Montenegro – has anyone stayed in Zabljak (Durmitor)?
 

I haven’t seen any posts on Montenegro’s Durmitor national park in this forum. My husband, two young children and I will be travelling through Montenegro this August and we would like to spend 5-6 days exploring the Durmitor park. Zabljak seems to be the most convenient location for the lakes and hikes. Has anyone stayed in the Hotel Enigma? Any other tips for accomodation in the town? We are also considering driving up from Zabljak to Sarajevo – can anyone comment on road conditions? I always appreciate advice from Fodorites. Thanks!

Topping my own message in the hopes that Fodorites who have travelled in Montenegro's interior might see this. We know the coast quite well, but any other advice on the interior would also be appreciated.

We went to Zabljak 2 years ago. We rented a house through the St. George travel agency. It was 1 block from the main square. It had 2 bedrooms and 1 bath and was about 40 Euros per night, and had a full kitchen. The only downside was that the bathroom was on the ground floor, and the bedrooms were on the 2nd floor. I'm sure they have other houses too. The exciting part (after 7 days in Montenegro) was that it had a washing machine and a clothesline (bring some clothespins)!
St. George also arranged a Tara rafting trip. I highly recommend them!

Thanks, thefinleydog. I had given up hope, but I really appreciate your tips. Will give St George a try. Yes, Tara rafting is on our lists as is lots of hiking. Thanks again!

Romana:

I'll be reading all of your report with deep nostalgia engulfing me. Turn your clock back to "Tito Time", when we roved every part of the Old Yugoslavia, including Kosovo, and I can still recall the potholed roads (holes as big as a small pond, no dividing markers, petrol stations few and far between, lodgings grim and food choices grimmer)...but yet, a beautiful country with every conceivable type of terrain....and fewer tourists than outer Mongolia.

If I dug into my journals to recommend any lodgings or restaurants like the smoke-filled "hotel" on Pec's square, The Metohiya (rated "B")...no "A"'s in town, but one "C"...I'm afraid I could be of no help. In those days a town like Pec had very few vehicles, everyone was walking to and fro all day and part of the night...the same scenes we found in Prizren and all the towns near and along along the Albanian border and deeper into Kosovo. We were in constant fear of running on empty, and our German-plated Ford Escort rental car drew ogling stares everywhere we went..we just smiled back and the ogles truned to smiles also...but leaving the car out in the open wherever we could park it, not a thing (like windshield wipers, hubcaps, tires) was ever taken).

As you go deeper in and eventually to Sarajevo, these days, you'll find well-maintained rodes in comparison, and certainly plenty of fuel, roadside inns and better choice in lodgings. We had driven directly south from Sarajevo on the usual poor road which by now must be greatly improved, and there was no evidence of a national park at the time in the Zabjak area, but the highway would have been treacherous in a snowstorm (it was October!, and it had snowed earlier that week so we saw the remnants all the way to Podgoric(ts)a, and then on to the aforementioned Pecs)..I remember marvelling at the surprisingly beautiful snow-covered soccer stadium in the small town of Andrejvica (sp. ..from my notes)where it began to snow again.

Anyway, I doubt if this is much help to you....the beauties of the entire region are all yours now. Enjoy!!

We have been back to the former Yugoslavia a few times since then....and couldn't get over the massive changes....driving down the newly built and finely engineered super highway from Zagreb to Zadar (via Plitvice)....we couldn't help but smile and shake our heads, remembering the Old Yugoslavia. But we sure had adventuorus fun on that first trip...and memories that can be shared, in disbelief by most of today's visitors.

Stu Tower

This is a Guesthouse with the personal touch of the owner and an excellent choice when coming as a group. The guest house is located in the centre of Zabljak in the new part, just near to BUS station, 5 minute walk from the ski center “Javorovaca”.

GPS latitude N 43.1521936134298
GPS Longitude E 19.1252017021179

They offering Rafting programs: one day, two days, three days or four days rafiting by Tara river. Exciting and impressive, but very safe descend, by most atractive part from Brstanovica to Scepan Polje we organize as one or two days rafting.

B&B Guesthouse Andjelich,
Marka Miljanova str. No. 2 Zabljak 84220, Montenegro
+381641313490 / +381631724044 / +38269898240
email: [email protected]