is 84 km
The distance to the Kolasin ski resort from Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia is 207 km
From Podgorica you can also reach the Kolasin ski resort by train, the train journey time is 1 hour and 10 minutes, the railway makes the Kolasin resort accessible in any weather conditions.
The distance from the town of Kolashin to the ski slopes is 8.5 km, there is a regular bus.
Signature dishes of the national cuisine of Montenegro
The national cuisine of Montenegro is in many ways similar to Serbian and Croatian. Some dishes may even be similar to Italian dishes. The similarity is explained by the love of Montenegrins and Italians for meat and cheese.
meat delicacies
The most common Montenegrin dishes are the following:
- skewers and hanger
- Shish kebab and chop from pork fillet;
- steaks from Negusha and Durmitor
Made from beef and stuffed with cheese and butter. They differ in the types of cheese and the serving of side dishes;
- chewap
- Minced sausages with spices;
- prosciutto
A dish made from pork, which is first smoked, then cured. This dish is considered an analogue of Spanish jamon and is served in almost every establishment;
- burger
National cutlet made of minced meat, stuffed with butter;
- lamb from Sacha (lids)
Lamb meat, which is stewed under the lid for about five hours, thanks to which it becomes soft and fatty.
vegetarian dishes
Among the dishes suitable for vegetarians, the following can be recommended:
- Chorba or vegetable soup
In some establishments, soup can also be meat;
- maidservants
- Donuts without filling;
- traditional cheese from Negusha
It is made from sheep’s or goat’s milk and is very similar to cheese.
Competition of the Kolashyn ski resort
In February, the Kolasin ski resort in Montenegro hosts the annual Montenegro Ski Fest and the annual Golden Ermine Cup, a snowboarding competition.
Hotels and private apartments of the Kolasin ski resort
Lodge House Tara
The chalet is located in the park zone of the city of Kolasin, 1 km from Belashitsa mountain, 6 km from the ski center – the price of renting a chalet for 9 people from 152 euros
Apartments Art Apartments Minic 3* Kolasin
the apartments are located at the foot of Belashitsa and Sinyaevina mountains, 9 km from the ski resort – the cost of renting a bungalow for 3 people from 49 euros; family apartment for 6 people from 61 euros
Apartment Jagos Vukicevic 3* Kolasin
the apartments are located 8 km from the Kolasin ski resort, 15 km from the Biogradska Gora National Park – the cost of renting an apartment for 4 people is 52 euros
Bianca Resort & Spa 4* Kolasin resort
The spa resort is located in the middle of a wonderful pine forest in the city of Kolasin with a wonderful view of Mount Belašica, guests have their own swimming pool, spa and health resort – the price of a standard room for two starts from 89 euros.
Learn more about the Kolashin ski resort
Prices for ski resorts in Montenegro
The cost of ski tours in Montenegro varies from 550 to 700 euros. Every year the price increases slightly.
The package usually includes:
- travel to the resort (train or plane);
- accommodation (food issues are usually discussed separately);
- medical insurance;
- if necessary, a transfer from the airport and railway station, as well as back;
- communal, resort fees, etc.
However, not all tours include transfer and medical insurance in their price, sometimes they need to be paid additionally. Accommodation conditions and additional payments for children should also be clarified separately, they depend on the age of the child.
At the resort, you can rent a complete set of ski equipment, economy class costs 13 euros per day, and premium – 19 euros.