Biogradska Gora National Park
If you’re traveling through Montenegro, be sure to make some time for the Biogradska Gora National Park. The lush landscape of glowing green vegetation – at least in the warmer months of the year – and its emerald glacial lakes are nothing short of spectacular.
It’s probably not quite as gorgeous and unique as the Durmitor National Park where the rough mountain landscape earned its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site but the upside is that you can see one of Europe’s last remaining virgin rain forests.
Entrance Fee: 4€ per person
Info: If you plan to visit more national parks in Montenegro, you can also buy the yearly combined ticket that gives you unlimited access to all five parks. It costs 13,50€ and can be bought in one of the park’s visitor centers.
Lake Biograd
You can also rent a kayak (5€/h) or boat (8€/h) and glide around the picturesque Lake Biograd, immersing yourself in nature to reduce stress and restore strength. It’s one of those places that require you to commit some time and energy to really appreciate and get a real feel for it.
This glacial lake sits at an altitude of 1,094 meters and is surrounded by a dense and rich forest that is home to many forms of wildlife including bears and wolves. In exceptionally dry years, the lake completely dries out in the summer months of July and August.
While many claim, that the best time to visit is Autumn when the mixed forest consisting of oaks, beeches, and maples turns into a beautiful canvas of yellows, oranges, and reds, others claim that it must be winter when the untouched snow glistens in the warm apricity.
Info: You can purchase a daily fishing license for 20 € – the lake is full of trout and other fish.
The Biogradska Gora Rain Forest
Did you know that the Biograska National Park is one of the oldest national reserves in Europe? It has been known as the Prince Nikola Reserve since 1878 when local residents gifted it to the state in gratitude for liberating them from Ottoman occupation.
About one-third of the 5,650-hectare large reserve is made up of virgin rain forest with some trees being more than 400 years old and reaching 60 meters in height, taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
source: Kouta Rasanen
It is not entirely clear why but the forest has ever since produced some of Europe’s most gigantic trees. The 59,7-meter tall European Silver Fir named Dora has a stunning girth of 713 cm and is considered to be the largest on the European continent.
Biogradska Gora Hiking Trails
The easiest and by far the most popular hiking trail is the 3.4-kilometer-long circular route around Lake Biograd. The scenic trail is easy enough for everyone to master and will take the average person about one hour to complete.
But if you do it right, you do not compete on speed – that is not your goal here. There are dozens of benches along the wooden trail where you can pause, relax, and fully soak in the scents and sounds of wild nature.
The Bendovac Trail takes about 3,5 hours to complete and vertically covers an elevation difference of 750 meters. While not the most difficult trail, you still need to have reasonable physical fitness levels.
During your ascent, you will travel by Dolovi, a beautiful mountain hamlet from where you can easily reach the Bendovac Viewpoint, without a doubt one of the most scenic spots in the region with breathtaking views of Lake Biograd.
There is another, a little bit more challenging trail to Goles. The arduous and steep ascent is not for everyone but challenging enough for serious and committed hikers. Be it as it may, walking through the old-growth forest is as pleasurable and rewarding as it can get.
Goles is a traditional Montenegrin sheepherder’s summer residence where very little has changed in the past centuries. The pace of life here is still alluringly slow and tasks are completed at a leisurely pace. In short: it is a sanctuary from the stressors of daily life.
At an altitude of almost 1,700 meters, the air feels incredibly fresh and clean. Should you like it here beyond your humble expectations, why not stay in one of the cottages and wake up in total harmony with nature?
And, as the saying goes, you can only experience authentic Montenegro up in the Katuns. Like in Goles. From here you can also continue and explore some of the other stunning glacial lakes of the National Park: Lake Pesic is a 2.5-hour hike away, and Lake Sevarine is 3,5 hours.