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Undiscovered beauty and luxury without a front desk - Meet Piva Nature Park, a paradise for adventure-seeking tourists
Source: eKapija
Thursday, 26.02.2026.
10:47
Thursday, 26.02.2026.
10:47
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(Photo: Park prirode Piva)
Piva stands out as a hub for adventure and recreation - from hiking, cycling, and kayaking to adrenaline-pumping activities such as rafting, zip-lining, and Via Ferrata. At the same time, its rich cultural and historical heritage, including the Piva and Zagrađe monasteries, as well as UNESCO-protected medieval tombstones (stećci), provides an additional dimension to the tourist experience. This synergy of natural beauty, active tourism, and cultural heritage makes the Piva Nature Park a destination that attracts visitors seeking experiences that combine adventure, education, and the tranquility of pristine nature.
As Ivan Doderović, Executive Director of the Piva Nature Park, told eKapija, the expansion of tourism in this area coincided with its designation as a protected area, allowing development to proceed in accordance with the principles of sustainable use of natural resources.
(Photo: Park prirode Piva)
The key tourist potential of the Park lies are based on exceptional natural resources: the canyons of the Piva and Tara rivers, the richness of mountain landscapes and massifs of Maglić, Bioč, Volujak, and Durmitor, as well as Piva Lake - the largest drinking water reservoir in the region - offering strong visual appeal and significant potential for active and recreational tourism. High-altitude lakes like Trnovačko and Stabanska further enhance its attractiveness, while part of the Plužine municipality overlaps with the Durmitor National Park, further strengthening the tourist offering through the synergy of protected areas.
- Compared to other mountain and lake regions in Montenegro and the wider region, Piva is distinguished by its combination of a strong landscape identity, not yet mass-visited, an authentic local atmosphere, and increasingly better infrastructure connectivity. This balance between improved infrastructure and preserved nature represents its greatest competitive advantage - says Doderović, adding that today Piva is not a mass tourism destination but a place for a genuine nature experience.
- Piva is a destination for hiking, water activities, and canyon exploration, but also for peace, quiet, and reconnecting with natural values - which is increasingly sought after in the modern tourism market - he emphasizes.
According to him, from the very beginning of tourism development in Piva, the focus has been on adventure tourism.
- Rafting was the first driver of this offer, and over the years the destination has been significantly enriched with new content, through both public and private initiatives. Today, visitors can experience the zip line - the longest in Montenegro - climbing routes, and the Piva Via Ferrata, one of the most beautiful in the region. Its trail runs above the Piva River and is suitable for tourist activities of all skill levels - he notes.
(Photo: Park prirode Piva)
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Destination Promotion
When it comes to promoting Piva in domestic and international markets, Doderović says they maintain an active presence on social media and digital channels.
- During the summer tourist season, Piva Nature Park also operates info centers and points that provide visitors with information and support - he notes.
So far, the Park has participated in tourism fairs in the region, and it is planned to attend international fairs as well.
- Especially considering that the majority of overnight stays are by tourists from Germany, France, Poland, Israel, the Netherlands, and Belgium. In 2025 alone, tourists from 97 different countries visited Piva, which confirms the destination’s recognition at a global level - he adds.
Doderović explains that the promotion of Montenegro is handled by the National Tourism Organization, whose activities, together with the efforts of local stakeholders, contribute to increasing tourist traffic.
- HNevertheless, many activities in developing the Park as a tourist destination have so far occurred spontaneously, highlighting the need for dedicated and strategic promotional efforts to further enhance the destination’s visibility and attract the target audience, especially in international markets - he emphasizes.
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Additionally, the Park offers horseback riding, quad biking, mountain and cycling tourism, as well as a variety of water activities such as cruising and kayaking on Piva Lake, which, with its scenic beauty and calm waters, provides excellent opportunities for recreation and adventure.
- This combination of activities makes Piva Nature Park a destination that successfully blends excitement and contact with untouched nature, and the adventure tourism segment is constantly growing and strengthening in the regional context - our interlocutor emphasizes.
(Photo: Park prirode Piva)
- The Ethno Village Montenegro in Brezna, the first of its kind in Montenegro, is located in the Plužine municipality, while camps in Šćepan Polje represent the center for rafting activities and a base for adventure tourism. Private accommodations are experiencing rapid growth, following increased tourist traffic. According to a 2025 survey, there are 1,576 beds available across 25 settlements in the municipality, while official data recorded nearly 33,000 overnight stays, and it is estimated that the actual number reaches up to 100,000 - which, for a municipality with 2,500 residents, represents a true tourism boom.
He also states that tourist signage is regularly maintained and modernized, contributing to the destination’s visibility and the community’s focus on tourism development.
