The proclamation of what was then a Regional Park, and today the Nature Park (NP) “Piva,” in 2015 marked a turning point for tourism development in the municipality of Plužine.
This was stated by Ivan Doderović, director of NP “Piva,” on the occasion of the ten-year anniversary of Montenegro’s first nature park.
“In these ten years of existence, we can talk about the gradual formation and shaping of one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Montenegro, which for many years was underappreciated, and even today is not fully recognized or valorized. Through a strong promotional campaign—conducted mostly independently—investments in tourism infrastructure, promotion of synergy between nature protection and tourism, event organization, and numerous tourism-related projects, we managed to significantly raise the profile of Piva on the regional and global tourism map. We are particularly pleased that our fellow citizens have finally discovered Piva as a holiday destination,” Doderović stated.
The park officially began operating on January 1, 2016, and by the end of last year, 259,097 visits had been recorded based on ticket sales for the protected area, along with 67,032 overnight stays within the municipality of Plužine. Doderović noted that these numbers are not entirely reliable, as the park covers a vast area—nearly 32.5 hectares—meaning many visitors are not accounted for. Moreover, local service providers, with a few positive exceptions, often do not register guests. According to him, only last year’s data can be considered representative, with nearly 17,000 overnight stays and more than 10,000 tourists from 79 countries visiting Piva.
“Piva attracts a very diverse group of tourists year after year. In addition to the traditionally large number of visitors from Western Europe, there is a noticeable increase in tourists from former Yugoslav countries. Considering that visitors from 79 countries stayed in 2024 alone, it’s fair to say that Piva has become a globally recognized tourist destination,” Doderović emphasized.
According to him, due to limited financial capacity for tourism projects, they focused on applying for non-repayable EU funds and have been quite successful. He highlighted the project “Tourism, Adrenaline, and Rafting Adventure (T.A.R.A.),” carried out between 2019 and 2022 in collaboration with the Municipality of Foča. The project funded the acquisition of a quad, a drone, ten kayaks with equipment, twenty wildlife monitoring camera traps, a climbing wall, tourist-accessible caves, a FAM trip, international hiking races, support for rural households to obtain equipment, and the installation of three platforms for bird and wildlife observation.
Aware that promoting the Park depends on strong marketing, they filmed a promotional video, engaged bloggers, published positive articles on international tourism portals and magazines, and participated in international tourism fairs.
“It was through this project that the event ‘Piva Story’ was created and launched in 2021. It has since grown into one of the most attractive and recognizable music events in Montenegro. We had the pleasure of welcoming some of the biggest names from the ex-YU music scene to Plužine,” said the director of NP “Piva.”
They continued working on the same project last year, again in collaboration with the Municipality of Foča, which will run through the coming year. They acquired ten electric bikes, five benches with solar panels for charging mobile phones at remote sites, rescue equipment for Piva Lake, placed signage at key tourist locations in Plužine, constructed lookout platforms, and organized promotional trips for tour operators, outdoor influencers, and journalists.
Last year, the “Piva” Via Ferrata was installed and, according to Doderović, experienced climbers have rated it as one of the most beautiful in the region. An adventure park was built in Plužine and will open this year. In 2023, restoration was completed on the Lazar Sočica Tower in the village of Goransko, which holds the status of a locally significant immovable cultural property. The facility now houses historical and natural exhibits, a meeting room, office space, a hospitality area, and visitor accommodations.
In addition to the “Piva Story” event, the Park has initiated “Piva Lake Days” and the “Kayak Regatta” over the past ten years.
Doderović emphasized that one of the most important factors behind the success of NP “Piva” has been cooperation with its founder, the Municipality of Plužine, which has consistently provided financial support, enabling the Park’s operations.
The Park is a member of the Dinaric Parks Network of protected areas and maintains strong cooperation with the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds (CZIP), NGOs Green Home and Ozon, the municipalities of Foča and Tutin, and partners such as InTera Belgrade.
“This year we expect to establish the first vulture feeding station in Montenegro, in cooperation with the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds. Plans are in place to create an inventory of the Park’s geo-heritage sites and develop a new five-year Management Plan, which will define all future activities with a focus on nature protection and sustainable tourism. Other planned activities include implementing physical protection measures, maintaining environmental hygiene in the Park, infrastructure upkeep, regular tasks, and many more,” concluded Doderović.
Their goal is for the Piva Nature Park to remain an example of sustainable natural resource management and a recognized tourist destination in Montenegro and beyond.
Issues: Forests, Lake Level, and Closed Hotel
Since the Park’s establishment, numerous challenges have emerged, ranging from legislative issues—especially forest and land management—to the fluctuating water level of Piva Lake, over which they have no control.
“The Forest Law still doesn’t allow the Park to manage forests within its boundaries, as they fall under the jurisdiction of the Forestry and Hunting Directorate of Montenegro. Also, the Special Purpose Hunting Ground ‘Piva,’ which completely overlaps with the Park’s borders, is managed by the state. This means the Park cannot fully manage the protected area, which significantly hinders the achievement of conservation goals,” Doderović explained.
There have been sporadic cases of illegal construction and several large fires. In 2019, about 20 kilometers of road were built along the Tara River on the Bosnian side, allowing rafters and their guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina to access the river without passing through Šćepan Polje in the Park, resulting in a one-third drop in rafting revenue. COVID-19 also impacted the Park. Piva Lake’s water level, dependent on the operation of the “Piva” hydroelectric plant, has often been low, which negatively affects the tourist season. The Park lacks specialized staff, particularly in forestry, biology, and nature conservation, and has limited financial resources.
“An additional problem is that the hotel in Plužine has not been operational for over ten years, which greatly slows tourism development and hinders the attraction of more visitors. A major infrastructural challenge remains the unregulated Foča–Šćepan Polje road and the existing border crossing, which stifles both tourism and the overall development of the region. Moreover, support from the Ministry of Tourism and the National Tourism Organization could be stronger, and we often face a lack of understanding from the national government regarding our specific proposals, plans, and needs,” said the director of NP “Piva.”
Bonus video:
