Kolašin Travel Guide, Tours & Hotels

Best time: January–February for snow, June–September for hiking
Ideal for: Skiers, hikers, families, rafting trips
Time needed: 2–3 days
Getting there: ~1h15 by car from Podgorica; also on the railway
Region: Durmitor & the North
Altitude: 954 m

Ideal for

Skiing

Hiking

Families

Rafting

O nama Kolašin

At 954 m in the lap of Bjelasica, Kolašin is the country’s year-round mountain base: two ski centres above the town, Biogradska Gora’s rainforest on its doorstep, and the Tara and Morača canyons within an easy drive.

Kolašin sits in a bowl between Bjelasica, Sinjajevina and the Morača massif, high enough that the air changes noticeably as you climb out of the Morača canyon to reach it. It grew as an Ottoman garrison town and later as a mountain-air resort, and today it works as the north’s most practical base: you can ski in the morning and be at a river put-in an hour later. Two lift systems serve it — Kolašin 1450 above the town and the newer Kolašin 1600 on the far side of the ridge — while summer brings hikers to Biogradska Gora, one of the last three old-growth forests left in Europe, wrapped around a glacial lake. The town itself is small and unpolished rather than resort-slick, which is much of its appeal; the eating is mountain food, and the shoulder seasons are quiet.

Istaknuto

Kolašin 1600 & 1450 ski centres

Biogradska Gora old-growth forest

Tara canyon rafting

Katun dining on Bjelasica

Where it is

Two mountains, two seasons

Bjelasica is a rounded, grassy range rather than a jagged one, which is why it works for both skiing and walking. Kolašin 1450 rises directly above the town and is the older, gentler of the two centres; Kolašin 1600, opened on the northern slopes, added modern gondola access and longer descents. In summer the same slopes turn into meadow walking dotted with katuns — the seasonal shepherds’ huts where families still move livestock up for the warm months, and where some now serve visitors cheese, kajmak, lamb and homemade rakija.

A base for the canyons

Kolašin’s position makes it a launching point rather than a destination you never leave. The Tara — Europe’s deepest river canyon — is about an hour north, where rafting operators run half-day trips through the Đurđevića Tara section from spring meltwater into late summer. South, the road back to Podgorica threads the Morača canyon past the 13th-century Morača Monastery. Durmitor and Žabljak lie roughly two hours west over the Sinjajevina plateau.

Isplanirajte posjetu

Line up where to stay and what to do around Kolašin.

Hotels near Kolašin Experiences & tours Istražite Durmitor & the North All places in Montenegro

Official resources & further reading

Biogradska Gora National Park

Frequently asked questions

Is Kolašin worth visiting in summer?

Yes — summer is arguably better than winter, with hiking on Bjelasica, the Biogradska Gora forest and lake, and Tara canyon rafting all within reach of the town.

How far is Kolašin from Podgorica?

About 70 km, roughly an hour and a quarter by car through the Morača canyon, and it is also on the Belgrade–Bar railway line.

When can you ski in Kolašin?

The season usually runs from December to March, with the most reliable snow in January and February at the higher Kolašin 1600 centre.

What is Biogradska Gora?

A national park just east of Kolašin protecting one of Europe’s last old-growth forests, centred on Biograd Lake, with easy lakeside walking and longer routes up Bjelasica.