Žabljak
Encyclopedia
Žabljak is a small town in northern Montenegro
. It has a population of 1,937.
Žabljak is the seat of the municipality (2003 population: 4,204). The town is in the centre of the Durmitor
mountain region and with an altitude of 1,456 metres, it is the highest situated town on the Balkans
.
. All that has remained is the old church of Sv. Preobraženje (Holy Transfiguration), built in 1862 as a monument to a Montenegrin victory in the battle against the Turks
. After Žabljak was established as a town, stores and cafés were opened. As such, in the 1880s Žabljak became a market town, leading it to become administrative center of the region.
In the period shortly before World War II
, Žabljak was a small town with typical mountain architecture. Its unique nature was already drawing the attention of tourists from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
, and also from abroad, especially Italy
(because of close ties between Montenegro and Italy).
During World War II
, Žabljak was burnt right to its foundations. After the war, Žabljak rebuilt itself and became Montenegro's center for winter sports.
Population of Zabljak:
Ethnic groups (1991 census):
Ethnic groups (2003 census):
mountain is protected as a national park, and offers great possibilities for both winter and summer mountain tourism.
Žabljak caters for activities such as:
Among the main tourist attractions of Durmitor are 18 glacier
lakes
; the biggest and closest to Žabljak being "Crno jezero
" - literally Black lake. Durmitor's slopes are also becoming increasingly popular among snowboarders
.
and the E65
, the main road connection between the Montenegrin coast, Podgorica
and the north.
The other significant road connection is through Šavnik
and Nikšić
, on to Risan
or Podgorica. Since 2010, with the reconstruction of the Risan-Žabljak road, the average trip from Žabljak to the Adriatic sea
is shortened to cca. two hours.
The town has an airport (Žabljak Airport
) but the closest International Airport is Podgorica Airport
some 170 km (105.6 mi) away which has regular flights to destinations throughout Europe
.
There are regular minibus links with Nikšić
and Podgorica
which arrive at the centrally located Žabljak bus station.
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. It has a population of 1,937.
Žabljak is the seat of the municipality (2003 population: 4,204). The town is in the centre of the Durmitor
Durmitor
Durmitor is a massif and the name of a national park in North Western Montenegro. It reaches a height of 2,522 m .The massif is bordered by Tara River Canyon on the North, Piva River Canyon on the West, and by Komarnica River Canyon on the South. To the East, Durmitor is open to a vast ...
mountain region and with an altitude of 1,456 metres, it is the highest situated town on the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
.
History
The first Slav name of the place was “Varezina voda” (Варезина вода) possibly because of the strong source of drinkable water nearby, making a settlement possible. Later, the town was renamed “Hanovi” (originally “Anovi”) because it was where caravans rested. The modern name dates from 1870, when in a single day the building of a school, church and captain's home began. However, almost all the original buildings were destroyed during the Balkan WarsBalkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
. All that has remained is the old church of Sv. Preobraženje (Holy Transfiguration), built in 1862 as a monument to a Montenegrin victory in the battle against the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. After Žabljak was established as a town, stores and cafés were opened. As such, in the 1880s Žabljak became a market town, leading it to become administrative center of the region.
In the period shortly before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Žabljak was a small town with typical mountain architecture. Its unique nature was already drawing the attention of tourists from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
, and also from abroad, especially Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(because of close ties between Montenegro and Italy).
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Žabljak was burnt right to its foundations. After the war, Žabljak rebuilt itself and became Montenegro's center for winter sports.
