Overview of the small town of Zabljak in Montenegro for travelers. In this article, you will learn everything a tourist needs to know: how to get there, attractions, accommodation, restaurants. As well as tips and tricks, other useful information and much more. This small town on the outskirts of the country could have remained unknown to anyone if not for its location.
Table of contents:
- Zabljak in Montenegro: general information
- Getting there
- Dining: restaurants, cafes
- Attractions in Zabljak
- Where to stay in Zabljak: accommodation, hotels, apartments
- Weather and season
- Travel Tips
It will be difficult for you to plan your dream trip to Montenegro without these websites
Zabljak in Montenegro: general information
I will briefly give the most basic information so that you have a complete picture of this city.
- Zabljak is located at an altitude of 1495 meters above sea level. This is the highest mountain town in Montenegro.
- City map
- It is located in the north of the country in its mountainous part. The famous Tara River is nearby.
- Podgorica is just 125 km away. Budva – 180 km.
- Zabljak was completely destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt after.
- According to Wikipedia, the population of the city is slightly less than 2000 people. But the locals say this is only in the summer. And in winter, a maximum of 600 people stay in the city.
The city is very small, the size of the city center is 100 by 100 meters. There is a hotel, car parking, a grocery store and a couple of cafes in the center. If you want to walk around the city, then in 30 minutes you will pass it all. Therefore, tourists go to Zabljak not only for the city sights. And why – read on.
Getting to Zabljak
Everything is pretty easy here. In fact, if you do not take a taxi or rent a helicopter, then you can get from Podgorica or a city on the coast in three ways:
- By car. The best and easiest way. 2-3 hours and you are here. Place a pin in the maps app and let’s go. The roads to Zabljak are excellent everywhere.
- By the way, car rental in Montenegro is very affordable, and the traffic rules are clear and similar to most European countries, and the traffic is relatively calm. It is difficult to travel in Montenegro without a car. Although public transport is only between major cities.
- All about car rental in Montenegro.
- By public transport, in this case – only by bus.
- Hitch-hiking.
Let me tell you a little about the bus. The bus to Zabljak runs only from Podgorica. Daily, 4-6 times a day depending on the season. Tickets are purchased on the spot before departure, online booking of such tickets in Montenegro is not possible.
- Coordinates of the bus station in Podgorica: 42.43244238931773, 19.268230444624937
- And here are the coordinates of the bus station in Zabljak: 43.15322144958547, 19.126556758021454
- Bus ticket price: 8-15 euros. Depending on the season, time, carrier company. Tickets can be bought in advance at the bus station ticket office or before departure.
- See the bus schedule below.
Dining in Zabljak
I already said that the town is tiny. But at the same time, there are a dozen or two taverns and restaurants, two relatively large supermarkets, a fast food cafe with cevapi and pleskavica right at the bus station, as well as a bakery with fresh bureks.
- All about the traditional cuisine of Montenegro
Below, from dozens of cafes and restaurants, I will recommend a few of them, where food is tasty, inexpensive and large portions. Each of them has some traditional grilled dishes (rostil), and the price is about 10 euros.
- Restaurant Nostalgia. There’s 70-80s music playing :). Coordinates: 43.15424160129935, 19.12563427480585
- Golden Parrot Restaurant (Zlatni Papagaj): 43.154890903517966, 19.11859255265772
- Fast food cafe at the bus station with cevapi and pleskavica
- Very cool bakery with bureks with cheese, meat, mushrooms and potatoes. Located in the courtyard of a residential building 30 m from the main square: 43.155428938695884, 19.120114988283706
These are the eateries that are located in Zabljak, and we like to dine there. In fact, there are no problems with food here. This applies to all of Montenegro.
Attractions in Zabljak
For your understanding, there is not a single attraction in the city. You will have 15 minutes to get to know the city. If you read a brief history at the beginning of the article, then you know that Zabljak was rebuilt after World War II. If you do not take into account the three churches in the city and the letters of the city’s name on the main square, then there is nothing to see.
But tourists do not come here for this. And here’s why:
- The famous Durmitor National Park and the Black Lake is 2.5 km from the city, easily accessible on foot.
