No other scenic road in Montenegro pulled more Oohs and Aahs from me than the Durmitor Ring (Durmitorski Prsten), one of the four “Panoramic Roads” traversing the country.
With mountains that seem to be jagged with a giant blade, deep canyons, and tiny villages sitting on expansive meadows, the Durmitor Ring offers wonderful sightseeing and endless photo opportunities.
Hitting this road is a great way to see the beauty of the Durmitor National Park whether you only have a few hours here or you want to see the landscape without breaking a sweat. It’s also where you’ll find the trailheads for many popular hikes, in case you do want to break a sweat.
This guide will show you the most scenic spots, including a map, nearby activities and helpful tips.
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Table of Contents
The Durmitor Ring Route
Žabljak: the Starting Point
Well, sort of. You can start your trip around this circular road from different points, but Žabljak is kind of the “official” starting point because it’s the major town in Durmitor, where most of the accommodations are.
It’s also where you’ll find the only gas station along the road, so make sure you fill up your tank before taking off.
We followed the route marked on the Panoramic Road free map, available at the visitor centre, which includes scenic viewpoints along the Durmitor Ring
While you’re in Žabljak you can check out the Black Lake, the most visited site in the national park.
Detour to Ćurevac
If you made it all the way here it’s worth taking the road towards Nadgora -you’ll find it on your right shortly after leaving Žabljak- to visit the Ćurevac peak, from where you can see the Tara canyon.
The 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) -one way- will add one more hour to your itinerary. Once you’re there you can either go on the hiking trail to reach the peak, or you can enjoy the view from the parking lot.
You’ll go back on the same road to return to the Durmitor Ring.
View of Crvena Greda
Stop at the Momčilov Grad restaurant where you’ll find an abandoned ski lift, the first in Durmitor, with great views.
From the restaurant’s ample terrace you’ll see the peaks of Crvena Greda (2,164 metres-7,099 feet), in the north end of the Durmitor Massif.
View of the Tara Canyon
Don’t have time to take the detour to Ćurevac or to visit the Tara canyon? You can still get a decent view of the deepest gorge in Europe from this viewpoint.
Mala Crna Gora Village
We drove past Mala Crna Gora (meaning Small Monte Negro), the first small village we encountered on the road. This passage isn’t that much about the scenery, but more about seeing the typical architecture of the rural areas: a handful of chalet-style houses that seem to be frozen in time, with a lot of livestock roaming around.
During the harshest winter months the few people who live here are pretty much isolated after heavy snowfalls and snow storms.
The Sušica Canyon
After passing by Mala Crna Gora we stopped at the next viewpoint on the map to catch a view of the magnificent 15-kilometre-long Sušica Canyon.
We then went downhill in the most winding and steep section of the Durmitor Ring taking plenty of hairpin turns towards the bottom of the gorge, which is 700 metres down at the deepest point.
Once you’re down in the valley you can check out Lake Sušica if you find it. It disappears after spring until it’s replenished with melting snow the next spring. We were there in the summer so we didn’t find it.
The sinuous road took us uphill again and unto the viewpoint located on the west side for more spectacular views of the canyon, including the Sušica river flowing deep down.
Right after, we saw the tiny village of Nedajno, a place to stop for a snack before hitting the road again with the Piva mountain as the backdrop.
There are a couple of guesthouses in the area if you want to stay in this remote area and explore the nearby hiking trails.
The Villages of Trsa and Pišče
The sight of the Church of St. George signaled that we were about to enter the small village of Trsa, with more chalet-style houses, and that we were about halfway on our Durmitor Ring journey.
You can stop here for a snack and to step on a couple of easy to moderate hiking trails or do horseback riding. You also have the option of booking one of the guesthouses offering basic accommodations.
The road continued through meadows and rolling hills, with the distant sight of shorter mountains (compared to the ultra tall jagged peaks you see elsewhere in the park), partially covered by pine forests. So relaxing.
Pišče was the next tiny village, where we saw about a dozen houses interspersed on the hills and more livestock as the main activity here is farming and cheese making.
View of Prutaš Peak
After leaving Pišče’s green hills the road ascended towards the most spectacular section of the Durmitor Ring. Monumental rock formations sprinkled with vegetation become the dominant feature.
As we approached the Todorov Do Valley, located at 1,820 metres high (5,971 feet), the mountains started resembling a layer cake succumbing to the weight of an invisible cake topper.
Make sure you stop at the viewpoint in this valley to drool over the view of the Prutaš peak, which looks like a slice of vertical-layer cake as a result of the collision of two tectonic plates. You can take a cool picture with the big frame installed at the viewpoint.
And if you’re up for a hike, head for the trailhead and try to reach the Prutaš summit.