Population
Žabljak is the administrative centre of the Žabljak municipality, which has a population of 4,204. The town of Žabljak itself has a population of 1,937, and there are no other bigger settlements in the region.Population of Zabljak:
- March 3, 1981 - 1,379
- March 3, 1991 - 1,853
- November 1, 2003 - 1,937
Ethnic groups (1991 census):
- Montenegrins (91.07%)
- SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(7.33%)
Ethnic groups (2003 census):
- SerbsSerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
(50.26%) - Montenegrins (43.03%)
Tourism
Žabljak is centre of Montenegro's mountain tourism. The entire area of DurmitorDurmitor
Durmitor is a massif and the name of a national park in North Western Montenegro. It reaches a height of 2,522 m .The massif is bordered by Tara River Canyon on the North, Piva River Canyon on the West, and by Komarnica River Canyon on the South. To the East, Durmitor is open to a vast ...
mountain is protected as a national park, and offers great possibilities for both winter and summer mountain tourism.
Žabljak caters for activities such as:
- SkiingSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
- Durmitor's snow cover lasts 120 days per year, with decent slopes such as Savin kuk, Štuoc and Javorovača. - RaftingRaftingRafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
- the 13 km (8.1 mi) deep Tara RiverTara River (Montenegro)The Tara is a river in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It emerges from the confluence of the Opasnica and Veruša Rivers in the Prokletije mountain, part of Dinaric Alps of Montenegro...
canyon is the second deepest in the world, and is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Rafting on Tara River is one of the most popular tourist activities in Montenegro. - MountaineeringMountaineeringMountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
- Durmitor's conditions are appropriate for this sport. - HikingHikingHiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
- The surrounding area of the town of Žabljak provides hiking paths.
Among the main tourist attractions of Durmitor are 18 glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
lakes
Glacial lake
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create...
; the biggest and closest to Žabljak being "Crno jezero
Crno Lake
Black Lake is a lake in Žabljak municipality, in northern Montenegro.It is a glacial lake, located on the Mount Durmitor, on an altitude of 1,416 m. It is 3 km away from the town of Žabljak....
" - literally Black lake. Durmitor's slopes are also becoming increasingly popular among snowboarders
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
.
Transport
One problem hampering the development of Žabljak as major regional mountain tourism destination is the lack of quality road infrastructure. The situation has been improving somewhat in recent years. Žabljak's main road connection with the rest of Montenegro is the road that links Žabljak with MojkovacMojkovac
Mojkovac is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 4,120 . Mojkovac is also the centre of the municipality, which has a population of 10,066.-Features:...
and the E65
European route E65
European route E 65 is a north-south Class-A European route that begins in Malmö, Sweden and ends in Chaniá, Greece. The road is about in length.-Itinerary:* Sweden** E 65: Malmö – Ystad* Baltic sea, ferry Ystad-Świnoujście* Poland...
, the main road connection between the Montenegrin coast, Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
and the north.
The other significant road connection is through Šavnik
Šavnik
Šavnik is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 570 .Šavnik is the centre of the municipality and unofficial centre of Drobnjaci region, home of the Drobnjaci tribe....
and Nikšić
Nikšić
Nikšić is a city in Montenegro . In 2003 the city had a total population about 75,000.Nikšić is located in Nikšić plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of the municipality , which is the largest in Montenegro by area...
, on to Risan
Risan
Risan is a town in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro...
or Podgorica. Since 2010, with the reconstruction of the Risan-Žabljak road, the average trip from Žabljak to the Adriatic sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
is shortened to cca. two hours.
The town has an airport (Žabljak Airport
Žabljak Airport
Žabljak Airport is an airport in the Žabljak Municipality in Montenegro. It is used for general aviation and cannot handle larger aircraft.- History :...
) but the closest International Airport is Podgorica Airport
Podgorica Airport
Podgorica Airport is an international airport located south of Podgorica, Montenegro. It is the main hub for Montenegro Airlines....
some 170 km (105.6 mi) away which has regular flights to destinations throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
There are regular minibus links with Nikšić
Nikšić
Nikšić is a city in Montenegro . In 2003 the city had a total population about 75,000.Nikšić is located in Nikšić plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of the municipality , which is the largest in Montenegro by area...
and Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
which arrive at the centrally located Žabljak bus station.