Ropojana Valley

In the Ropojana Valley, you can admire alpine glacial beauty at every step. Wedged between the craggy peaks of the Accursed Mountains, the valley offers a serene escape from your busy lifestyle. Rolling emerald hills, pristine mountain streams, and abundant wildlife provide a picture-perfect setting for sky-high hiking, rock climbing, and photography.

Take the trail through the Ropojana Valley, from the small village of Vusanje to the seasonal Lake Ropojana, straddling the border with Albania. The striking 7-kilometer-long trail leads you through the nooks and crannies of the Prokletije National Park. The valley is known for its beautiful karst springs and waterfalls.

Oko Skakavice is a turquoise-colored, translucent wellspring, surrounded by lush forest, that runs down the valley. Observe how the ice-cold groundwater bubbles up from the earth’s interior to the surface and then feeds into the Skakavica River. This newly-formed river then merges with the Grlja River just 2,500 meters from its origin at the Oko Skakavice.

The Grlja Waterfall, just 800 meters downstream, is another one of nature’s masterpieces, plunging 20 meters into a deep gorge and then continuing to flow towards Lake Plav. Watch the brutal forces of nature while having a snack or drink at the Hartini Restaurant which finds itself adjacent to the waterfall.

The hiking trails to some of Montenegro’s highest summits start in the Ropojana Valley, suitable for enthusiast climbers. Zla Kolata, Montenegro’s highest peak measuring 2,534 meters, is a strenuous 10-kilometer hike from the trailhead in Katun Zarunica or Vusanje, while the Rosni Peak (2,524 meters) is accessible from Karaula Zastan.

The Zla Kolata hike takes you through forests, alpine meadows, and eventually to a belvedere offering incredible vistas of the Albanian peaks, including Maja Jezerce at 2,694 meters. The long and arduous passages make it a challenge for unfit hikers, but the mountain passes – Cafa Borit at 1810 m and Preslopi at 2,039 m – come as welcoming breaks.

The path rises firmly through rough terrain until reaching the pass between Zla Kolata (evil peak) and Dobra Kolata (good peak) where the trail splits; turn right towards Zla Kolata. You need to fight and scramble to the top. In the immediate vicinity, you’ll also find Ravna Kolata (highest peak at 2,556 m) which lies on the Albanian side and is easily recognizable by its flat and grassy summit.

Take note that there are no water sources during your ascent and that it will take you an entire day hiking (6 hours up and 4 hours down) to reach Zla Kolata, so start early and only when weather conditions permit. Bears inhabit almost all parts of this trail and are occasionally spotted along the way.

The ascent to the jagged limestone peak of Maja Rosit (Rosni Peak) is another incredible hike in the Prokletije National Park. The Ropojana Valley is the starting point for this rather difficult trail to Montenegro’s third-highest peak. The path leads through beautiful beech forests, pastures, and past Karaula Zastan, a former military hut.

Here the route splits from the trail to Buni i Jezerces (Great Valley of Lakes) and Maja Jezerce, Albania’s highest summit. After some more climbing through forest and green alpine meadows, the Rosni Peak is now finally visible. From there, it does not take much to reach the next mountain pass, Cafa Forumit which sits at an altitude of 2,180 meters and right at the border of Montenegro and Albania.

The final part of the trail traverses a steep, grassy slope before finally reaching the lofty Rosni Peak at 2,524 meters. Arriving here will confirm the generally held notion that Maja Rosit offers the opportunity to bask in the Accursed Mountain’s most dramatic panoramas from a spot just outside of heaven.

The peak opens up to absolutely incredible views of Maja Jezerce, the Kolata and Karanfili peaks, the Komovi mountains, and the 13-kilometer-long Majet e Zabores Range. From there, you can also look out onto Valbona Valley, Gusinje, and the Ali Pasha Springs.