The youngest national park in Montenegro is experiencing expansion, from which it wants to defend itself in some way, so that nature remains as it is - wild and untouched.
The list of attractive places offered by Prokletije is long. On an area of more than 16 thousand hectares there are two nature reserves - Hridsko jezero and Volušnica, areas with a special level of protection. In addition to them, the entire area of Prokletije (including Kosovo and Albania) includes 20 glacial lakes.
The valleys of Grebaja and Ropojana are well-known, and two municipalities - Plav and Gusinje - rely on Prokletije.
In addition, the area of Prokletije has a rich history. The caves of Prokletije preserve drawings created in the XNUMXth century BC, and petroglyphs on stone blocks from the Neolithic period depict hunting scenes dominated by the representation of a maternal figure. Recently, a prehistoric sundial was discovered on Volušnica, and only a few of them have been preserved in the world.
Between mass tourism and nature conservation
Unlike other national parks and tourist spots, Prokletije is not so commercial, and does not aspire to be. The entrance ticket is a symbolic one euro.
Prekletje is first and foremost the Balkan center of mountaineering. They are intended for hardcore nature lovers, with more than 40 marked trails.
Lately, Prokletije is more and more often found on the map of tourists, especially from Western Europe.
The director of NP Prokletije, Marinko Barjaktarević, says that this year they have 20 percent more tourists than last year, which was better than 2019. He states that he will be in trouble if this trend continues.
"Our main target group is nature lovers, mountaineers and people who want to enjoy untouched nature. It is often asked whether we in NP are engaged in tourism or protection. We are often somewhere in between, but we are more concerned with protection than tourism. What you see should be preserved. Mass tourism in the area where there are protected zones is impossible to achieve. If the trend of increasing number of tourists continues, at some point we may have to limit visits especially to these locations such as parks and nature reserves. Since it is the first protection zone, it should be used only for scientific purposes, but we meet mountaineers and nature lovers so that they can use that space, but in a limited way," says Barjaktarević.
Starting point - Gusinje
The starting point and a possible overnight stay when visiting the beauties of Prokletije is the municipality of Gusinje. One of the youngest municipalities is very lively at the end of July and beginning of August, when a large diaspora returns to its homeland, and a large number of New York license plates are visible on the streets.
The Diaspora is also the largest builder in Gusinje and the initiator of numerous useful actions in this area. The idyll of this area is spoiled by some non-architectural ventures of multi-storey houses, in a kitsch style, whose value is significantly different from the real economic and social situation.
Locals say that in this way the diaspora shows the financial benefits of living abroad, as well as that guest workers do not save money on construction even if they only stay in the houses for a few weeks during the summer months. However, the combination of a good financial situation and taste is visible in some houses that are built traditionally from stone.
Constant population migration is the biggest problem of this region, and many young people decide to look for the future in Germany or the USA.
The opposite example is young Boban Redžepagić, who lives and works in Gusinje. He is an associate in NP Prokletije and is in charge of relations with visitors, and is also a mountain guide.
"After graduating from college in Podgorica, I worked for a while in that city, but I decided to return to my region. I had a desire to make a contribution in my place, and love for my region and love for Prokletije played the main role here. When staying in a place like this, a person's interest plays a big role, and what is necessary for a young person is to find the meaning of living in a certain space. If he finds meaning, if he has enough love, that financial item will come by itself. A man can live decently in this region and earn good money. Mountain tourism is becoming more and more popular in this area, and those young people who decide to engage in this business can even live much better and earn more than people who left here for Europe and America. If people decide for tourism, they can engage in eco-tourism, offer accommodation and transportation, they can offer mountaineering and guide services, which are very well paid," says Redžepagić.
He points out that only a little over a thousand people stay in the city during the winter.
However, one of the restaurateurs on the city's main street has a different opinion.
"During the winter there are 500 people in Gusinje, although I only count those who go out and come to my tavern. During Ramadan, a hodja came to me to criticize me for serving alcohol, but I honestly told him - 'business is business, I live on this'".
The main city street in Gusinje is quite lively at night. Cafe gardens are full, and mostly folk music dominates.
Unlike many more urban places, the taverns here have retained their original details and the titles of the first democratic institutions.
Although mostly Muslims live in Gusinje, other religions are also represented. Multi-ethnic harmony and coexistence is reflected in "Faith Street". In the immediate vicinity there is a mosque, an Orthodox and a Catholic church. The first is the Vizier's Mosque, which was built by Mahmut Pasha Bušatli in 1756, and the surrounding mountain - Vizier's Beard - was named after him.
Not far from that place is the Church of St. George, which was built in 1926 by the then king of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Aleksandar Karađorđević.
The only Catholic church in the north is located in Gusinje, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua and built in 1933.
Boris Redžepagić says that during religious holidays, everyone visits each other, and that all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation, participate financially in the restoration and preservation of all sacred buildings. He states that mixed marriages are common here, and that his parents' marriage is just like that,
Valleys and springs
The unmissable point of the Gusin area is the Alipaša springs, which are located not far from the center. From them there is a wonderful view of the Vizier's Beard. The largest karst spring in the country is visited annually by more than ten thousand people, and only on August 2, several thousand people gather at that place for Diaspora Day.
However, the state and local self-government have never seriously addressed the full valorization of this locality, and the long-standing stories about building a water factory in this place remained only at the level of ideas.
From Alipaša's springs, you can reach the Ropojana valley in about 20 minutes, where a 15-meter-high waterfall and Grlja canyon await you at the beginning.
An old caravan road and a leisurely walk towards the heart of the valley lead to the so-called "Prokletija lagoon" and the natural phenomenon - Oko Skakavica. A specific source that springs from a single point with a turquoise blue color, which from a bird's eye view has the shape of an eye. As they say, you should come here in May or June when the water swells from all sides.
On the other side of Gusinjski Prokletije is the valley of Grebaja. And usually the most common postcard when it comes to Prokletije is from this place. From the foothills, there is a panoramic view of the peaks, including the highest one in the whole of Prokletije. Jezerski vrh (Maja e Jezerceh), 2.694 meters above sea level, located on Albanian territory.
This is the beginning of the national park, and there are also eco villages/katuns and catering establishments.
It is also the starting point for many hikers. The most famous tour and at the same time the easiest in the whole of Prokletije is to the top of Volušnica, from which you can continue to Talijanka and Popadija, which can be visited in a few hours. Those peaks are about 2.000 meters above sea level
There we find the mountain guide Ahmet Reković, who knows the area well.
"The Grebaja Valley is considered the center of mountaineering and alpinism in Montenegro, but also in the entire region, and during the old Yugoslavia it was considered the most beautiful valley along with the Logar Valley in Slovenia. With its peaks on one side, Beard and Carnations, on the other, Volušnica, Trojan and Karaul, it offers something for everyone. From hikers, mountaineers, high mountaineers and alpinists. I would like to point out that in the bosom of Karanfil is the lowest permanent snowfield in the Balkans, located at 1.620 meters above sea level," says Reković.
He also says that, unfortunately, accidents are not rare when climbing the peaks, with fatal outcomes.
"The problem is that mountaineers go on dangerous hikes on their own initiative, and they don't know the terrain," he warns.
The blue side of Prokletije and the road to the Hrid lake
A further tour, visiting another nature reserve within Prokletije, Hridski jezera, continues through Plav. Compared to Gusinje, which separated from it, the town itself is more developed and has a significantly larger population. Multimillion-dollar tourist complexes are being built in a hurry, and the contrast in construction style is present here as well.
After a little more than an hour from Gusinje, you reach Bajrovića katun. Although you can reach almost the lake itself by car, it is recommended to leave it at this place, so that you can enjoy the forest path that leads to the lake through a leisurely walk up a small climb. Streams flow here through the forest even in summer, and wherever you come across running water on Prokletije, you can drink it.
The lake itself at almost 2.000 meters above sea level is stunning. Nature was particularly creative here. The water is a mirror of the conifers and karsts that surround the lake. Bathing in it, according to belief, brings happiness in marriage and health, and it is called the "Lake of Happiness". The lake also has a heart shape (not quite regular), and above it you can climb the Hridski Krs, from which the panorama is even more beautiful.
At the lake, we find a group of Dutch and domestic tourists, which we recognize by the choice of music and barbecue props. However, the peace that is destined for this location soon overpowers the noise and gives complete tranquility, and all senses are surrendered only to the sounds and smells of nature.
On the way back, rest at the katun Bajrovića. There are cottages and bungalows for rent, and you can try local products, such as corn kačamak, sour milk or raspberry juice.
At that place, we also meet the president of the Prokletije Zuvdija Barjaktarević mountaineering association. He is 78 years old.
"Yesterday I climbed the peak of Rops, 2.502 meters high, on the Kosovo side of the border," says Barjaktarević, who looks like a young man in terms of physical fitness, and proudly points out that young people are increasingly attracted to mountaineering.
The impression of natural beauty spoils to some extent where man should act. The road from Plav to Hrid Lake is in a disastrous condition, and is a combination of macadam and broken asphalt, and it is convenient to reach it by an all-terrain vehicle.
The situation is not much better when you travel from Gusinje to the valley of Grebaj and Rupojana.
It seems that all previous governments and local self-governments decided to protect themselves from mass tourism by leaving the road in such a state, because how else to explain that a country where tourism is the most important economic branch cannot provide the minimum infrastructure conditions to some of the most beautiful points in Montenegro.
Illegal construction, deforestation, bad signal...
The director of NP Prokletije, Marinko Barjaktarević, points out the numerous challenges they face.
"In the Gusinje part of the park, we have the most problems with illegal construction, as well as illegal cutting of forests. I will remind you that of all the national parks, only Prokletije does not have a plan for temporary facilities. In addition, the problem is that in 80 percent of the park's area there is no signal coverage, there are no repeaters. Also, the roads are in a very bad condition, but they are under the jurisdiction of local governments, and here we are again faced with the problem of a lack of funds for their reconstruction," Barjaktarević said.
He also says that they are dealing with the number of supervisors, which is 10, which he considers insufficient for this size of the park's territory. Alongside them is the Environmental Hygiene Service, which is in charge of buying waste and setting up an inventory.
Via Albania to Gusinje
The road Gusinje - Podgorica is also specific in that it goes through neighboring Albania. In August of last year, the border crossing Cijevna - Grabon was officially opened, which significantly shortens the road compared to the road that goes through the border crossing Božaj or through the section along the north of Montenegro.
Gusinje can be reached by car from Podgorica in about 90 minutes, depending on the time spent at the border.
The road is full of sharp bends, and therefore the maximum speed in many places is limited to only 40 kilometers per hour.
Along the Albanian part of the road, a good opportunity for a short break is the town of Tamara, surrounded by a high canyon, and this town can be seen from the viewpoint Grlo sokolovo on Kučki Koriti.
Tourism workers point out that since the opening of the crossing, more and more domestic tourists have become familiar with this area, but that compared to other countries, there are fewer of them.
Unfortunately, you still need a green card to travel to Albania.
Bonus video:
