Gusinje is a mountain town at the foot of the Prokletije, the range whose name means Accursed Mountains, and from the main street you can look up at limestone peaks that crowd the border with Albania and Kosovo. It lies in a high valley of the Lim headwaters near the lake of Plav, a place of green meadows, old stone houses and a population that is largely Bosniak and Albanian. The town's character is more Ottoman than Slavic, with mosques, small shops and family-run cafés, and the pace of life is slow.
The local geography is the great draw. A short drive away is Grlja, a small valley with a waterfall and a clear river, and further on, the Grebaje valley, a glacial valley with huge cliffs and a river that runs out of the mountains. The Prokletije are some of the wildest in the Balkans, famous for sharp limestone teeth, deep valleys and remote villages, and walking routes cross over to Albania and Kosovo. The meadows are rich in flowers in early summer, and bears and wolves live in the high forests, though you are very unlikely to see them from the road.
For motorcyclists, the road to Gusinje from Plav is an easy approach through farmland, with the mountains getting closer all the time. The route into the Grebaje valley is narrower and rougher in places, with some stretches of poor asphalt and gravel, so take it slowly and watch for livestock and local drivers. The reward is a cool, quiet mountain valley with rock walls overhead and the sound of water. Weather can change swiftly in the high country, and snow can linger on the slopes until late spring. Early summer to early autumn is the best period for riding.
Gusinje is small, and for fuel the safe plan is to fill up in Berane, about thirty kilometres away and a much larger town, or in Plav on the way, if you are certain of a station there. In the town you can find simple food and strong coffee. Try a plate of local cheese and cream, which is typical of the mountains, and give yourself time to look at the peaks before you decide how far up the valley you want to go.