View of Sedlena Greda (Saddle of the Gods)
More awesomeness awaited as we stopped at Vodeni Do, the next viewpoint marked on the Panoramic Roads map. From here we saw the beautiful Dobri Do valley and, in the distance, the iconic Sedlena Greda ridge (also known as the Saddle of the Gods –Sedlo means saddle) with its two peaks.
It reminded me of the tip of the tower of Barad-dûr that frames the Eye of Sauron in Lord Of The Rings.
Sedlo Pass
Next stop on the map is at the Sedlo Pass, the highest road pass in Montenegro at 1,908 metres (6,259 feet), from where we got a closer and different perspective of Sedlena Greda (and where you can access the hiking trail to its summit at 2,227 metres -7,306 feet-). And again, what a view.
This is a popular spot as it’s also one of the trailheads for the Bobotov Kuk hike.
Around here, we experienced a Durmitor traffic jam in the form of a huge flock of sheep quietly descending from the mountain and spilling into the road and the valley.
I enjoyed this as much as the scenery!
The Pošćenska Dolina Valley
After Sedlo, the road goes downhill and passes by the Pošćenska Dolina valley, which is the last stop on the map before returning to Žabljak.
The rolling hills covered in grasses offer a stark contrast against the jagged mountains crowned by the Ravnisava peak in the background. There’s also a group of small lakes spread across , which you can explore by foot as an easy hike.
Note: some lakes disappear during the summer.
View of Savin Kuk
Halfway between the lakes and Žabljak you’ll see the majestic Savin Kuk peak, home to a ski resort. Taking the ski lift, which works most of the year, is one of the best things to do in Durmitor.
Map of the Durmitor Ring
How Long Does it Take to Drive the Durmitor Ring?
It takes about three hours to drive the 76-kilometre route (83 kilometres if you take the detour to Ćurevac). But you can easily spend four hours stopping at the viewpoints and taking pictures.
Or an entire day, if you decide to go on any of the many trails you can access from the road.
Check rental car rates with Rental Cars
If you’re staying near Kotor or Budva it takes about three hours to drive to Žabljak so, although it would be a long 10-12 hour journey, a day trip to drive around Durmitor is doable and 100% worth it.
If you want someone else to do the drive check out this Durmitor Ring tour, offering different pick up points.
Hotels and Accommodations Near the Durmitor Ring
If you can spend more time exploring the park (highly recommended), check out where to stay near the Durmitor Ring:
Domaćinstvo Krstajić -Rural Holiday: we stayed at this guest house, located right on the Durmitor Ring (on road P5) and only minutes away from Žabljak. Clean,comfortable, basic accommodations and superb hospitality. We booked the Deluxe Double Studio.
Check rates at Domaćinstvo Krstajić, with a 9.6/10 rating based on more than 300 reviews.
Etno Selo Smrčevo brdo: you can stay at a modern version of the traditional chalets you see in the mountain villages, with kitchenette, private bathrooms and your own terrace. It’s located only four minutes further away from town than the previous option.
Check rates at Etno Selo Smrčevo brdo, with a 9.4/10 rating based on more than 370 reviews.
Hotel Soa: this option offers the convenience of a 4-star hotel, with a few suites equipped as mini-apartments, and a great location within walking distance of Black Lake.
Check rates at Hotel Soa, with a 9.1/10 rating based on more than 1,230 reviews.
Tips to Drive the Durmitor Ring
– Free Durmitor Ring maps are available at the visitor centre in Žabljak. You’ll also find brown signs (see picture below) along the route. In addition to this I recommend you use Google Maps or download Montenegro’s map on Maps.me.
– The best time to drive this road is between late May and October as blizzards block the road during the winter.
– We drove the route counterclockwise, as recommended on the Panoramic Roads brochure (if you have a campervan go clockwise).
– The two-way road is on the narrow side, with sharp turns and steep inclines in some sections, not suitable for big campervans.
– Rent a medium-sized car rather than a big one. It’s a narrow road and you don’t need a 4X4 or anything like that since the road is all paved and in good condition. On the other hand, a teeny tiny car with four people may have a hard time going uphill.
– The only gas station in Durmitor is in Žabljak.
– At the parking lots you may run into a park ranger collecting the €5/day entrance fee for the park.
-There are several campsites along the route.
Biking the Durmitor Ring
You can bike this route instead of driving it. If you’re a beginner you can rent an e-bike and cycle the sections of the road that are an easier ride. Or you can attempt to bike the entire route if you’re an experienced cyclist. Keep in mind that the road is narrow with many curves, there’s no dedicated bike lanes, and some sections have steep ascents and descents along cliffs with no guardrails.
Driving the Durmitor Ring is a fantastic way to see the magnificent mountainous landscape of northern Montenegro. It’s one of the most scenic and unforgettable drives I’ve done.
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