Welcome to the “Great highlands” katun trail, which connects the seasonal mountain settlements (katuns) of Durmitor, Piva Mountain, and Sinjajevina. Stretching over approximately 500 kilometers, the trail takes you through landscapes of pristine beauty and centuries of enchanting pastoral life.

This is the fourth katun trail and part of a broader initiative to promote rural and mountain tourism. Following the trails “Borderline Heights,” “Untold Bjelasica,” and “Pester Pastures,” we now guide you through the magical sceneries of Durmitor National Park, Piva Nature Park, and the mystical Sinjajevina. By visiting katuns, you will experience these regions in a unique way, with authentic, unforgettable encounters—especially if you choose to spend the night in them.

Although there used to be many more huts, people, and sheep, just like on other Montenegrin mountains, the tradition has been preserved. Today, you can still experience the famed hospitality of the highlanders and savor the finest flavors of their cuisine.

Every traveler is welcomed at a katun as one of their own and never left hungry or thirsty. In the katun, you are not just a guest or a tourist—you are a supporter of the hosts and their centuries-old way of life.

Katuns are a world apart from typical tourist destinations. For centuries, they have been nomadic settlements in higher mountain areas, where herders move their livestock in summer for grazing. They’ve been mentioned in records since the 12th century, but archaeological evidence in the Dinaric Alps confirms their existence since the dawn of pastoralism. These summer transhumance migrations to the mountains have never been interrupted—not by the Romans, Slavs, Venetians, Ottomans, or any other colonization. Katuns are places where people live in complete harmony with nature. Time flows more slowly there. The best cheese is made in the katun. The stars are brightest there. The scents most intense. The springs the coldest. The bread the most delicious.

Simple wooden or stone huts used for sleeping and storing dairy products, enclosures for livestock, small shelters for shepherds, strong dogs, and freely grazing horses—all framed by jagged mountains with pockets of snow even in August—tell the story of a rich cultural heritage.

Legends, fairy tales, and songs are filled with mythical creatures, known and unknown heroes, shepherds, conquerors, travelers, merchants, and rulers.

Enjoy the katuns of Durmitor, Piva Mountain, and Sinjajevina. You will see things found in few other places. You will have encounters rarely found elsewhere. You will feel something you never even imagined.

In the katuns, you can rest, stock up on food and water, camp, and in some places—spend the night. The “Great Highlands” trail connects katuns across the municipalities of Mojkovac, Zabljak, Savnik, Niksic, and Pluzine. You can access the trail from any of these towns.