Moving on from the riverside to mountain landscape

From Rijeka Crnojevića via Podgorica and Ostrog Monastery to Žabljak.

Since we arrived after dark yesterday, we had a quick walk around in the village before moving on. As I mentioned most of the houses are quite worn down and everything seems closed, but looking through an open door, proved that wrong. Even though the windows were covered, there were many people in the small café.





The river leading to lake Shkodra winds through the green landscape, creating a stunning scenery. The locals offer trips by boat on the lake, but make sure to see it from above as well. About 3 km on the road towards Podgorica there is a great viewpoint.

As we were passing Podgorica anyway, we figured we might as well stop there for lunch. Being used to driving on small roads in the countryside, the city seemed very chaotic. We found a place to park and went for lunch in one of the squares, enjoying the sun and the view of the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in the distance.

Taking off from the main road between Podgorica and Nikšić just passed Danilovgrad, will get you on the road leading to Ostrog Monastery. Arriving at the lower part, turn right and continue the steep winding road upwards. There are a few parking lots along the way, but we were able to drive all the way to the upper monastery.

The monastery is magnificently built into a cave in the mountains about 900 meters above the Zeta Valley. The white building is a big contrast to the reddish-brown mountain, and can be seen from far away.


There was a major restoration going on, and a lot of the complex sadly appeared as quite new, despite the fact that it was originally built in the 17th century. Don’t get me wrong, it is absolutely still a stunning place, and well worth the visit! One of the rooms was still kept more original, with beautiful religiously painted frescoes that made a great impression.

Driving through beautiful green landscape with deep canyons on one side, and steep mountains on the other, we reached Žabljak. The small mountain town about 1450 meters above sea level is a popular skiing destination during winter. Now it was nice and green, with the snow covered mountains of Durmitor in the background.

Šepić Accommodation is a nice apartment in a private house, and the family offer to cook traditional food. We had booked the dinner in advance, so it was already prepared when we arrived. The portions were huge, and even though it tasted great, we had no chance to finish it all! Sitting in the sofa afterwards having tea and talking to the hosts, the cake was also brought out. Good thing there is always room for desert…