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Europe’s rare virgin forest

July 20, 2021 | Michael Turtle | 17 Comments

NATIONAL PARK

Montenegro’s mountains

Arriving into Montenegro from the north, across the border with Serbia, I can’t think of a better way to be introduced to this country. Montenegro will turn out to have three distinct regions – the mountains, the coast, and the boring bit in the middle. Here in the mountains, I decide I’ve already found my favourite part.

I’m on the bus and, as it winds its way along the cliffsides and over bridges, I stare out the window in awe. It’s mostly green peaks but occasionally I get a flash of snow from the higher mountains – even though this is the middle of summer. Down in valleys, rivers rush through, sometimes brown and sometimes blue.

Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro

The area of Serbia I have just left was pretty but it’s almost as if some bureaucrat many years ago untied himself from red tape and unleashed his love of nature by choosing the international border based on the point where the scenery becomes even more beautiful.

Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro

Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro

My first stop is the small town of Kolasin, which I have chosen as a base for a couple of nights so I can explore the nearby Biogradska Gora National Park.

There aren’t too many parts of Europe where the forests have been left completely untouched but here is a tract of virgin forest where a lot of the trees are at least 500 years old. Full of animals and plants, this is the smallest of Montenegro’s four national parks but it has some of the greatest diversity.

Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro
Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro
Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro

Paths cut across the park leading to its glacial lakes, mountaintops, and camping areas. I have decided to hike through it for the day but others I meet are riding bikes or driving jeeps.

There aren’t that many people here but, as I climb higher, the number of visitors thins like the trees. When I get to the summit of one mountain, I am the only person here and I look across the park with just the buzz of the insects for company.

Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro
Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro

The highlight of the park, though, is the Biogradska Lake – about an hour’s walk from the main road where the bus from Kolasin dropped me off in the morning. This is the largest lake in Biogradska Gora National Park and is also the hub for all the activities.

There is a camping area, some accommodation huts, a restaurant and a small information office. If you would like to visit with an organised tour, I can recommend this ecotour.

Most people use the lake as a base for hikes or other day activities. I use it to sit for a while and admire the beautiful view – a few boats tied to a pier resting peacefully in the still water reflecting the mountains and forests around it.

Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro
Biogradska Gora National Park, Montenegro, virgin forest, hiking in montenegro

Most of the action in Montenegro is along the coast, especially in summer when the beaches are a bigger drawcard than the snowless ski slopes of the mountain region. But I’m glad this is where I have started my time in this country.

It’s more beautiful than any other natural areas I have seen in this part of the world so far and it’s inspiring in its serenity.

For some great tours in Montenegro, you might like to consider one of these:

 

Montenegro Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MONTENEGRO?

See my Montenegro Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Montenegro:

  • The best things to do in Montenegro
  • What to expect when you visit Kotor
  • The largest canyon in Europe
  • Visiting Montenegro’s old capital lost in time
  • An incredible monastery cut into a cliff
  • Hiking amongst Europe’s rare virgin forest
  • Exploring the ruins of the ancient Stari Bar
  • Why I disliked Podgorica so much

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a tour of Montenegro, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours in Montenegro.

You could consider:

  • Discover the Balkans: National Geographic Journey (12 days)
  • Montenegro and Croatia Sailing (15 days)
  • Croatia and the Balkans (15 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you should use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Brandi Easley |

    July 30, 2013 at 10:34 pm

    Reply

    You had me at virgin forests. Nice job with the pics and description.

  2. Tria |

    July 30, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    Reply

    lovely post and pictures.. so wonderful.. someday I will be go there!

  3. Dea |

    July 31, 2013 at 2:15 am

    Reply

    wow, great photos

    burst out laughing @ “the boring bit in the middle”
    the road from Kolasin to Podgorica through the Moraca canyon is pretty dramatic.. near Niksic there’s a monastery Ostrog carved into a cliff and Cetinje, the old kingdom’s capital is like a place lost in time

  4. Iain Mallory |

    July 31, 2013 at 3:32 am

    Reply

    I’m really keen to visit one of Europe’s newest countries, looks and sounds fantastic. I’m even more interested now.

  5. Freya Renders |

    July 31, 2013 at 4:00 am

    Reply

    It looks so peaceful there! I’ve heard about Montenegro before. I would definitely go visit someday.

  6. Marina K. Villatoro |

    July 31, 2013 at 9:08 am

    Reply

    I’m impressed. I honestly didn’t think there is anything like this left in Europe, due to the logging and other past occurances.

  7. nicole |

    July 31, 2013 at 3:36 pm

    Reply

    Wow! I’d love to see that. Look at all the pretty flowers! =)

  8. Jennifer |

    August 1, 2013 at 6:58 pm

    Reply

    There were two reasons we couldn’t visit the forests when we were in Montenegro last year. First, there were massive forest fires throughout Montenegro and Bosnia. Second, the forest are rife with ticks and we were traveling with our dog, Emma. I’m glad to see this area at least was left undamaged from the fires.

  9. Jim O'Donnell |

    August 1, 2013 at 10:46 pm

    Reply

    What a great post and what a great place. I spent a couple of weeks exploring the Macedonian forests in 2004. Amazing. The Balkans are one of my favorite places and I look forward to getting back. I went hunting for the last remaining wilderness in northern Europe in 2003 and that was, naturally, Finland. Even there the wilderness is under attack but there are remnants.

  10. Ali |

    August 5, 2013 at 3:03 am

    Reply

    Gorgeous! Now I want to visit Montenegro even more!

  11. T.W. Anderson @ Marginal Boundaries |

    August 5, 2013 at 11:05 pm

    Reply

    Really awesome to see your Eastern European explorations, Michael! I swear, for a lot of years I was always telling my friends/family that I truly believe some of the most untouched, virgin countryside exists in Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia, etc., but it’s really refreshing to see someone else exploring and sharing the same thing!

    Beautiful, beautiful stuff. I was super inspired when my friends Ryan and Angela spent a few months in the country (Montenegro) last year, and it’s really groovy to see your experiences coming to life this year as well. Rock on!

  12. flipnomad |

    August 14, 2013 at 6:04 pm

    Reply

    so beautiful… perfect place to just forget everything and enjoy the serenity of the place.

    ps

    gorgeous pics man, i love the way you composed the first pic!

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 27, 2013 at 9:09 pm

      Reply

      You would certainly be able to lose yourself in this park. It’s so quiet and there are so many trails you could walk day after day. So beautiful!

  13. Marysia @ My Travel Affairs |

    August 18, 2013 at 6:02 am

    Reply

    I’m so so so jealous of your trip!

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 27, 2013 at 9:00 pm

      Reply

      I get the feeling you’re going to be able to go and do it all for yourself pretty soon!! 🙂

  14. Armands Balodis |

    August 21, 2013 at 5:17 pm

    Reply

    Looks similar to Slovakia – love the mountains.

    • Michael Turtle |

      August 27, 2013 at 8:16 pm

      Reply

      I’ve never been to Slovakia but I would love to get there sometime soon. Especially if it looks like this!

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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