Montenegro Tourism Enters a New Phase as Žabljak, Durmitor and Kolašin Challenge the Adriatic Summer

Written By: Ankita Neogi Khan

Ankita Neogi Khan

With over 15 years of experience in digital media, I bring a strong foundation in language, journalism, and storytelling to travel reporting. A graduate in English (Honours) from Presidency College with a Master's in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Calcutta, I began my career as a content curator before transitioning into travel journalism. I specialise in aviation, tourism trends, destination news, and industry insights, combining meticulous research, accuracy, and compelling storytelling to deliver credible, engaging, and insightful content for a global audience.

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August 29, 2026 2:39 PM |

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The travel sector in Montenegro is starting to more heavily value the expansion of travel opportunities beyond the Adriatic. Data indicates that for the year 2025, 92.6% of reported stays in Montenegro’s collective accommodations are estimated to be in traveling seaside resorts, while the remaining mountain resorts only make up 2.8% of stays.

The country has been centering development around the Žabljak, Durmitor, Kolašin, and Biogradska Gora regions. The endeavor is to connect a coastal holiday with a mountain trekking tour. The government’s strategies and new developments have identified the issue of seasonal and regional concentration.

The new developments and summer programming of the mountains along with new legislation have made it more direct. This change is meant to target longer trips that focus on the Bay of Kotor and traveling to mountain resorts that provide treks, forests, and wellness along with a few days of skiing and high-altitude getaway excursions.

Montenegro Tourism Faces A Coastal Imbalance

The scale of Montenegro’s tourism imbalance is striking. The country recorded 2.73 million tourist arrivals and 15.37 million overnight stays in 2025. Foreign visitors generated 95.8% of all overnight stays, confirming the sector’s importance to the international travel market. However, 92.6% of collective-accommodation nights still occurred in seaside resorts. Mountain resorts attracted only 2.8%, despite Montenegro’s extensive highland geography.

That concentration is not new. Montenegro’s Tourism Development Strategy identified an even wider structural problem, stating that about 95% of tourism turnover was concentrated on the coast. It also found that roughly 75% of tourism activity occurred during the summer months. The strategy therefore called for stronger regional diversification, longer seasons and more varied tourism products.

The latest policy direction suggests that this remains unfinished business. In June 2026, the Government adopted a draft Tourism and Hospitality Law built around regional diversification, destination resilience and protection of local quality of life. The proposed framework also recognises tourism regions as integrated areas combining natural, cultural and infrastructural assets.

The numbers explain why the northern push matters. Montenegro does not need another reason to visit the coast. It needs more reasons to stay elsewhere.

Kotor Is The Gateway, Not The Finish Line

The Bay of Kotor remains Montenegro’s strongest international tourism calling card. Its fortified towns, dramatic waterfronts and Mediterranean setting naturally attract first-time visitors. Yet the geography creates an unusual opportunity for the country. Travellers can move from an Adriatic environment into a markedly different mountain landscape without leaving Montenegro.

That contrast should become central to the destination proposition. Kotor offers heritage, water and Mediterranean atmosphere; the north offers altitude, forests, glacial lakes and outdoor recreation. Instead of competing for the same visitor, the two regions can extend the same visitor’s stay.

This matters commercially. A traveller who spends three nights in Kotor and leaves has generated a short coastal transaction. A traveller who adds Žabljak or Kolašin creates accommodation demand, restaurant spending and activity revenue in another region. The journey also becomes less dependent on a single peak season.

For readers, the practical lesson is equally important. Montenegro is increasingly better understood as a multi-landscape destination, rather than a compact beach escape.

Žabljak Changes The Altitude Equation

Žabljak provides perhaps the clearest counterpoint to Kotor. At around 1,453 metres above sea level, it is the highest urban settlement in the Balkans, according to Montenegro’s national tourism organisation. The town sits beside Durmitor National Park and functions as one of the principal bases for exploring the massif.

That elevation creates a major summer advantage. While the coast becomes intensely hot during the high season, Žabljak offers a cooler mountain environment. July and August are specifically promoted for escaping lower-altitude summer heat while exploring the surrounding landscape. Winter then changes the product again, with skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and other snow activities.

The result is more significant than a simple seasonal alternative. Žabljak can give Montenegro a summer mountain product and a winter product from the same destination. That is exactly the type of diversification the national strategy has sought.

