Best Ski Resorts in Montenegro

Montenegro is famous not only for the beauties of the coast and beach holidays, but also winter resorts, which so far many do not know about, but in vain.

An active winter holiday in Montenegro gives a lot of pleasure, as there are still few tourists here, and the views that open from the height of the mountains are simply gorgeous. In addition, unlike other winter resorts, prices in Montenegro are several times lower, but the quality meets all European standards.

Despite the fact that tourism began to develop here relatively recently, ski Montenegro may well already compete with some winter resorts in Europe, but we will talk about this later.

All ski resorts in Montenegro

At the moment there are 6 active ski resorts in Montenegro:

• Savin Kuk (Durmitor/Zabljak)
• Yavorovacha (Durmitor/Zabljak)
• Kolasin 1450
• Kolasin 1600
• Vucje (Niksic)
• Turiyak (Rozhaye)

There are also several other ski resorts, but they are still under reconstruction:

• Cmiljaca (Bielo Pole)
• Hajla (Rozae)
• Stuc (Durmitor/Zabljak)
• Lokve (Kalace)

But the best of these are the resorts of Zabljak and Kolasin, as they are the longest and most well-equipped. We will talk about them in more detail below.

Winter resorts in Zabljak

Zabljak (Žabljak), as an urban settlement, began to form in 1871, right at the foot of the Durmitor Mountains, where the national park of the same name was formed in 1952. It is believed that the name Durmitor comes from the Celtic words "dru mi tore", which means "mountain full of water." In addition, Zabljak is considered the highest city in Southeast Europe in terms of location and rises to 1456 meters above sea level, while it is surrounded by 23 mountain peaks, more than 2200 meters high. The highest peak is Bobotov Kuk, height 2523 m. The area of ​​Zabljak is very picturesque because only 2.5 km from the city is the Black Lake, and 22 km from the deepest canyon in Europe and the equally famous Djurdjevica Bridge. Therefore, here you can combine both an active winter holiday and walks with admiring nature. Fresh mountain air, glacial lakes, and rich flora will give you the answer to the question of why true nature lovers come back here again.

In the municipality of Zabljak, all the features of the Alpine climate are expressed: the winter is very long and cold, with a lot of snow, which is present here for about 120 days a year, and the summer is short and fresh.

Slopes

As for the ski slopes, there are 12, but we will consider the best ones:

Savin Kuk

The steepest descent, the length of which is 3500 meters, and the height difference is 700 meters. The total length of the ski slopes is 4.7 km, and the capacity is up to 3,000 skiers per hour. The Savin Kuk ski resort has three blue runs (2.8 km), one red run (1.1 km), one black run (800 m) and a children's run.

Stutz (Štuoc)

This track is suitable for all skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts, but its length is slightly shorter and is only 1760 m. However, the views there are quite picturesque, so many people prefer to ride on this track. At the moment, this route is not functioning due to unsettled property and legal relations after its transfer into the hands of a private company, which is still postponing the improvement of the route.

Javorovača

The slope for beginners is only 800 m long. However, the slope is illuminated, and the ski center has a restaurant-guest house, ski schools, and rental services.

To sum up, there are 12 tracks in total in Zabljak, with a total length of about 14 km. Of these: black trails – 2 km; red trails – 4 km; blue – 8 km. Trails for children are built separately from adults.

Ski lifts

The resort of Zabljak is equipped with ski lifts, chairlifts, and children's lifts. Of these, Savin Kuk has 2 chairlifts, 3 rope tows and 1 children's lift; the Yavorovach track – 2 ski lifts and 1 for children; Shtuts – 2 ski lifts and 1 for children, but so far, as we indicated above, they do not work.

Savin Kuk ski lifts:

• Ski tow T-lift «Snowboard» rises to a height of 1600 meters. Travel time is approximately 4:20 minutes. Carrying capacity – 1000 people.
• Ski tow T-lift "Dernek" goes a little higher. The peak point is 1688 meters. The ascent takes about 6 minutes.
• The double lift "Savin Kuk 1" rises to the mark of 1907 meters in just 11 minutes. On the way, you can enjoy the most beautiful views of the Durmitor Mountains.
• The double chair lift "Savin Kuk 2" will take you to the highest point of 2213 meters. You can transfer to it using the previous lift. The ascent is quite steep, and no less fascinating. The rise time is approximately 4 minutes.
• Ski tow T-lift "Panalj" goes to a height of 1702 meters in 4 minutes 20 seconds. Throughput - 500 people per hour.
• Children's rope lift is only 150 meters long. The height of the end point is 1528 meters, the initial one is 1523. Carrying capacity: 400 people.

