| Pushpin Map: | Montenegro |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Montenegro |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Utc Offset: | +1 |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +2 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 census |
| Žabljak | |
| Native Name: | Жабљак |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Radoš Žugić (DI) |
| Leader Title1: | Ruling party |
| Area Total Km2: | 445 |
| Population Blank1: | 3,569 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Municipality |
| Population Density Km2: | 9 |
| Population Urban: | 1,723 |
| Population Rural: | 1,846 |
| Parts: | 28 |
| Parts Type: | Settlements |
| Established Date: | 1871 |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Coordinates: | 43.155°N 19.1208°W |
| Area Code: | +382 52 |
| Blank1 Info Sec1: | ŽB |
| Postal Code: | 84220 |
| Blank Info Sec1: | ME-21 |
Žabljak (Жабљак, pronounced as /ʒâbʎaːk/) is a small town in Montenegro in the northern region. It has a population of 1,723.
It is known for its many stray dogs.
Žabljak is the seat of Žabljak Municipality (2011 population: 3,569). The town is in the centre of the Durmitor mountain region and with an altitude of 1,456 metres, it is the highest situated Balkan town.
The first Slavic name of the place was Varezina voda (Варезина вода) possibly because of the strong source of drinkable water nearby, making a settlement possible. Later, the town was renamed Hanovi because it was where caravans rested. The modern name dates from 1870, when in a single day the building of a school, church and captain's home began. However, almost all the original buildings were destroyed during the Balkan Wars. All that has remained is the old church of Sv. Preobraženje (Holy Transfiguration), built in 1862 as a monument to a Montenegrin victory in the battle against the Ottoman Empire. After Žabljak was established as a town, stores and cafés were opened. As such, in the 1880s Žabljak became a market town, leading it to become administrative center of the region.
In the Ottoman defter of 1582, there were 28 Christian houses and 36 Muslim houses
In the period shortly before World War II, Žabljak was a small town with typical mountain architecture. Its unique nature was already drawing the attention of tourists from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and also from abroad, especially Italy (because of close ties between Montenegro and Italy).
During World War II, Žabljak was burnt right to its foundations. After the war, Žabljak rebuilt itself and became Montenegro's main centre for mountain tourism and winter sports.
While closed already decades ago, Žabljak holds the distinction of having had Montenegro's only ski jumping hill.[1]
Žabljak is the administrative centre of the Žabljak municipality, which has a population of 4,204. The town of Žabljak itself has a population of 1,937, and there are no other bigger settlements in the region.
Population of Zabljak:
Ethnic groups (1991 census):
Ethnic groups (2003 census):
Ethnic groups (2011 census):
Žabljak is centre of Montenegro's mountain tourism. The entire area of Durmitor mountain is protected as a national park, and offers great possibilities for both winter and summer mountain tourism. Among the main tourist attractions of Durmitor are 18 glacier lakes; the biggest and closest to Žabljak being Crno jezero, literally "Black Lake". Durmitor's slopes are also becoming increasingly popular among snowboarders. Žabljak caters for activities such as:
Žabljak has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb) with mild summers and cold winters. Precipitation is very high year around.
One problem hampering the development of Žabljak as major regional mountain tourism destination is the lack of quality road infrastructure. The situation has been improving somewhat in recent years. Žabljak's main road connection with the rest of Montenegro is the road that links Žabljak with Mojkovac and the E65, the main road connection between the Montenegrin coast, Podgorica and the north.
The other significant road connection is through Šavnik and Nikšić, on to Risan or Podgorica. Since 2010, with the reconstruction of the Risan-Žabljak road, the average trip from Žabljak to the Adriatic Sea is shortened to approximately two hours.
The town has an airport (Žabljak Airport) but the closest International Airport is Podgorica Airport some 170km (110miles) away which has regular flights to destinations throughout Europe.There are regular minibus links with Nikšić and Podgorica which arrive at the centrally located Žabljak bus station.[2]