Kolašin

Kolašin is a city of about 2,700 people (2011) in the middle of the Morača region of Montenegro. Kolašin is one of the centres of Montenegro's mountain tourism. Although Žabljak is considered more attractive destination, Kolašin has the advantage of being easily accessible by road and rail.

Understand
Kolasin entirely has turned towards the mountain recreational tourism. Kolašin is on the foot of Bjelasica and Sinjajevina mountains, which offer great conditions for skiing. Because of Kolašin's altitude (954 m), the town is considered an air spa.

Biogradska Gora National Park is in the town's vicinity, and is considered a premium tourist attraction. The development of Kolašin as a tourist destination is bolstered by opening of Bianca Resort & Spa, a luxury resort in town's centre.

Get in
Good geographical position of Kolasin is seen in its great connection with the rest of the towns in the republic.

By plane
You can come to Kolasin from Podgorica airport that is 80 km away; through Belgrade airport, and then over the highway Belgrade – Podgorica, or maybe through Dubrovnik airport which is somewhat longer. Kolasin is 400 km away from Belgrade, as it is from Sarajevo, from Dubrovnik it is 220 km, Zagreb 740 km, and from Ljubljana it is 950 km away.

By train
Railroad of greatest importance for this region Belgrade – Bar goes through Kolasin. In this way Kolasin is excellently connected with both the sea and hig Montenegrin hinterland.

By car
Kolasin is one hour away of ride by car through the canyon Platije from the capital city – Podgorica, in the south. Towards the north to the border with Serbia it also takes somewhat more than 2 hours of ride.

See

 * Botanic garden of the Slovenian biologist Danijel Vincek. In which on a relatively small space he treasures hundreds of various plant species. Plant species, which are dominant in the garden, are characteristic for the areas of Durmitor, Bjelasica, Prokletije, and Sinjajevina. Healing herbs, forest fruits, and endangered species are found in this garden which beside the scientific has also an educational purpose because students of biology from this region visit it.
 * Visit the canyon of Mrtvica 
 * Monastir Moraca (about 15 km away from the city)

Do

 * Winter tourism. Ski centre organizes transport to the ski centre with their own buses. Kolasin has three ski clubs. Today the ski centre on Jezerine is far famous for the quality of its service with a high quality funicular railway and several ski lifts which can take you up to 1950 m above the sea level. There are numerous hotel facilities on Jezerine.
 * Fishing. Nearby the town there are rivers rich with trout. The town itself has a hunting and a fishing association.
 * Picnic on the shores Biogradsko lake or some of Pesic lakes on Bjelasica.
 * Tara rafting. It is possible to raft from Kolasin to Mojkovac in the length of about 15 km. In springtime Tara is particularly fierce river, which will make your experience an adrenaline injection.
 * There are several open sports fields. Not far from the centre there is also a football stadium.
 * If you like walking or jogging there is also a trim track not far from the shore of Tara which is a few kilometers long.

Moraca Mountains
They are located in the very heart of Montenegro, surrounded by national parks and mountains on which your view stretches forward. In the north are Maganik, Durmitor, Maglic, and Ljubisnja, in the west your view goes towards Golija, in the east towards Prokletije and Komovi – in short – from some of the 2,000-m-high summit you can see all mountains of Montenegro, and during a clear day you can even see the sea. There are a few lakes as well.

The best time of the year for mountain climbing activities is late springtime, and summer, and early fall, while during the winter the experts advise you to take with yourself good alpine gear.

Some of the standard mountain routes during which picturesque summits of Moraca Mountains are being conquered are:


 * Kapetanovo jezero (Captain’s lake - 1673 metres above sea level (m asl)) – Lastva (2226 m asl) – Zagradac (2217 m asl). Time needed for the tour is about 4 hours, and the height difference is about 555 m.


 * Kapetanovo jezero (Captain’s lake - 1673 m asl) – Manito jezero (Crazy lake - 1764 m asl) – Stozac (2140 m asl). Tour lasts about 2½ hours, and it is about 5 km long.


