Žabljak
Žabljak (, ) is a small town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 1,723. 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. History 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. Demographics 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: 3 March 1981 – 1,379 3 March 1991 – 1,853 1 November 2003 – 1,937 15 April 2011 – 1723 Ethnic groups (1991 census): Montenegrins (91.07%) Serbs (7.33%) Ethnic groups (2003 census): Serbs (50.26%) Montenegrins (43.03%) Ethnic groups (2011 census): Montenegrins (54.21%) Serbs (36.16%) Undeclared (6.96%) Tourism 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: Skiing – Durmitor's snow cover lasts 120 days per year, with decent slopes such as Savin kuk, Štuoc and Javorovača. Rafting – the 1300 m deep Tara River canyon is the second deepest in the world, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rafting on Tara River is one of the most popular tourist