The lifts working hours are daily from 10:00 to 16:00, night skiing from 18:00 to 21:00.

The ski season usually starts from the middle of December and ends on March 31st.

Prices winter season 2022/2023 Zabljak

*Night skiing is not included in other ski passes by default, so if you want to ski in the evening you will need to buy a separate ski pass.

Equipment rent

If you do not have your own ammunition, then you can easily rent it at reasonable prices. A standard category kit will cost you about 5-7 euros, and a premium category kit 8-10 euros/day. There is also an opportunity to hire an instructor if you want to learn how to ski in Montenegro.

How to get

When planning a winter holiday in Montenegro, it is best to fly to Podgorica airport, as it is closest to the ski resorts. The distance from Podgorica to Zabljak is approximately 125 km. If you arrive at Tivat airport, then you will have to get a little longer (about 200 km). Moreover, in winter, the temperature on the coast of Montenegro is always above zero, but in the North there is below zero, so you can get into a temperature trap, arriving at +15, and then go skiing at -20.

How to get to Zabljak from Podgorica:

• Bus (8-10 EUR)
  You will need to get to the main bus station in Podgorica. There are approximately 6 buses a day to Zabljak, from 5:45 to 17:05. You can see the schedule here.
• Transfer (from 70 EUR)
  It is better to take care of this in advance and order a car in online services.
• Car rental (от 20 EUR)
  As a rule, winter is not considered a very high season here, so the price of renting a car in Montenegro in winter is much lower than in the summer months, but be sure to check when renting whether the lessor has tire chains, as the road in the mountains can be unpredictable.

How to get to Zabljak from Tivat and other cities

• Bus (17-25 EUR)
  There are no direct buses from the Coast to Zabljak, so in any case you will have to go to Podgorica first, and then go to Zabljak from there.
• Transfer (от 90 EUR)
  Since the journey will take a little longer, the price of a transfer from coastal cities, including Budva and Tivat, will be slightly more expensive than from Podgorica.
• Car rental (от 20 EUR)

Accommodation

In Zabljak, apartments, chalets, and guesthouses are in demand, which you can rent from 20 EUR per day. But also here you can find hotels of both the budget and the elite segment, so the choice here depends on the size of your wallet. Accommodation in hotels will cost you about 50 EUR per day. If you are traveling with a group, then we advise you to immediately rent the whole house so that the atmosphere is even more charming.

Winter resorts in Kolasin

Kolasin, compared to Zabljak, is more developed both in terms of infrastructure and ski slopes. Although until recently it lagged far behind, now tens of millions of euros are being invested in Kolasin, as its location is more advantageous, which allows the resort to scale. Not far from Kolasin there is a railway road, and also the Adriatic highway passes nearby, which goes to Serbia. The only thing that Kolasin Zabljak is inferior to is its sights. Therefore, if you want to combine outdoor activities with walking, choose Zabljak, and if you want to spend the weekend skiing or snowboarding, then feel free to go to Kolasin.

Slopes

At the moment, there are two active ski resorts in Kolasin — Kolasin 1450 and Kolasin 1600.

In 2022, completed construction of cable car K7, which connected the two resorts, now the total length of all trails is more than 46 km. 

After that, the slopes can be divided as follows:

• Blue slopes (for beginners) - 20 km
• Red slopes (for amateurs) - 20 km
• Black slopes (for pros) - 6 km.

Kolasin 1450 (Kolašin 1450)

This resort is located at an altitude of 1420 (the lowest point) to 1973 meters, and the total length of the slopes is 17 km. The main slope is 4.5 km long and is suitable for both pros and beginners. Up to 5500 skiers can easily pass here per hour.

By the way, parking here is paid: less than 3 hours — 1 € / hour; from 3 to 5 hours — 3 €. More than 5 hours — 5 €.

