Croatia, Montenegro – two victims of overtourism? (page 7 of 11)

I loved this last day! 😛

The boat ride must be really nice, but you’ve got to do it as early in the morning as possible. We kinda dragged our feet...

I loved this last day! 😛

The boat ride must be really nice, but you’ve got to do it as early in the morning as possible. We kinda dragged our feet...

What a gorgeous day—it really makes you want to go. Thanks for sharing these places with us.

I also think I hit the perfect season. The shades of green were absolutely stunning!

I really loved the reverse contrast of the meander compared to the ones you see in the USA. Desert red versus forest green.

Change is now?

I’m not sure which one you’re talking about, but if it’s the change of region within Montenegro, then yes!

Today, we’re actually heading to Žabljak, a tourist village in the Dinaric Alps near Durmitor National Park.

We should find some welcome coolness there (altitude 1,465 meters), a nice break after these scorching past few days.

Did we forget anything in the cabin?

Here we go.

We’ve got 160 kilometers to cover via the fastest route.

But that’s without counting the little detour to visit Ostrog Monastery!

Speaking of which, isn’t it time to leave the main road now?

Signs soon point the way to the monastery, then the path leading to the parking lot.

It’s a steep climb up the mountainside—lucky we don’t have to walk!



But why are there so many pedestrians? Why are some even walking in socks???

Is the upper parking lot full?

Did they all wear heels that gave them blisters???

We finally reach the parking level—plenty of space to park.

A trail then leads to the monastery, about a 15-minute walk away.

But what’s with this crowd???

Has overtourism hit here too?

These tourists are weird, though...

Many women are wearing headscarves, and everyone’s dressed up a bit.



The courtyard is covered with mattresses where men, women, and children are sprawled out—looks like they spent the night here.



Some are giving gifts to the monks, others are rushing to the religious souvenir shop.

Is there a pilgrimage happening?

It’s not St. Basil’s feast day—the patron saint of the place, whose celebration draws tens of thousands of believers to his tomb—something I made sure to avoid.

No, but it’s St. Irenaeus’ feast day, and he seems to be pretty popular with the local Orthodox community...

So, what do we do?

Join the queue to enter the church or turn back?

It’s barely eleven—we’ve got some time to kill!

Let’s blend in with the worshippers!

My partner puts on his pants, I adjust my blouse, and we take our place in line.

Parasols have been carefully set up to shade the pilgrims and other visitors.



Good thing, too—it’s blazing hot.

10 minutes pass, then 20.

Our progress is slow, especially since some people seem to have VIP access...

Babies, pregnant women, toddlers, and people with disabilities—I get it, but these well-dressed young folks? Not so much!

Does a generous donation guarantee faster access to paradise?

We’re now passing under an archway. The devotions begin.



COVID must’ve wreaked havoc here—everyone’s kissing the same spots on stones, crosses, and icons...

Gross!

We then walk along the building to a tiny cave chapel.

It took us an hour to get here, but it was worth it!

Not just for the frescoes (photos forbidden) but also for the atmosphere!

Throughout the visit, the spectacle was as much on the walls as in the displays of faith.



The view isn’t bad either...

We’ll dodge all the germ nests and priest blessings, though—I’ve got my limits! !

Where we learn that Agnès has become a church mouse and her partner walks around without pants 😂 And on top of that, she could’ve saved a night by sleeping on-site!

I really loved this trip—so many areas I didn’t even know existed! Especially since I saw friends this weekend who went to Montenegro this summer and came back disappointed…

What was your main source of inspiration for planning this journey?

It’s well past lunchtime when we leave the monastery. A little further on, a hostel agrees to serve us, and then we head straight to Žabljak.



The town is booming, and countless A-frame chalets are popping up in the surrounding fields.

We grab some groceries and head back to ours!





A jacuzzi session, dinner washed down with a bottle of Vranac, and watching the sunset with the mountains as a backdrop—this paradise feels way more real than the one Saint Basil promised...





Sacrilege! The gods take revenge by sending a very poorly behaved Russian family to the neighboring chalet.

Luckily, this hellish interlude ends around midnight.

After a few protests...

sans pantalon

Always carry a pair of pants in your backpack when traveling in prudish countries! 😛

What was your main source of inspiration for planning this trip?

I don’t know, I dig around a lot everywhere.

I also use Google Maps a lot.

I look at the photos people post and I dig deeper! I check where the little roads go...

The starting framework is still pretty classic, though.[;]

some friends this weekend who went to Montenegro this summer and came back disappointed...

When did your friends go, and how did they travel?

some friends this weekend who went to Montenegro this summer and came back disappointed...

When and how did your friends go?

Mid-August near Budva :cool: :crazy: Too many people, too much noise, too expensive :sigh: The whole package!

Definitely the worst place at the worst time. 😏

This all sounds really nice.

It's quite chilly in the morning, but the sun quickly warms up the atmosphere.

We pack some picnic supplies and slip into our hiking shoes.

The Scirocco winds its way through twists and turns, while the GPS stubbornly tries to send us down some very bumpy tracks.

We eventually manage to find the hamlet we were looking for, Nadgora.

We park a bit haphazardly—there’s really no proper parking around here.

Yet this little village is the starting point for a lovely circular hike with various viewpoints over the Tara Canyon.

Only the sound of cowbells breaks the silence as we begin our trek.





Then we reach a road and the parking lot at Ćurevac.

Most visitors usually just go to this viewpoint from the parking lot and return the same way.

A park employee stops us, and we pay our fee.

A bit of a climb, and the canyon comes into view.

What a breathtaking drop!



We continue along the cliff, admiring the panorama.

Close, but not *too* close...

One wrong step, and it’s a long fall into the unknown...





