Montenegro
4×4 Cross Border Action

We drive on beautiful, but asphalted roads, to Teth, Albania. Welcome to the southern neighbors! The route first takes you via the border crossing at Lake Skadar into Albania. We pass a mountain road that has only recently been paved with asphalt. The road winds beautifully through the mountains and drives smoothly. After about 3 hours you reach the remote mountain village of Teth. Until recently, the road you were driving on was barely passable. You can imagine that contact between the Tethians and the outside world was limited. Teth is A unique place on the itinerary of many adventurous travelers these days, especially because of the many hiking opportunities. Be sure to visit the beautiful church. We spend the night a little further away, where it is more quieet… Another half hour’s drive from Teth.

Today we drive back to Lake Skadar. However, the ride will be a lot more challenging than what you were used to yesterday. There will be no more asphalt for the time being. A bumpy 4-hour section along a beautiful, sometimes quite rough road takes you over a 1170m high pass back to the plains. Along the way you will pass centuries-old Albanian villages, beautiful traditional houses and impressive landscapes of the Prokletije mountains. This is 4×4 Adventure par excellence. Hopefully it will leave you wanting more?

The day ends with beach vibes on a very funky campsite on the shores of lake Skadar. In the restaurant great meals are available. What a different world we are in here!

We return to Montenegro where we continue the adventure. You will briefly pass the capital for a quick refill. But we soon leave urbanization behind us again. The route takes you along a road high above the Cijevna River gorge. As soon as you leave Podgorica, the asphalt quickly deteriorates and the view improves. Where the asphalt completely ends, your real off-road adventure begins. The road is rocky so careful driving is really necessary here. Lada Niva, Golf T2 or a horse are the only useful means of transport here. This beautiful route takes you to Lake Rikavacko, where you unfold your tents for the night. Welcome to your million star camp.

The ride continues to Sinjajevina. The climb from the lake is one of the more difficult passages you will conquer on this trip. But soon the road becomes flat and the view is unparalleled. You can partly organize the route according to your wishes with an extra ride over a mountain pass and/or a visit to Lake Bukumirsko. You pass through some beautiful Katun settlements before you reach the asphalt again at Verusa. But after less than an hour you leave again. Just enough to grab a gas station and possibly a shop for some basic supplies.

Towards the end of the ride you climb again. The mountains of Sinjajevina are completely different, much rockier and more open than before. It is here where the country’s largest herds grazed for centuries. Welcome to Sinjajevina, the agricultural heart of Montenegro. The countless shepherd villages are a reminder of this. Many are, unfortunately,  hardly in use anymore. Katun Kuline does however. You will spend the night in the guest room. Or if you wish, pitch your Lada & sleep in the tent) and dine with the shepherd family.

After leaving Kuline, we immediately present you with a difficult choice. Are you climbing the Jablanov Vrh, or can you not wait to start that fantastic descent into the Lipovo Valley? The summit is the highest in Sinjajevina and fairly easily accessible from the route. The valley of Lipovo, into which you descend afterwards, is the next highlight. This beautiful and unspoilt valley would not have come up for the best landscape painter. Via Kolasin (refuel again) we go up again, to the third massif that you will conquer on this trip. Bjelasica is perhaps better known, because you can also ski here in winter. During the summer holidays it is quite popular among MTB riders and hikers. As soon as you have driven up to the base of the ski area, the asphalt ends again and the last 2-3 hours are wonderfully off-road above the tree line. Here too you pass a number of beautiful Katun villages and where the road ends, the last katun, that is where you sleep.

Katun Senica is run by two brothers who together create a party for every guest. The room you are in is unexpectedly neat for such a remote location.

We descend back to the main road and then head south towards Plav. From the valley you can optionally go up and down to Visitor Katun, a remote and very authentic Katun from where you can climb the peak of the same name.

We climb back up again via the town of Plav. A very beautiful climb awaits you to the border triangle between Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania. A short walk to that point is also an option. And Lake Hridsko is also practically on the route. Highly recommended for a quick swim at almost 200m altitude.

