We are cycling the Trans Dinarica route from Tirana in Albania, heading north, up through the Balkans then turning west to head across the Alps and across France to Roscoff where we hope to catch a ferry back to the UK. We have been cycling now for 8 days since leaving Tirana, which is covered in my previous blog. We are now in Montenegro. For the full Trans Dinarica route and all the regular updates visit http://www.transdinarica.com
Below is a map of our route through Montenegro. If you cannot see the map it is because you are viewing this in an email and you need to click “Read on Blog” on the top right of the email.
Wednesday 13th May 2026
Gusinja to Andrijevica
Climb 474, Distance 37.5 km
It was so cold this morning. My bike was showing 12 C and there was an icy headwind. So we set off in thick gloves and windproof coats. Last night we had been staying in an interesting building. A Kula, built in 1886 as a fortified building and more recently owned by three generations of the current landlords family. The walls of the original building were about 1 m thick.
Bernie had said that it was a short ride today with barely any climbing. So I was viewing it as a rest day. We had drifted along the valley admiring the flood meadows and stopped for a coffee and cake in the very bustling town of Plav.
What I hadn’t counted on was the 474 m of climb all arriving at once over a very short distance. We had turned on to a tiny road, past a school with little boys leaning out the upstairs windows practicing their English on us! Then bang, the steepest road you can imagine. It would have been total loss of face to get off and push in front of the children, so up we peddled huffing and wheezing. Fortunately for me, just before the top, there was an orchid asking to be photographed so I had to stop and just couldn’t get going again. But Bernie made it. And up on the top was a whole field of purple and white orchids and quite a few other wild flowers. Bernie is very patient at such times!
We just had time to admire the view before we were plunging down just as steeply. It was a very pretty detour off the main road.
We arrived in Andrijevica just as the temperature, which had risen a bit when the sun came out, dropped back to 13 C. We were staying in one of those over large, 1930’s hotels that was freezing and initially seemed to have no staff as well as no other guests. So we shivered down the road for lunch before coming back and being shown to our fridge for the night. We found some mobile heaters down the passage and requisitioned one. This hotel could easily accommodate 10 coach parties but I think it is just us and the hammering workmen.
Thursday 14th May 2026
Andrijevica to Kolasin over the Tresnjevik Pass
Climb 1164 m, Distance 45.9 km
Today was so much nicer than yesterday. We set off in lovely warm sunshine and initially not too much cold wind. We were only on the busy road for 5 minutes before we turned onto a small single road that would take us up to Tresnjevik Pass, a climb of 1164 m at really easy gradients. Bernie had plotted this route after we decided we didn’t want to go up the gravel road to the pass pushing through the snow covered road near the top.
It was a really pretty cycle and was signed as a scenic route. We went up through beech forests and small hill farms. There were flowers up the banks on either side and wonderful views of snow capped mountains. Before long we had done the 19 km to the top so stopped at the old restaurant for coffee.
Coming out we found the weather had changed. Now there was heavy cloud and a cold headwind made worse as we shot down the other side. It had dropped from 24 C to 15 C very quickly. At the bottom we found ourselves on the busy M2 road for 10 km into Kolasin. Not at all pleasant with a lot of close passes. Then came the tunnel. We put our lights on and I took a central line in our lane to catch myself a tame car. Having caught one it meant that nobody could pass us until I let them at the end of the tunnel. There were a lot of lorries coming the other way.
Luckily it was slightly downhill all the way to Kolasin so it didn’t take too long. It’s a ski resort and a fairly pretty little town. We are staying at a small family hotel near the centre which is so much nicer than the large, uncomfortable monstrosity we stayed in last night.
Friday 15th May 2026
Kolasin to Eco-Oaza Huts – The tear of Europe
Climb 778 m, Distance 46 km
There was heavy rain as we finished breakfast this morning, so we didn’t rush and by the time we set off it had stopped, for a while. We were back on the horrid M2 main road for a bit, and although it wasn’t as busy as yesterday the drivers were equally unpleasant. We were following the Tara River, which is also known as the Tear of Europe because it is so clean and has an amazing dark turquoise colour. The whole ride today was justifiably signed as a scenic route, not only because of the river but the towering cliffs on either side. There were quite a few tunnels though, not good.
We stopped where our road turned off at a cafe that was choc-a-block with motorbikers mainly from Germany, not a woman in the place. But at least there was no-one smoking. In fact there has been a lot less smoke since leaving Albania. While we were there the strong gusting wind blew over one of their motorbikes. There was quite a kerfuffle.
On our new road we had a wonderful peaceful time as most of the cars and almost all the lorries had stayed on the main road. I think we were cycling through Biogradska Park and it got better and better. The climb was very gentle and the rain and wind gusts came and went. The gorge cliffs towered above us, at one point covered in Black Pines some of which are over 400 years old. Halfway up we stopped at a view point but more importantly to demolish a punnet of strawberries, which were very nice. We had decided to stop before the main climb to Zabljak as there was heavy rain forecast for this afternoon.