We then struggle a bit to find the alternative trail back to our starting point.

It’s a steep descent! Much steeper than the way we came up!

Anyway, if you’ve got a few euros to spare, you can take this route, but it’s a bit more of a workout than the other side...

What’s next on the agenda?

The scenic road that loops around the massif!

Well, "road" might be a bit of an exaggeration for this narrow, weather-beaten pavement, occasionally battered by rockfalls.

We’ll complete the loop counterclockwise.

The first few kilometers are quite rural, occasionally skirting the canyon.



We have our picnic surrounded by wildflowers, then start the descent toward the dried-up lake of Sušičko Jezero.

The asphalt crumbles, loose stones threaten tires and vehicles—this is the roughest part of the road.





Maybe that’s why there’s almost no one around?

A few hairpin turns bring us back up, and we reach the intersection with the P14.

We then decide to take a little detour to admire the Piva Canyon.

There’s definitely more traffic around here!

The road winds down with sharp turns at the level of the Piva Dam Lake.

Some curves even go through tunnels!

It’s pretty surprising.

Every now and then, a window opens onto the canyon and the lake—it’s stunning.





Once we reach the water, we turn around to head back to the Durmitor scenic road.

The landscape changes dramatically—canyons are gone, replaced by mountains.

We’re blown away by every kilometer, though it’s a shame there are more and more people the closer we get to our starting point.

















Well, it’s not a total nightmare. It’s just that we’d gotten used to having the road all to ourselves since this morning!

Numerous hikes crisscross the massif, but it’s too late to consider a walk.

Especially since it’s more uphill than flat...

Around one last bend, a park employee appears from a booth.

We show him the ticket we bought in Čurevac and drive on.

If you don’t want to pay for the circular road, you’ll have to turn around and redo all the kilometers you’ve driven since this morning.

That’s nearly 80...

Not sure you’d come out ahead financially.

Our day ends like the one before—hot tub, drinks, dinner, sunset...

The Russians have left, silence has returned, and the night should be excellent!

See you tomorrow...

Gorgeous landscapes... it really makes you want to go there! 😊

Yeah, Montenegro’s mountain side is absolutely stunning! 😛

Today’s hike is one of Durmitor’s great classics: the Three Lakes hike.

This hike is labeled as easy with its nearly 13 kilometers and a positive elevation gain of about 350 meters, but that "easy" label definitely needs some nuance.

There’s quite a bit of flat terrain, so when it does climb, it’s not a gentle slope...

On top of that, the trail isn’t well-marked, and without a GPS, you’re pretty much lost...

Plus, there are tree trunks to climb over—you’ll need some agility for this.

But let’s not put the cart before the horse and start at the beginning!

The Black Lake parking lot is in sight. Like all super touristy spots, it’s not free.

Hard to avoid, since almost the entire town of Žabljak is either in a paid parking zone or a no-parking area...

Oh well, since we’re paying anyway, might as well be as close to the start as possible.

Perfect timing—a spot just opened up right in front of the entrance booth!

We buy our park access tickets and start walking on a paved trail.

Little stalls sell souvenirs, and the people around us don’t exactly look like hikers.

This super easy part of the walk ends at the lake’s edge, and most people stop there.



We’re now walking along the lake.







It’s nice but not mind-blowing.

With the loop almost done, we then have to find the trail leading to the second lake, Lake Zminje.

The start is obvious, but the rest? Not so much.

We take the wrong direction, backtrack, and finally discover that the path to follow is a poorly maintained trail zigzagging through the forest, stepping over massive tree trunks here and there.

One last push, and Lake Zminje finally comes into view.



Smaller, more intimate—perfect for a picnic! The rest of the hike is a breeze in terms of walking conditions: a smooth track, trails, and finally some tarmac.



The last lake, Lake Barno, is half-dried up.





In the end, I found this hike a bit ordinary and regretted choosing it. The mountain seemed like it had so much more to offer! !

We’re now swapping walking for driving.

I noticed there’s a small ski resort at the foot of the mountain range, and I’d love to check it out!

And yes, I can never resist the pull of a chairlift or a T-bar.

The Savin Kuk ski area is small but has a greater vertical drop than Super-Besse.

Today, Sunday strollers have replaced powder hounds.





There’s a nostalgic vibe in the air—it’s kind of fun.

The afternoon isn’t quite over yet—how about heading to the Đurđevića Bridge?

This bridge spans the Tara River, towering 170 meters above it, offering breathtaking views of the canyon.





The bravest can cross to the other side by zipline, but we’ll stick to a pedestrian round trip on the bridge!

A little further down the now-closed road that led to Mojkovac, we discover another bridge—much more modest this time.

The water is crystal clear, and the sky reflects perfectly on its surface.





Canoe trips are organized on the Tara—maybe next time?

Our last evening in Montenegro will end at a restaurant table.

How about trout and potatoes, local style?



Bon appétit! (That white stuff on the potatoes is butter… not vanilla ice cream…)

The white stuff on the potatoes is butter... Not vanilla ice cream...

I thought your photo didn’t match the caption (a trout and potatoes) and that you were showing us your dessert! Like baked apples with vanilla ice cream. There’s as much butter as there are potatoes! 🤪😄

When some dishes arrived at our table during this trip, we didn’t immediately guess what they were...

The use of butter is quite peculiar. In Croatia, it looks like a kind of coarsely grated Gruyère, and it often ruins a dish rather than improving it...

We saw a steak tartare with a huge pile of grated butter on top—we thought, *Thank goodness we didn’t order that!*

The worst, I think, were the Milanese schnitzels. I don’t usually like them, but this was downright disgusting...

So overall, was the food good? Mediterranean like Italy or more rustic like in the East (Bulgaria, Romania...)?