Hi folks,
this in fact is a very specific question concerning the road from Pec (Kosovo) to Podgorica (Montenegro) through Rugovo-Canyon which was closed on Kosovo territory nearby the Cakor-Pass during the war in 1999.

This road is probably going to be reopened this year 2011:

Asfalt preko Čakora - Večernje novosti

Čakorpass – Wikipedia

So, has anyone been down there in the last weeks and could verify the up-to-date-status to me?

I will be in Albania and Kosovo in about three weeks. Make a guess what I would like to ride...?!

Any recent experience about the road and borders from Kosovo to Montenegro around Pec? It'd be the probable choice if we end up going through Kosovo.

I refer to Cakor pass, as asked in the post, as well as the road to Rozaje.

All comments really appreciated.

Esteban

I tried the Rugova road several years back--2009, I think, or 2008. The UN troops at the monastery in Pec told me it was open into Montenegro. The road was spectacular until it petered out way up in the mountains in a maze of cart tracks and footpaths. I found some farmers who managed to communicate to me that I should go no further due to mines and probably sentries. No telling whether it's open now, but I wouldn't trust anything short of a firsthand report....and even then. On the other hand, it made for a great couple of hours of riding.

I backtracked north from Pec a half-hour or so to another road over another pass into Montenegro--freshly paved, full of wonderful banked corners most of the way to the summit. Maybe that second road led to Rosaje? I don't have a map, and don't remember the names of towns, but there were no signs anyway--I just kept asking until I found myself climbing out of the valley. Once over the border most of the roads were well-signed, and as I recall both routes joined up at some point. Lots of superb mountain riding on and off pavement throughout Montenegro, so leave some time to enjoy it.

A lot could have changed in three or four years. Take the above with a large grain of salt.

Mark

Thanks a lot Mark. I read other useful advice from you on this area in other threads, so thanks again.

Here is a map of the area where I mark the borders I refer to, so it may help to identify roads and borders. Actually, I can only find two borders between Kosovo and Montenegro, so I presume the good one is the red road to Rozaje.

you can pass it, just take care there is a plenty of rocks on the road, then go to Murino Montenegro, from Murino fantastic road to wherever you want, when in Murino area go to Plav 10km, huge mountain lake, and visit Gusinje and Grebaja

I travelled from Montenegro to Kosovo through Rosaje last week and first tried to take right fork from Rosaje to enter Kosovo but the road was not signposted and 2 sets of locals told me it was wrong way so I went back to the town and took the left fork which brought me into Serbia for about 7 km and then into Kosovo.Border crossings were easy for the area and the road was good snaking through a mountain pass and then follows a lake or reservoir.
Many Montenegrans and Serbs are in total denial about the existence of Kosovo

Any info if border at Cakor pass open already or passable? Thanks

closed again, go via rozaje , and if you want you can ride in rugova canyon , but not possible to pass border still

Hi,

I rode by bike in Septembre 2016, from Pec to Montenegro.
There is a cement block just at the border ( after 3 km of unpaved street) I crossed this point without problem ( i think could be the same for out road motorbike)
Paved road start again in this point, no border point, but one jeep with 3 policeman after 2 km. They checked my passport and they asked me my direction.
Finally they were so kind to allowed me to continue towards Montenegro.
One of those policeman was in the wood to find people from kosovo (i can imagine)
Ciao

Great to hear that! I am planing on doing a trip trough the balkans next year, and i really want to ride this pass, its just so magnificent...


Just one question, how did you leave Montenegro without an entry stamp in your passport?


I would like to do it the other way around from montenegro into kosovo... but the problem still stands, how do i leave the country without an entry stamp?

Don't joke with them. He was lucky, you might be not. Illegal border crossing in this days .

Only passports are stamped. Many nationalities can enter both Montenegro and Kosovo with just an ID card. No stamps on those.
check on Who doesn't need a visa? - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Brussels for what you need in Kosovo.

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Indeed, i will be traveling with my id card and my passport, so i will probably try to get the entry-stamps but not the exit stamps. If that works, i am golden. If their electronic system is up to date, this won´t work. But we will see.


Since i don´t need a visa anyways, i don´t think the repercussions when eventually getting caught will be too harsh.
Thats why i am more worried about road conditions than the police.


Thanks for your concern, tho guys!

Missus and I did an all-Balkan-tour (missed Moldovia, though...) last summer. We left with the distinct impression that nobody gives a damn about stamps in passports, really, and that is after I came fully prepared that time, having skipped a possible day-trip to Kosovo from Serbia on an earlier trip in March that year because I had entered Serbia with my ID card only and only then read on an official German Foreign Ministry website that I would need a Serbian entry stamp to come back from Kosovo into Serbia.

Weaving in and out on our German ID card, always being waived on to the front of the line, always being treated very courteously, never having to open any luggage, the only one mandatory thing was to purchase insurance for Kosovo at the Albania-Kosovo border. Everything else was just a non-issue (as was any other surplus paperwork such as international drivers licenses and international vehicle documents).

Cheers
Chris

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Hi,

I crossed the Cakor pass from Kosovo to Montenegro in 2012, there was no border crossing. I still have a Kosovo entry stamp in my passport, and obviously no exit stamp. I want to enter Kosovo again. Any idea if I may get into any trouble? I can use an EU id card also, but I'm not sure if they don't have all the information in their computers anyway.

Cheers