Mount Durmitor is a stunning limestone massif, belonging to the Dinarides. It is also the name of the largest Montenegrin protected area, Durmitor National Park, the heart of a landscape shaped by glaciers, whose rivers and underground streams are embedded in the biosphere reserve of the Tara River. About fifty peaks over 2,000 meters above sea level rise above the plateau, alpine meadows and forests, including Bobot's hip (2,523 masl). Many glacial lakes, locally called "mountain eyes", cover the landscape. Despite its many attractions, Durmitor is recognizable by the canyons of the rivers Drage, Sušice, Komarnica and Tara, as well as excellent opportunities for hiking, rafting, canyoning, skiing, walking and snowshoeing...
In addition to the extraordinary beauty of the landscape and fascinating geological heritage, Durmitor National Park is home to an impressive biological diversity. At the habitat level, the rare European black pine habitat should be mentioned. At an altitude difference of 2,000m due to the influence of the alpine and Mediterranean climate, in the wider Durmitor massif, there are 1,600 vascular plants. A large percentage is found in the Park and many are rare and endemic.
Large mammals are the brown bear, the gray wolf and the European wild cat.
Among the 130 bird species recorded are: bald eagle, grouse, falcon.
Also, we should mention the very rich fish fauna, which includes brown trout.
The park is inhabited by farmers and herders, who traditionally use the high plateaus as summer pastures.
Due to the richness of the original and unique nature, the ambient and cultural values of Durmitor and the Tara River, Durmitor National Park was included in the list of world cultural and natural heritage by the decision of the International Committee for World and Natural Heritage in Paris in 1980, and thus it was officially included in the UNESCO list. . The catchment area of the Tara River (area 182,899 ha) is protected as a World Biosphere Reserve ("Man and the Biosphere" Program - M&B, UNESCO, from January 17, 1977), based on the Convention on the Protection of World Natural and Cultural Heritage (UNESCO). Durmitor is included in IBA (Important Bird Areas) and IPA (Important Plant Areas).
The most important criteria for entering Durmitor National Park into the UNESCO area are:
Criterion (VII) The exceptional scenic beauty of the National Park is shaped by glaciers and rivers. Alpine meadows and plateaus and smooth hills set against a stark backdrop of numerous high peaks. Dense forests and glacial lakes add to the scenic variety and appeal. The most interesting elements of this picturesque diversity and attraction are the long, deep river canyons, the most famous of which is the gorge of the Tara River, the deepest European gorge and one of the few that is not affected by hydropower plants.
Even the underground offers stunning natural beauty in the form of numerous caves, the most famous of which is the Ice Cave with its stalactites and stalagmites.
Criterion (VIII) Durmitor National Park contains many geological and geomorphological features of great scientific interest that have shaped the landscape, such as many karst phenomena. The dominant geological features are very dense, often wildly distorted limestone formations of the Middle and Upper Triassic, Upper Jurassic and Upper Cretaceous, although newer rocks are also present. Durmitor flysch, which is used for 90-degree tectonic layers in the Durmitor massif. Magnificent canyons, and especially the Tara River, which is over 60 km long, are not only fundamental landscape features of the Park, but reveal magnificent rocks. This includes the deepest Montenegrin pit (pit on the Windy Hills) and underground rivers, which drain the waters of some glacial lakes. The Ice Cave in particular is visually stunning and a rare relic of the past.
Criterion (X)
The diverse mountain landscape includes high zones ranging from 450 to 2500 meters above sea level and a wide range of ecosystems and habitats. Among them are rocky peaks, forests, alpine meadows, lakes, rivers, canyons and caves that include underground freshwater systems. Of particular importance is the forest of European black pine, where 400-year-old specimens reach a height of up to 50m.
Many plant species are of floristic Alpine and sub-Mediterranean origin, including a rich karst and limestone grassland flora, with many rare and endemic species. A total of 37 plant species are endemic to the wider area, and 6 to Durmitor
Stećak sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia were declared UNESCO World Heritage at the UNESCO committee meeting on July 15, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. Among the protected localities were the stećci of Bare Žugica and the Greek cemetery in Žabljak, which received the status of UNESCO World Heritage.
