Green Montenegro: the Mimosa Festival, Skadar Water Lilies and Durmitor Forests

Montenegro is small, yet in a single day you can see a Mediterranean coast with mimosa and oleander and mountain forests where snow still lies. Here is where to go to see the country’s nature, not just the beaches of Budva.

A spring mood all year: tulips and flower baskets.

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Natural places in Montenegro

• Herceg Novi. The town at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor is known as the town of mimosa. Since the late 1960s it has held a mimosa festival every February, with a carnival and concerts.
• Lake Skadar. The largest lake in the Balkans and a national park. In summer its bays fill with water lilies, and Dalmatian pelicans nest in the reeds.
• Durmitor. A national park in the northern mountains, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with glacial lakes, conifer forests and the Tara River canyon.
• Biogradska Gora. One of Europe’s last primeval forests, with centuries-old beech and fir around a mountain lake.

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What flowers on the coast

Something is in flower on the coast almost all year: mimosa in February, broom, wisteria and citrus in spring, oleander, bougainvillea and pomegranate in summer. The old towns of Kotor and Budva are full of greenery, and in spring the mountain meadows bloom with orchids and gentians.

• Best time for nature. May–June and September, when it is not too hot and the mountain snow has melted.
• For the mimosa festival. February, while the rest of Europe is still in winter.
• Remember. National parks charge an entry fee, and picking plants is prohibited.

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For more nature trips, see secluded places in Ukraine and hidden towns of the world.

FAQ

When is the mimosa festival in Herceg Novi?

In February, usually over several weeks, with a carnival parade on one of the weekends.

Where can I see water lilies in Montenegro?

On Lake Skadar, best in summer on a boat trip.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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