Durmitor ( Montenegrin: Дурмитор, or ) is a

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

located in northwestern

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

. It is part of the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...

. Its highest peak,

Bobotov Kuk Bobotov Kuk ( cnr, Боботов Кук) is a peak in northern Montenegro. At , it is the highest peak in the Durmitor mountain range and had been thought to be the highest point in Montenegro. New surveys have shown there are three higher peaks ...

, reaches a height of . The massif is limited by the

Tara River Canyon The Tara River Canyon (, ; ), also known as the Tara River Gorge, is the largest and deepest canyon in Europe, which is for the most part located in Montenegro, and to a smaller extent in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The most attractive part of the ca ...

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 high

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ha ...

, called ''Jezerska površ'' (Plateau of Lakes). The

Sinjavina Sinjajevina ( cnr, Сињајевина, ), also known as Sinjavina () is a mountain in northern Montenegro. The highest point of Sinjajevina is ''Jablanov vrh'', which is high. Features Sinjajevina Mountain stretches from SE to NW, between t ...

mountain is located to the east of the ''Jezerska površ'' plateau. The Durmitor is for the most part located in the

Žabljak Žabljak ( Serbian / Montenegrin: Жабљак, ) is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 1,723. Žabljak is the seat of Žabljak Municipality (2011 population: 3,569). The town is in the centre of the Durmitor mountain ...

municipality. The massif gives its name to the

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

that comprises it. Durmitor National Park was founded in 1952, and designated as a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 1980.

Peaks

The massif has 48 peaks above . Highest peaks are: * Bobotov kuk * Bezimeni vrh (Nameless Peak) * Šljeme * Istočni vrh Šljemena (East Peak of Sljeme) * Soa / Đevojka * Milošev tok * Bandijerna * Rbatina * Lučin vrh * Prutaš * Minin bogaz * Planinica * Kobilja glava * Savin Kuk * Šupljika

Lakes

Durmitor features 18

glacial lakes A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...

, 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

One theory of the name ''Durmitor'' is that it is derived from Balkan Romance-

Vlach "Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Eastern ...

, meaning 'sleeping place' (cognate with English ''

dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

''). There are similarly named mountains, such as

Visitor A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can interve ...

(cf. ''visător'' 'dreamer') and Cipitor (cf. ''aţipitor'' 'sleeper') across the former Yugoslavia. Another, more likely theory is that the name was given by the Celts, and the meaning would be anything from 'water from the mountain' to 'ridged mountain'. Considering the duration of time that the ancient Celts spent around these part and the Tara River (Tara is a Celtic goddess, as well), its name being of Celtic origin, it is very possible that ''Durmitor'' is a name of similar origin. Zeta river also has a Celtic origin name ("Loved one").

National park

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 . It is the largest protected area in Montenegro, and it was inscribed on the list of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...

in 1980. At long and deep, the

in Durmitor National Park is the deepest

gorge A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...

in Europe.

Tourism

Durmitor mountain is the centre of Montenegrin mountain tourism. The tourist facilities are concentrated around the town of

. In winter, the main activities on Durmitor are

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

and

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympi ...

. In summer, the activities shift to

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

mountaineering Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...

and recreational tourism.

Water sports Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...

are also practiced in the area. One of the most prominent attractions of Durmitor mountain are 18

glacial lake A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...

s, the best known of which is the Black Lake.

Gallery

File:Свјетлопис Дурмитора.jpg, File:Свјетлопис Дурмитора2.jpg, File:Свјетлопис Дурмитора3.jpg, File:Свјетлопис Дурмитора4.jpg File:Свјетлопис Дурмитора5.jpg, File:Свјетлопис Дурмитора6.jpg, File:Свјетлопис Дурмитора7.jpg,

References

External links

Official National Park Site

UNESCO World Heritage Site profile

UNEP-WCMC World Heritage Site datasheet

* ttp://durmitor-bjelasica.wz.cz/ Photogallery Durmitor and Bjelasica {{Authority control Dinaric Mountains mixed forests Mountains of Montenegro National parks of Montenegro Protected areas established in 1952 Two-thousanders of Montenegro World Heritage Sites in Montenegro