- 25 mountain hiking trails around the city
- The largest ski resort in Montenegro – Savin Kuk – 5 km
- The Tara River Canyon is a very popular destination. The second deepest canyon in the world, as the locals say.
- A masterpiece of engineering – an arched bridge across the canyon of the Tara River – the Djurdjevic Bridge (Tara bridge), 22 km from the city.
- The highest point in Montenegro is Mount Bobotov Kuk (2522m). The beginning of the trail to the top is from Durmitor Park. Many travelers start right from the bus station of the town.
- The highest mountain road in the country and the picturesque Sedlo Pass.
- 3 extreme ziplines, the length of the line is more than 1 km, and the speed is more than 80 km/h
- Rafting starts from the Djurdjevic bridge, and anyone can go rafting along the canyon of the Tara River
Even two days will not be enough for you for all the entertainment.
Tip:
Many tourists underestimate this area of the country and come here for one night, and there are even those travelers who come just for one day. My opinion – at least 2 nights. However, this is still not enough for all even the main destinations.
Below are two articles that will tell you about all the sights in the vicinity of the city of Zabljak in detail:
- Large article about Tara river canyon, Djurdjevic bridge and Durmitor park
- Montenegro in winter: ski resorts and more
Accommodation in Zabljak
This is a short paragraph with not much to say. Although Zabljak is a small town, there are a large number of accommodation options here. All local residents rent apartments to tourists, there are also many hotels in the city itself and near the Savin Kuk ski resort.
There is a huge number of chalet-type houses in this region. And even today, the entire area is very actively built up with new houses for rent.
Look for accommodation on well-known booking services, links are at the end of the article. There are always a lot of options. Prices are very different, as 15 euros for a room in a guesthouse, and 50 for a small chalet.
Rating of popular accomadation in Zabljak:
Weather and season in Zabljak
Montenegro has 4 climatic zones despite being a very small country. The area of Zabljak and the Durmitor park is the coldest of all, it is also the highest mountain. As I already wrote, the city is located at an altitude of almost 1500m.
Anyone who goes in for hiking, climbing and loves mountains knows that approximately every 100m of climb the temperature decreases 1 degree Celsius.
Interesting to know:
A couple of years ago my wife and I went hiking to Mount Olympus in Greece. The height of Mount Olympus is 3015m. So on the coast it was +30 degrees, and at the top – 0 degrees.
This temperature difference is not strongly felt during the high season in July. The sun in the mountains is also very warm. But at the end of October, when the air temperature on the coast is still more than 20 degrees during the day, then in Zabljak it will be about 10, and at night there may already be frosts.
Travel Tips
I will try to summarize all of the above and add some more useful information:
- If you plan to go hiking, be sure to wear hiking shoes. It’s very uncomfortable in usual shoes. All trails are very rocky.
- If you have little time and would like to come here for one day, I think this is not very reasonable. In this case, it is better to choose Lovcen Park, which is much closer to the coast. Because you need to go to Zabljak with at least two overnight stays.
- In addition to the mountains in the Durmitor park, there are the Prokletje mountains and the Grebaje valley, which are located in the west of Montenegro, 150 km from Zabljak. This is also a high-altitude region, but the mountains here are completely different. The Grebaje Valley has more hiking and climbing trails.
- I advise you to read the article: Montenegrin mountains of Prokletije. And there you already choose the trails for hiking.
In conclusion: Zabljak in the north of Montenegro is a small town with no special attractions in the city center. And for those who read this article, this is a great city in the mountains around which there are a huge number of top attractions in Montenegro.
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Montenegro
- Aviasales – Cheap Flights and best deals.
- Car rental in Montenegro:
- DiscoverCars – a large international platform.
- LocalRent – works with local rental companies. Leader in car rental in Montenegro.
- Hotels and apartments all over the country:
- Tours, excursions and activities (including extreme ones):
- GetYourGuide – more than 430 tours
- Viator – 780+ excursions and activities throughout the country
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- Internet and Calls:
- Airalo eSIM in Montenegro
- Drimsim – universal sim card for frequent traveler
- Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel