Traveling in Montenegro, you will find yourself surrounded by beautiful scenery, Unesco-protected old towns, mass tourism and luxury sites. These are the highlights of our road trip in Montenegro.
Exploring Montenegro by car gives you the opportunity to be flexible, to stay longer where you like to, and to leave when you’re ready to explore more. These are the top 6 highlights as I remember them.
1. The Kotor Bay
Kotor Bay reminds me of the Norwegian fjords and Italy’s Lake Garda and driving along the Amalfi Coast. Still, the Kotor Bay is also something quite different from this.
High rock masses, mountain slopes covered with trees. Delightful green scenery and the blue bay fills the valley between the small, partly idyllic, partly hackneyed small villages at the foot of the mountain range around. Old churches, ruins and houses with red eaves. It is truly a sight for sore eyes.
The bay itself is quiet in the morning, excellent for a swim or kayaking. But be aware of when the cruiseships leave – you do not want to find yourself in their way.
2. Dobrota: Outside the large tourist crowds
Dobrota is a small town is an hour’s walk from the old town of Kotor and after Perast. The ambience is quiet, low-key, and we stayed there side by side with locals. There are no hotels in Dobrota, only smaller family run B&Bs and homes with rooms and apartments for rent. We found a charming, former palace to stay in, with only ten rooms in total: Palazzo Radomiri.
4 . Hiking the old Kotor city wall
The stairs lead up the 100 meters to The Church of Our Lady of Remedy, where many choose to stop for the views. But I recommend climbing on to the very top, at the fort of St. John (Saint Giovanni), offering wonderful views of the bay and surrounding area. There are 1355 steps in total to climb, a steep hike, and should be undertaken in the early morning in the summertime, before it gets too hot.
Note: There is a small fee to be paid before entering the stairway to the top.
5 . Perast – charming Unesco town
A small and charming town, with 16 churches and wonderful views to the islets of St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks. Wander the streets and enjoy lunch at Conte by the harbor. But be aware: the crowds thickens when guided tours from the cruise ships arrive.
6. Visiting Exclusive Sveti Stefan
On a tiny island just off the coast of Montenegro, a medieval fishing town has been turned into an exclusive hotel. All though the hotel would be too expensive to stay in for most of us, and only residents staying at the hotel are allowed to enter the island, we managed to spend an evening there. We booked a table for two up front, and enjoyed a dinner at one of the restaurants on the island.