Official website: kolasin1450.com

Map of the resort Kolasin 1450:

Kolasin 1600 (Kolašin 1600)

This is a newer resort, which is located 2.8 km from Kolasin 1450. It has a 6-seater cable car, and the highest point reaches 2035 meters (Troglav peak). As of 2021, this resort already has 8 slopes with a total length of 10.5 km. From the exit point, visitors to the center can choose two slopes: the Vranjak trail, 1,750 meters long (classified as a red trail), and the Yaganchar trail, 2,800 meters long (blue). For the youngest visitors there is a children's ski lift.

By the way, parking here is free and is designed for 200 cars.

Official website: skijalista.me

Map of the resort Kolasin 1600:

Ski lifts (cable cars)

Resort Kolasin 1450 is equipped with 6 ski lifts, one of which is for children. As we noted above, their capacity is 5500 riders, so you definitely won’t have to stand in line for a long time.

• The chairlift "Vilina Voda" is the newest in the resort 1450. Designed for 6 people, it rises to a height of 1841 m in about 4 and a half minutes. Throughput — 2800 people / hour.
• Double chairlift "Ćupovi" is slower. It rises to a height of 1890 meters in about 13 minutes. Capacity — 1300 people.
• Ski lift "Jezerine" works only when there is an increased demand.  
• Ski lift "Carev do" goes to a height of 1549 m, and the travel time is 3 and a half minutes. The capacity of the ski lift is 400 people/hour. Only open during times of high demand.
• Ski lift "Ključ" takes snowboarders and skiers from a height of 1796 m to 1911 m. Travel time is approximately 3 minutes 20 seconds.
• Rope lift "Baby lift" — designed for children. The height of the end point is 1455 meters.

In the resort Kolasin 1600, only one K8 lift has been built so far — "Troglava", designed for 6 people. The height of the end point is 2035 meters, and the beginning is at around 1574 meters. The length of the cable car is 1642 meters. The ascent takes about 6 minutes. Designed for 2600 people.

To sum up, there are only 7 lifts in the Kolasin resorts: 3 ski lifts, 3 chairlifts and 1 children's lift. The total carrying capacity is 8100 people per hour.

Opening hours: from 9:30 to 16:00. There is no night skiing in Kolasin.

Prices winter season 2022/2023 Kolasin 1450

You can always check the prices and the relevance of information by clicking on these links:

Ski passes Kolasin 1450

Prices winter season 2022/2023 Kolasin 1600

Ski passes Kolasin 1600

Equipment rent

Both resorts have their own rental services and offer more than 400 sets of skis and snowboards for tourists.

Ski rental in Kolasin will cost you an average of 8 to 16 EUR (in the resort of Kolasin 1600, as you may have noticed, not only ski passes are cheaper, but also equipment rental)

Snowboard rental – 10 EUR

You can find out more about prices here:

Ski and snowboard rental Kolasin 1600

Ski and snowboard rental Kolasin 1450

Ski schools (Instructor)

An individual instructor in the Kolasin resort will cost you from 25 to 105 euros, depending on how much time you will take:

1 hour – 25 EUR

2 hours – 45 EUR

3 hours – 65 EUR

4 hours – 85 EUR

5 hours – 105 EUR

It is also possible to study in groups of up to 4 people. Prices will be slightly lower (between 25 and 70 euros)

Learn more about fees:

Resort Kolasin 1600

Resort Kolasin 1450

How to get

Kolasin is closer to Podgorica than Zabljak, so it is also advisable to choose Podgorica airport for arrival. You can get to the ski resort in just an hour and a half, because the distance to the destination from Podgorica is less than 80 km.

How to get to Kolasin from Podgorica:

• Bus (5,5-6 EUR)
  You will need to get to the main bus station in Podgorica. More than 10 buses run daily to Kolasin, from 06:58 to 18:00. You can view the current schedule here.
• Transfer (from 60 EUR)
• Car rental (from 20 EUR)

How to get to Kolasin from Tivat, Budva and other cities

• Bus (8-12 EUR)
  Kolasin has a more developed transport interchange, so you can get here by direct bus from Tivat, Budva or Herceg Novi.
• Transfer (from 80 EUR)
• Car rental (from 20 EUR)

Accommodation

The Kolasin resort has enough hotels, private houses and villas, so you can easily find a suitable accommodation option here. But it is best to book accommodation in advance, as the most interesting and comfortable options are taken first.

To book accommodation, we recommend using the Booking.com service