We are staying in a wooden hut at Eco-Oaza, a really beautiful little family run place next to the river. You can smell all the herbs when you walk across the grass. We were just about to walk down to the river, where you can swim apparently (in this weather you must be joking), when the heavens opened and it’s been raining hard ever since. Luckily we thought to message them last night and arranged for them to make us supper. Local trout apparently!
Saturday 16th May 2026
Eco-Oaza to Zabljak
Climb 1147m, Distance 44.4 km
It had rained heavily all night and the electricity, that had been intermittent during the evening went off for most of the night. Luckily we already had everything charged. Breakfast was wonderful as expected. Our hostess cooked us tasty eggs from her chickens and gave us delicious honey from her husband’s apiary. It tasted as flowery as the honey from our bees. Like us he had had bad winter losses of bees losing 15 of his 20 hives. They had a small holding with polytunnels, veg beds, sheep, chickens and of course bees, as well as the campsite and cabins.
We set off in the light rain with mist blowing across the hills so we at least had some sort of view. As the temperature was about 13 C we didn’t get too hot in all the gear and the road gently rolled along next to the Tara River. The wet weather seemed to have kept the motorbikes off the road so it was nice and peaceful, as they only seem to be able to move in noisy packs of 20.
After a while we reached the zip wire and restaurant area were we stopped for a coffee. By the time we came out it was raining hard and we were in thick cloud so that was the end of any views for the day. This was a shame as we kept passing signs reminding us this was a scenic route. We were now on the main climb up to Zabljak which seem to go on forever with no distractions apart from close passing cars covering us in spray as there was a river running down the road.
As we reached the top and left the shelter of trees behind we found ourselves in a roaring headwind that blew stinging rain in our faces. The temperature had dropped steadily while we had been climbing and it was now 6 C with a significant wind chill, which was especially bad as by now we were wet through. We stopped in a sheltered spot to try to change our drenched fingerless gloves for padded goretex ones, but this proved very difficult, trying to get wet, cold hands past all the padding. But it made us feel a lot warmer.
The last 10 km along the top to Zabljak against an increasing wind was a real trial. We seemed to pass endless ugly developments of A-frame houses and just never find the town. We saw a restaurant and stopped for a late lunch which we shivered through as it was freezing inside with no heating. Eventually we found our hotel, and better yet it was so warm it was almost hot. Our room was soon covered in dripping clothes and bags. I stood in the hot shower for about half an hour. Bliss.
Sunday, 17th May 2026
Day off in Zabljak
It rained heavily overnight and was still raining this morning as we packed up all our bags with everything that had dried overnight. I hadn’t realised we were carrying so much stuff. It turned out that neither of us really wanted to leave this warm and comfortable hotel and cycle further up the mountain in the cold and mist. The hotel had been full last night, but a lot of people left this morning so there was no problem with us staying on.
As it turned out we would have had a big problem if we had left. When Bernie WhatsApped the hostel we had planned on staying in tonight to move it on a day they said they had thought we were booking their other site, miles away, and the hostel was still closed. That would have been uncomfortable with no tent on a cold evening with nowhere else nearby.
Anyway, all’s well and we have had a pleasant lazy day off. We eventually saw the top of Durmitor mountain briefly before the mist closed in again.
It’s meant to be warmer and sunny tomorrow so here’s hoping.
Monday 18th May 2026
Zabljak to Ṣ̌ćepan Polje on the Bosnian border
Climb 1594, Distance 66 km
What a wonderful blue sky day. It was an absolute stunner from the moment I looked out and such a change from the last two cold wet days. We were packed and out the door as fast as possible.
It was straight up hill almost from the hotel door and during the day we climbed 1594 m and descended 2562 m, so we were definitely going in the right direction.
To start we had fantastic views of Durmitor mountain and surrounding peaks with a dark blue sky backdrop, not a cloud in sight. We continued our climb into the forest which was quite a bit colder with snow lying under the trees, then out the top of the tree line with incredible views again.
After dropping down to 1200 m we paid to enter Durmitor and Piva National Parks. Despite charging us for both he only reluctantly gave us the picture ticket for Piva and refused to give us the one for Durmitor. It got seriously steep after entering the Park, around 22% but luckily only for a very long kilometre after which it was just normal steep! We were passed by several cyclists who had left their luggage in a hotel and were doing the Durmitor circuit with light bikes. In fact we met more cyclists today than in all the time since we left Tirana. Everyone was making the most of the lovely weather and the fact that they had snow ploughed the route.
After stopping for a picnic lunch the landscape changed dramatically. We were now on the Katun or high summer pastures where cattle are brought for the summer. It was just grassland with almost no trees in sight.
We undulated up here for a while, and soon we were overlooking the deep canyon with the Tara River far below. The drop down was fast, even with brakes on. Some of the top section was about 30%. I felt sorry for the German couple we met coming up.
We were staying just next to the Bosnian border in a Rafting centre, but it seemed we had dropped down on the wrong side of the border and had to enter Montenegro again. The border guard seemed a bit non-plussed by the fact we had entered no-mans-land without going past them. It would also be possible to end up in Montenegro without going through the border if you were going the other way.
Altogether a great day.
Tomorrow we will be crossing the river and the border into Bosnia Herzegovina, and our continued journey back to England will be covered in my next blog. If you have any questions please ask.