There is a small mountain town in Montenegro where visitors can witness a sight that seems almost impossible. In Šavnik, the sun can appear to rise and set twice in a single day, creating a rare natural phenomenon caused by the mountains and deep valleys surrounding the town. Šavnik has earned the nickname “the town of two suns” because of the unusual way sunlight moves across the landscape. The effect is particularly noticeable around the equinoxes, when the position of the sun and surrounding peaks combine to create the remarkable illusion.
The sun is not actually rising and setting twice. Instead, the surrounding mountains temporarily block it from view before sunlight becomes visible again through another opening in the landscape. The effect begins when the sun appears above Kravica mountain in the morning. Later, it disappears behind Gradac, creating what looks like an early sunset. Around an hour later, sunlight becomes visible again through the Bukovica canyon, before the sun finally disappears behind Mount Vojnik. The exact timing varies, but the phenomenon has made Šavnik particularly popular with visitors and photographers.
Šavnik is located in the mountainous interior of Montenegro at an elevation of around 800 meters, where the rivers Bukovica, Bijela and Šavnik meet. The town developed during the second half of the 19th century around mills built along the local rivers and is surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery, waterfalls, traditional architecture and historic sites. Nearby attractions include Nevidio Canyon, a spectacular formation that remained extremely difficult to access until its exploration in 1965. The area also features medieval stećak tombstone necropolises, traditional buildings, monasteries and waterfalls such as Crnjak and Skakavica.
For tourists exploring Montenegro beyond the country’s famous coastline, Šavnik offers something completely different. Standing in the town and watching sunlight disappear behind one mountain before returning through another part of the landscape creates the impression that nature has briefly changed the rules. The sun is simply following its normal path across the sky, but the mountains around Šavnik create an extraordinary illusion that has turned this quiet Montenegrin town into one of the Balkans’ most unusual natural attractions.
