UNESCO

Durmitor Mountain is a stunning limestone massif, belonging to the Dinarides. It is also the name of the largest Montenegrin protected area, the Durmitor National Park, the heart of a landscape shaped by glaciers, whose rivers and underground streams are incorporated into the Tara River Biosphere Reserve. Some fifty peaks over 2,000 meters above sea level rise above the plateau, alpine meadows and forests, including Bobotov Kuk (2,523 m above sea level). Many glacial lakes, locally called "mountain eyes", cover the landscape. Despite its numerous attractions, Durmitor is known for the canyons of the Draga, Sušica, Komarnica and Tara rivers, as well as excellent opportunities for hiking, rafting, canyoning, skiing, snowshoeing, etc.

In addition to the exceptional beauty of the landscape and fascinating geological heritage, Durmitor National Park is home to impressive biological diversity. At the habitat level, the rare habitat of the European black pine should be mentioned. At an altitude difference of 2,000m and influenced by the Alpine and Mediterranean climate, in the wider Durmitor massif, there are 1,600 vascular plants. A large percentage are found in the Park and many are rare and endemic.

Large mammals are the brown bear, the gray wolf and the European wild cat.

Among the 130 bird species recorded are: bald eagle, grouse, falcon.

Also, it is worth mentioning the very rich fish fauna, which includes brown trout.

The park is inhabited by farmers and herders, who traditionally use the high plateaus as summer pastures.

Due to the richness of the original and unique nature, the ambient and cultural values of Durmitor and the Tara River, the Durmitor National Park was included in the list of world cultural and natural heritage by the decision of the International Committee for World and Natural Heritage in Paris in 1980, and thus officially found itself on the UNESCO list. The Tara River Basin (area 182,899 ha) is protected as a World Biosphere Reserve (Man and Biosphere Program – M&B, UNESCO, from January 17, 1977), based on the Convention on the Protection of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage (UNESCO). Durmitor is included in the IBA (Important Bird Areas) and IPA (Important Plant Areas) areas.

The most important criteria for the entry of Durmitor National Park into the UNESCO area are:

Criterion (VII) The outstanding scenic beauty of the National Park is shaped by glaciers and rivers. Alpine meadows and plateaus and smooth hills set against a stark backdrop of numerous high peaks. Dense forests and glacial lakes contribute to the scenic diversity and appeal. The most interesting elements of this scenic diversity and appeal are the deep river canyons, the most famous of which is the Tara River Gorge, the deepest European gorge and one of the few not affected by hydroelectric power plants.

Even the underground offers stunning natural beauty in the form of numerous caves, the most famous of which is the Ice Cave with its stalactites and stalagmites.

Criterion (VIII) Durmitor National Park contains a multitude of geological and geomorphological features of great scientific interest that have shaped the landscape, such as many karst phenomena. The dominant geological features are very dense, often wildly distorted limestone formations of the Middle and Upper Triassic, Upper Jurassic and Upper Cretaceous, although more recent rocks are also present. The Durmitor flysch, which is used for tectonic strata at an angle of 90 degrees in the Durmitor massif. The magnificent canyons, and in particular the Tara River, over 60 km long, are not only fundamental landscape features of the Park, but also reveal magnificent rock formations. These include the deepest Montenegrin pit (the pit in the Windy Mountains) and underground rivers, which drain the waters of some glacial lakes. In particular, the "Ice Cave", is a visually stunning and rare relic of the past.

Criterion (X)

The diverse mountain landscape includes high zones ranging from 450 to 2500 meters above sea level and a wide range of ecosystems and habitats. Among them are rocky peaks, forests, alpine meadows, lakes, rivers, canyons and caves that include underground freshwater systems. Of particular importance is the forest of European black pine, where 400-year-old specimens reach a height of up to 50m.

Many plant species are of floristic Alpine and sub-Mediterranean origin, including a rich karst and limestone grassland flora, with many rare and endemic species. A total of 37 plant species are endemic to the wider area, and 6 to Durmitor.

Stećak tombstone sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites at a UNESCO committee meeting on 15 July 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. Among the protected sites were the stećak tombs of Bare Žugica and the Greek Cemetery in Žabljak, which earned them UNESCO World Heritage status.