- Piva’s traffic connectivity within Montenegro is satisfactory. The modernization of the Nikšić - Plužine main road is underway, which temporarily limited accessibility last year but will, in the long term, provide an excellent foundation for tourism development. Additionally, the Durmitor Ring, the most attractive panoramic road in Montenegro, connects the municipalities of Plužine and Žabljak, contributing to regional tourism integration and facilitating access to the Park - he adds.
(Photo: Park prirode Piva)
- Tourist interest in Piva Nature Park is mostly concentrated during the summer season, from early May to the end of October, when, according to official data, up to 90% of the total annual overnight stays are recorded. Outside this period, tourist activity is sporadic and almost negligible, due to a combination of limited infrastructure and unfavorable weather conditions, as well as the fact that most tourism products are primarily available in summer. Therefore, Piva is seasonally reminiscent of coastal destinations, with a clearly pronounced summer peak - says Doderović, adding that hiking, cycling, winter activities, and themed tourism products could help extend the season.
- Additionally, improving infrastructure and accommodation capacity throughout the year would enable more stable tourist traffic and greater diversification of offerings.
Speaking about challenges, Doderović says that infrastructure connectivity from the direction of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the most pressing issue, particularly the Foča - Šćepan Polje road, which has been in a catastrophic state for decades.
- This section is closed to buses and trucks but still very frequent, as it represents the closest link between Podgorica and Sarajevo, as well as parts of Serbia, to the coast. The long-awaited reconstruction of this road, with World Bank funding of EUR 91 million and the tender scheduled by March 15, represents a key step for further tourism development and the overall economic activity in Piva. The local community hopes this will not turn out to be yet another empty promise - he emphasizes.
(Photo: Shutterstock/Barbora Aulehlova)
- It is expected that the arrival of workers from abroad will partially alleviate this issue, but a long-term solution requires a strategic approach to education and the retention of young people. This is also linked to the depopulation of northern Montenegro, which further complicates sustainable tourism development and the provision of quality services to visitors - says Doderović.
He also highlights the difficulty of balancing tourism development with nature conservation.
- Increased tourist interest and growing activity put pressure on sensitive ecosystems and affect environmental hygiene, primarily due to visitors from the region. This requires careful planning, strict conservation measures, and visitor education. Maintaining this balance is precisely the key to the Park’s long-term sustainability and the preservation of its unique natural and landscape identity - emphasizes the eKapija interlocutor.
Additionally, he notes that pressure from the energy sector and planned infrastructure projects in hydropower sometimes conflict with the principles of nature conservation and tourism, requiring careful coordination and long-term strategies.
- Tourism seasonality, with the highest number of visits during the summer months, further limits the development of services year-round and the creation of stable income for local communities. The geopolitical situation and regional tourist flows also affect visitor numbers and demand, especially during crisis periods, making tourism planning more challenging and requiring flexibility in developing offerings.
Zagrađe Monastery (Photo: Park prirode Piva)
- Projects include the development of feeding stations for griffon vultures, an adventure park, and astro-tourism, as well as the improvement of cycling routes through the procurement of e-bikes. The Piva Nature Park also hosts an exceptionally rich flora and fauna, which forms the basis for ecotourism and educational programs, giving every visitor the opportunity to experience untouched nature combined with active and themed activities - he notes.
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A special emphasis on the overall tourism story in Piva is provided by the “Pivska Priča” festival, held since 2021, which has made Plužine a recognizable destination during the summer tourist season. So far, the festival has gathered the biggest stars from the ex-Yugoslav region, and exciting performances by well-known regional artists are expected this year as well.
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Piva also possesses a rich cultural and historical heritage, representing significant potential for themed tourism.
- The 16th-century Piva Monastery, relocated stone by stone during the construction of the Piva HPP, is a unique undertaking, with 1,200 square meters of frescoes transferred. The Park also contains the 15th-century Zagrađe Monastery. The memorial complex in Doli marks the site of one of the biggest atrocities in Montenegro during World War II, where 522 people, including 250 children, were killed. UNESCO-protected medieval tombstones (stećci), as well as the Lazar Sočica Tower, which functions as a museum with historical and natural science exhibits, further enrich the tourist offering - concludes Doderović in an interview with eKapija.
Dragana Obradović
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Tags:
Piva Nature Park
National Tourist Organization
Ivan Doderović
adventure tourism
Piva lake
Via ferata Piva
NP Durmitor
Durmitor Ring
Piva Monastery
Zagrađe Monastery
special edition newsletter
Destination of the Future
A Region Welcoming the World
special edition newsletter Destination of the Future A Region Welcoming the World
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