Durmitor Supplies The Dramatic Centrepiece

Durmitor is where Montenegro’s mountain proposition becomes genuinely distinctive. The national park covers 32,519 hectares and contains 48 peaks above 2,000 metres. Its highest summit, Bobotov Kuk, reaches roughly 2,525 metres. The park also contains 18 glacial lakes, including the famous Crno Jezero, or Black Lake.

Its appeal stretches across several tourism categories. Hiking and mountaineering dominate the warmer months, while rafting and canyon experiences add an adventure dimension. Winter brings snow sports, although conditions require greater preparation and specialist equipment.

The geography also supports scenic touring. Montenegro’s official tourism organisation promotes a Durmitor Ring route linking Žabljak with Mala Crna Gora, Nedajno, Trsa and Pišće. That creates an itinerary option for travellers who want to experience the region without committing every day to strenuous hiking.

For travel planners, Durmitor therefore functions as the bridge between soft adventure, serious outdoor activity and scenic road travel.

Kolašin Tests The Four-Season Model

If Durmitor supplies the landscape drama, Kolašin represents the more developed tourism experiment. The town sits at approximately 954 metres and has direct road connections through Montenegro’s interior and coastal hinterland. It is also served by the Belgrade–Bar railway, giving it an infrastructure advantage over some remote mountain settlements.

The Government has treated Kolašin as a major northern tourism investment zone. Kolašin 1600 forms part of a wider programme that also includes ski-centre projects at Žarski, Cmiljača, Savin Kuk and Štedim–Hajla. The Government’s 2025 infrastructure update confirmed that these projects remained part of its tourism development programme.

The shift is no longer limited to winter. In June 2025, Tourism Minister Simonida Kordić said mountain centres recorded 46% more visitors and 35% more collective-accommodation overnight stays than in 2024. Kolašin itself recorded an 8.7% rise in guests and more than 12% growth in overnight stays, according to figures presented by the ministry.

Kordić also said more than €15 million had been invested across five ski centres during the previous year, with almost €9 million directed towards Kolašin. The ministry said two new ski lifts had opened during the preceding winter and further investment was planned for snowmaking and water-storage infrastructure.

Biogradska Gora Adds A Slower Dimension

A successful northern strategy cannot rely solely on skiing and adrenaline. Biogradska Gora gives Montenegro a different proposition based on forest immersion, biodiversity and slower travel.

The national park sits within the Bjelasica mountain region and is associated with one of Europe’s remaining primeval forests. Its landscape adds another reason for visitors to travel north after seeing the coast. Instead of chasing peaks or ski runs, travellers can explore woodland, lakes and hiking routes.

This distinction matters for destination resilience. Families, wellness travellers, photographers and older travellers may not seek demanding mountain adventures. A nature-focused product broadens the potential customer base and makes the northern strategy less dependent on winter snow.

That diversification also fits the Government’s broader tourism direction. The latest proposed tourism legislation explicitly emphasises regional diversification and destination resilience.

The Numbers Reveal A Seasonality Gap

The mountain opportunity becomes clearer when monthly statistics are examined. In July 2025, seaside resorts represented 92.9% of collective-accommodation overnight stays, while mountain resorts accounted for only 2.2%. In August, the seaside share remained 92.5%, with mountains at 2.5%.

The pattern changes in winter, although the coast still dominates nationally. In January 2025, mountain resorts represented 20.2% of collective-accommodation overnight stays. The figure reached 12.1% in February. By December, mountain resorts accounted for 9.4%.

These figures expose the real challenge. The North does not need to replace the coast. It needs to become economically relevant when the coast is at its weakest.

New Infrastructure Could Change The Calculation

The Government’s investment programme shows that the northern strategy is not purely promotional. Kolašin 1600 has received infrastructure investment for ski lifts, access and supporting facilities, while additional mountain-centre projects remain under development.

More recently, the Government initiated work on artificial snowmaking infrastructure at Kolašin 1600. The project involves artificial reservoirs and associated pipelines, signalling a continuing attempt to strengthen winter reliability.

That matters because four-season tourism requires infrastructure that works beyond the postcard. Hotels need reliable access, destinations need activities outside peak periods, and ski centres need greater resilience against variable snowfall.

However, infrastructure alone cannot create demand. The next stage requires stronger transport links, activity operators, accommodation capacity and compelling shoulder-season programming.

A Coast-To-Mountain Holiday Makes More Sense

For travellers, the most valuable change may be conceptual rather than infrastructural. Montenegro can be experienced as a sequence of environments rather than a single resort region.

A nine-day journey could begin around Kotor and the Bay of Kotor. It could then move towards Žabljak for Durmitor, continue to Kolašin and finish around Biogradska Gora. The itinerary would replace repetition with contrast: stone towns, saltwater, highland roads, glacial lakes, forests and mountain resorts.

