Durmitor

Durmitor (Montenegrin: Дурмитор, or ) is a massif located in northwestern Montenegro. It is part of the Dinaric Alps. Its highest peak, Bobotov Kuk, reaches a height of 2523 m.

The massif is limited by the Tara River Canyon 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 1500 m high plateau, called Jezerska površ (Plateau of Lakes). The Sinjavina mountain is located to the east of the Jezerska površ plateau. The Durmitor is for the most part located in the Žabljak municipality.

The massif gives its name to the national park that comprises it. Durmitor National Park was founded in 1952, and designated as a World Heritage Site in 1980.

Peaks
The massif has 48 peaks above 2000 m. Highest peaks are:


 * Bobotov kuk 2522 m
 * Bezimeni vrh (Nameless Peak) 2487 m
 * Šljeme 2455 m
 * Istočni vrh Šljemena (East Peak of Sljeme) 2445 m
 * Soa / Đevojka 2440 m
 * Milošev tok 2426 m
 * Bandijerna 2409 m
 * Rbatina 2401 m
 * Lučin vrh 2396 m
 * Prutaš 2393 m
 * Minin bogaz 2387 m
 * Planinica 2330 m
 * Kobilja glava 2321 m
 * Savin Kuk 2313 m
 * Šupljika 2310 m

Lakes
Durmitor features 18 glacial lakes, 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 Eastern Romance, meaning 'sleeping place' (cognate with English dormitory). There are similarly named mountains, such as Visitor (cf. visător 'dreamer') and Cipitor (cf. ațipitor 'sleeper') across the former Yugoslavia.

Another 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 390 km2. It is the largest protected area in Montenegro, and it was inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1980.

At 80 km long and 1300 m deep, the Tara River Canyon in Durmitor National Park is the deepest gorge in Europe.

Tourism
Durmitor mountain is the centre of Montenegrin mountain tourism. The tourist facilities are concentrated around the town of Žabljak. In winter, the main activities on Durmitor are skiing and snowboarding. In summer, the activities shift to hiking, mountaineering and recreational tourism. Water sports are also practiced in the area. Some of the most prominent attractions of Durmitor mountain are 18 glacial lakes, the best known of which is the Black Lake and the mountain peak Stožina.