Ultimately you arrive in katun Bajrovic, where you will be warmly welcomed by Samel and his mother, who together run the katun here. Expect a festive farm-to-table dinner with a great view. Tonight is your last night on Katun. You sleep in your roof tent and can use the central sanitary facilities. Tomorrow you will sleep in lower terrain again.

PS: if you think this is a bit much, you will already pass your sleeping place on the way to the border triangle so you can also save that for tomorrow morning if you want to stay at altitude a little longer. or simply skip Visitor to make most of you hike & swim here.

Gearing up for a bit more comfort! This ride is the longest on your journey and connects the mountains of Prokletije with Montengero’s most famous  national park; Durmitor. The first section follows the main road, but it wouldn’t be a Montenegro 4×4 Adventure had we not discovered a nice little detour over the mountains later on today; a scenic ride over the Stozer plateau. Via the bridge over river Tara (try the zipline if you dare!) you will reach your camp in Durmitor. This is a little meadow that belongs to Nadgora resort. A charming slightly remote place. For campers there is a bathroom available. You can cook your own meals but there is also a very decent restaurant on the spot.  This is your home for the next 2 nights.

During your stay in Durmitor we will encourage you to try a few of the hikes we have designed for you (from easy going to serious full day hikes). Or try a guided ferrata climb (+ € 60,00), a day on the e-MTB (+€ 45,00) or the long version of the Tara Rafting experience (+ € 130,00).

Via the northern side of Durmitor national park you continue driving towards the Piva Lake. You will first pass Montenegro’s highest village, equally called Crna Gora (lit.: Montenegro) The descend towards the Tara river is again on scenic gravel roads. Early afternoon you reach the border town of Scepan Polje where an optional afternoon rafting can be booked (+€ 75,00). Then head on to a lovely little campsite on the shores of Piva river. Pitch your Lada on the waterfront and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. And don’t miss the fresh grilled trout at the camps restaurant. If you consider booking an extra night here, we will propose a nice hike to a nearby mountain lake for you. Or you can simply spend a lazy day on the shore sof the lake, swimming, SUP’ing and enjoying a long lunch in one of the restaurants.

Today’s route takes you into Bosnia. Beyond the border it almost seems like off-roading, but this is really the main road to Sarajevo. We leave this road at Foca to enter the wilderness after 150 km of asphalt after having filled dup the fuel reservoir. The mountains of Zelengora await.

As soon as we leave the asphalt today we follow the road along the upper reaches of the Neretva River. We drive through typical Bosnian villages, often with both a church and a mosque. We also see some damage here and there that reminds us of the grim years of war in the early 1990’s. People did not return here or they lack the means to repair some things.

The route eventually climbs up above the tree line and then we really see the vastness of Zelengora. This is the largest wilderness in Bosnia! Telephone signal is minimal here, but there is plenty of nature. You will be camping at the shores of Orlovacko lake. Light a fire, cook your meal and enjoy a stay under a million stars.

Today you will drive almost all day on adventurous mountain roads, straight through the wilderness of Zelengora. On the route you pass a number of mountain lakes and there are a various options for short walks. With only 60 km, this is a fairly short stage, giving you plenty of time to enjoy it at your leisure. But those 60 km will demand some of your driving skills. And of course you also have to be wary of wild animals. Who knows what you will encounter today, wildlife is plenty in Zelengora. The route eventually descends to the Sutjeska valley where you should definitely visit the beautiful monument (WW2). From here we drive about an hour back uphill for another night in the wilderness. We will sleep tonight at Lake Donje Bare, where the Yugoslav leader Tito had a hunting lodge that he visited several times. The lodge still stands to this day. You know; for Tito, as a true communist leader, only the best was good enough. And tonight this is for you alone.

Today we drive back to Montenegro, back to the coast. And we approach this in the most spectacular way. We enter the Bay of Kotor through the back door; over the pass in the mountains of Orjen. From the route you have the opportunity to climb the highest peak on the Adriatic coast or hike to a fortress that towers over the fjord for unforgettable views. You can also visit the towns of Perast and Kotor before checking in at the mini-campsite by the sea. Would you rather drive less? Then you follow the main road and shorten the drive by 2-3 hours.