Durmitor

Durmitor
Дурмитор
Highest point
Elevation	2,523 m (8,278 ft)
Coordinates	43°07′40″N 19°02′00″E
Geography
Durmitor Montenegro
Parent range	Dinaric Alps
Climbing
First ascent	1883

Durmitor (Montenegrin and Serbian Cyrillic: Дурмитор, pronounced [durmǐtɔr] or [dǔrmitɔr]) is a massif located in northwestern Montenegro. It is part of the Dinaric Alps. Its highest peak, Bobotov Kuk, reaches a height of 2,523 meters (8,278 ft).

The massif is limited by the Tara River Canyon on the north, the Piva River Canyon on the west, and by the Komarnica River Canyon on the south. To the east, the Durmitor opens to a 1,500 m (4,921 ft) high plateau, called Jezerska površ (Plateau of Lakes). The Sinjavina mountain is located to the east of the Jezerska površ plateau. The Durmitor is for the most part located in the Žabljak municipality.

The massif gives its name to the national park that comprises it. Durmitor National Park was founded in 1952, and designated as a World Heritage Site in 1980.

Peaks

View of Durmitor near Minin Bogaz

The massif has 48 peaks above 2,000 meters (6,562 ft). Highest peaks are:

• Bobotov kuk 2,522 m (8,274 ft)
• Bezimeni vrh (Nameless Peak) 2,487 m (8,159 ft)
• Šljeme 2,455 m (8,054 ft)
• Istočni vrh Šljemena (East Peak of Sljeme) 2,445 m (8,022 ft)
• Soa / Đevojka 2,440 m (8,005 ft)
• Milošev tok 2,426 m (7,959 ft)
• Bandijerna 2,409 m (7,904 ft)
• Rbatina 2,401 m (7,877 ft)
• Lučin vrh 2,396 m (7,861 ft)
• Prutaš 2,393 m (7,851 ft)
• Minin bogaz 2,387 m (7,831 ft)
• Planinica 2,330 m (7,644 ft)
• Kobilja glava 2,321 m (7,615 ft)
• Savin Kuk 2,313 m (7,589 ft)
• Šupljika 2,310 m (7,579 ft)

Lakes

Durmitor features 18 glacial lakes, scattered over mountain massif and Jezerska Površ plateau. The lakes add significantly to the beauty of the mountain, and have been nicknamed Gorske Oči, or "mountain eyes".

• Black Lake
• Veliko Škrčko Lake
• Malo Škrčko Lake
• Zeleni Vir
• Jablan Lake
• Valovito Lake

• Vir u Lokvicama
• Srablje Lake
• Modro Lake
• Suva Lokva
• Zminje Lake
• Barno Lake

• Pošćensko Lake
• Zabojsko Lake
• Vražje Lake
• Riblje Lake
• Zminčko Lake
• Sušičko Lake

Name

The name Durmitor is derived from Balkan Romance-Vlach, meaning "sleeping place" (cognate with English dormitory). There are similarly named mountains such as Visitor (visător, "dreamer") and Cipitor (aţipitor, "sleeper") across former Yugoslavia.

National park

Durmitor National Park

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	Montenegro
Criteria	Natural: (vii)(viii)(x)
Reference	100bis
Inscription	1980 (4th Session)
Extensions	2005
Area	32,100 ha (79,000 acres)

Durmitor National Park, created in 1952, includes the massif of Durmitor, the canyons of Tara, Sušica and Draga rivers and the higher part of the canyon plateau Komarnica, covering an area of 390 square kilometers (150 sq mi). It is the largest protected area in Montenegro, and it was inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1980.

At 80 kilometers (50 mi) long and 1,300 meters (4,300 ft) deep, the Tara River Canyon in Durmitor National Park is the deepest gorge in Europe.

Tourism

Durmitor mountain is the centre of Montenegrin mountain tourism. The tourist facilities are concentrated around the town of Žabljak. In winter, the main activities on Durmitor are skiing and snowboarding. In summer, the activities shift to hiking, mountaineering and recreational tourism. Water sports are also practiced in the area. One of the most prominent attractions of Durmitor mountain are 18 glacial lakes, the best known of which is the Black Lake.

External links

• Official National Park Site
• UNESCO World Heritage Site profile
• UNEP-WCMC World Heritage Site datasheet
• SummitPost: Useful information (Camping, routes, weather etc.)
• Photogallery Durmitor and Bjelasica