 * Strug (1475 m above the height of the sea level) – Popov do (1750 m asl) – Borova brda (Pine’s hills - 2006 m asl) – Mali Zebalac (Small Zebalac - 2073 m asl) – Veliki Zebalac (Big Zebalac - 2129 m asl). Extremely long tour for which it takes four hours to pass it.


 * Osreci (1375 m asl) – Ropusnica (1472 m asl) – Korita (Thorough - 1485 m asl) – Ruda Glavica (2020 m asl). Tour lasting three hours.


 * Bare Bojovica (Bojovics’ puddles - 1540 m asl) – Veliki Zurim (Big Zurim - 2036 m asl) – Mali Zurim (Small Zurim - 1962 m asl) – Ilin vrh (Ilin’s summit - 2051 m asl). Somewhat longer tour which lasts about 4 hours, and which is 7.5 km long.


 * Crkvine (1045 m asl) – Bistrica (1258 m asl) – Barski Katun (Puddle summer pasture cottage - 1462 m asl) – Mioski Katun ( 1542 m asl) – Umovi (Minds - 1945 m asl). A route which is 9 km long.


 * Madjurijecje (211 m asl) – Mrtvo Duboko (Dead Deep - 360 m asl) – Granica (Border - 1042 m asl) – Poljana (Field - 1549 m asl) – Medjedji vrh (Bear’s summit - 2139 m asl). Somewhat more demanding tour with a bigger height difference for whose conquering it takes more than 6 hr.

Sinjajevina mountain
Southeast from the spacious Durmitor massif is Sinjajevina, the biggest pasture area in Montenegro which stretches down the Dinar wreath of mountains. Its average height is about 1,600 m asl, and its biggest summits are Babji Zub (Grandmother’s teeth - 2277 m), Jablanov Vrh (Polar’s summit - 2203 m), Gradiste (2174 m), Savina greda (Sava’s timber - 2101 m), Veliki Pecarac (Big Pecarac - 2042 m), Starac (Old men - 2022 m), and Babin Vrh (Grandmother’s summit - 2013 m). Sinjavina is a glacial mountain. It stretches from Kolasin to the very rims of the National Park Durmitor. It is a massif 40 km long and 15 km wide. It is an exquisite terrain for all mountain and walking activities.

Zminicko and Zabojsko Lakes are pearls of this mountain. The first is 1295 m asl, and it is 4 m deep, while the second is 1486 m asl, and its depth is about 19 m. Mountain expeditions go on following paths:


 * Kolasin (940 m asl) – Gornje Lipovo (Upper Lipovo) – Klisura (Gorge - 1189 m asl) – Katunina (1418 m asl) – Djedov do (grandfather’s valley) – Dzavrlje – Babji Zub (Grandmother’s Teeth - 2277 m asl). Height difference is about 1100 m, length is about 8 km and the time needed for the tour is about 5 hours. Certain parts of the tour are inspirational even for more experienced mountain climbers.


 * Kolasin (954 m asl) – Gornje Lipovo (1208 m asl) – Prevoj Vratlo (Saddle Vratlo - 1730 m asl) – Pilac (1872 m asl) – Jablanov Vrh (Poplar’s summit - 2203 m asl). The length of the route is about 8 kilometers, and it takes 4 hours to cross it. Route is attractive and it includes great sightseeing places, passing by the small puddles – lakes and numerous summer pasture cottages. The best time of the year for mountain activity is late spring, summer and early fall.

Eat
National restaurant Savardak with national food. It's 3 km from city center in direction to 1450 Ski resort.

Try special menu and eat Kacamak.

Bambi bakery, Vojvode Mine St. (Pink sign on Main Square). Cheap and friendly local bakery, kevapi, burek, pastries.

Go next

 * Biogradska Gora National Park (17 km from Kolašin there is an entrance to this National Park).