The ideal timing also changes according to the traveller. Summer visitors can use the mountains as a cooler counterpoint to the coast. Autumn can favour forests, hiking and scenic drives. Winter shifts attention towards Kolašin and Žabljak. Spring can offer a quieter combination of nature and cultural sightseeing, although mountain conditions require careful checking.

This is precisely where Montenegro’s geography becomes a commercial asset. The country can sell one journey with several climatic and experiential identities.

Growth Brings A New Sustainability Test

The northern expansion carries an important caveat. Moving visitors away from the coast does not automatically make tourism more sustainable. It can simply relocate pressure into landscapes with lower infrastructure capacity.

Durmitor and Biogradska Gora are protected environments. Increased visitor numbers therefore require stronger waste management, trail maintenance, transport planning and visitor controls. Montenegro’s own tourism strategy previously identified inadequate waste management and environmental awareness among sector challenges.

The new policy direction acknowledges this tension. The proposed Tourism and Hospitality Law places protection of local quality of life and cultural heritage alongside regional diversification and destination resilience.

That balance will determine whether northern growth becomes a durable tourism model. The objective should not be to reproduce the coastal mass-market model in the mountains.

What Travellers Should Plan Differently

Travellers considering a coast-to-mountain itinerary should allow more time than a conventional beach break. Road journeys through mountainous terrain can take longer than map distances suggest, while weather can alter hiking and driving conditions.

Summer visitors should not assume that mountain conditions match the coast. Even during warm months, high-altitude areas can become cool and unsettled. Winter travellers need proper equipment and should check current mountain conditions before attempting trails. Montenegro’s tourism authorities specifically warn that winter hiking routes become more difficult and require appropriate equipment and guidance.

For a first visit, Kotor works naturally as the cultural and maritime opening. Žabljak suits travellers prioritising Durmitor and outdoor activity. Kolašin offers a more developed mountain-resort proposition. Biogradska Gora works best as a nature-focused extension.

The strategic advantage for visitors is simple: one country can now support several very different holiday rhythms.

Montenegro Tourism Could Be Rewritten At Altitude

The success of Montenegro’s coast will not diminish and should not. As a pillar of the tourism sector, the Bay of Kotor and the cities of Budva and the Adriatic will continue to draw tourists. However, recent data reveals the main reason for Montenegro’s push into its Northern regions.

The strategy is centered around developing Kotor as an access point and not an endpoint. Žabljak can offer an Adventure combined with height. Durmitor offers a unique natural focus in the global view. Kolašin may define the boundary and provide infrastructure to support the 4 season use that may be sustained. While Biogradska Gora offers a more passive nature offering.

After abstract goal setting with regards to diversification, the Government has aligned policy, investment, and cohesive infrastructure to facilitate the strategy. The only thing left now is for travelers to show that they want to visit the tourist sights Montenegro has to offer.

Smart travelers have already realized that they do not have to chose a vacation that focuses solely on Montenegro’s convert coast or mountainous back country. A Montenegro vacation offers the opportunity for travelers to experience the best of both.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why Is Montenegro Expanding Tourism Beyond the Coast?

Montenegro is trying to reduce its heavy dependence on coastal and summer tourism. The strategy aims to encourage longer stays, distribute visitors more evenly across regions and strengthen year-round travel.

2. How Does Žabljak Compare With Kotor?

Kotor is primarily a coastal heritage destination centred on the Bay of Kotor, historic architecture and Adriatic experiences. Žabljak offers a high-altitude alternative focused on Durmitor, hiking, lakes, winter sports and outdoor adventure.

3. What Makes Durmitor Important For Montenegro Tourism?

Durmitor combines dramatic peaks, glacial lakes, hiking routes, rafting and winter activities. Its UNESCO World Heritage status and concentration of high-altitude landscapes make it one of Montenegro’s strongest nature-tourism assets.

4. Is Kolašin A Year-Round Destination?

Kolašin is being developed as one of Montenegro’s principal four-season mountain destinations. Winter skiing is complemented by summer hiking, nature experiences, wellness and other outdoor activities, supported by substantial infrastructure investment.

5. When Is The Best Time To Combine Kotor With Northern Montenegro?

Late spring, summer and early autumn are particularly suitable for combining the coast with mountain destinations. Summer offers cooler conditions in the highlands, while autumn adds forests and mountain scenery; winter is better suited to travellers specifically seeking snow and skiing.