People frequently ask me which of the places I’ve traveled to is my favorite. I only spent a week in Montenegro but to this day it remains near the top of my list. I went to Montenegro spontaneously, after ending a Workaway in Vis, Croatia sooner than I had planned. From Dubrovnik I took a bus to Kotor. This charming town inside of a fortress is similar to Dubrovnik in a lot of ways. Also quite full of tourists, it still seemed less busy than Dubrovnik. While in Dubrovnik you have to stay a couple of miles from the fortress to find affordable lodging. However, there is lots of affordable lodging inside the fortress walls of Kotor. The old town is delightful with stained glass lamps, carpet stores, coffee shops and bars. With stone walls, clock towers and cathedrals scattered throughout the town, it is enjoyable to simply walk around. The Bay of Kotor juts into the city from the Adriatic Sea and is the perfect place for a relaxing beach day.
It is possible to take a day trip to a captivating village called Perast. It is only thirty minutes from Kotor by local transport. With steep rocky cliffs descending into the bay, the drive is picturesque. The town of Perast has two small, man-made islands that Spare reachable by taxi-boat. One of the islands, Our Lady of the Rocks, has a museum on it that has some interesting art and artifacts.
The Pirate’s Bar is another place I would highly recommend visiting. They have white, basket-like chairs above the water on a dock that are very enjoyable to swivel around in as you enjoy a cold beer.
Back in Kotor you can pay an entrance fee to get past the fortress wall and then hike up to the top. As an alternative to entering through the main gate, the walk behind the wall separating the Old Town from the rest of Kotor is accessible for free. The pathway crosses a river, curves past a goat pasture, and eventually turns into a trail that leads to the fortress. I, however, got so excited when I saw trail markers that I missed the fortress turn off. The trail I unexpectedly ended up on was exhilarating! I crossed a hut where a local Montenegrin family was selling beer and cheese for a low price. They also let me fill up my water for free.
Once at the top of the mountain I was confronted with a stunning view of the bay, mountains, and a pink sunset. Getting down the mountain in the dark was a little more nerve wracking, but I made a friend who was able to show me the turn off for the fortress! Once at the fortress we took the lit path along the stairs to get down.
In the summer months, there is a direct bus from Kotor to Durmitor National Park. This park was my main reason for coming to Montenegro. I stayed at The Hikers Den, which was one of the most amazing hostels I’ve ever experienced. Everybody staying there was passionate about hiking. Instead of being surrounded by young partiers that couldn’t handle their alcohol (like in Croatia) I was with like-minded nature lovers! Alex, the owner of the hostel has a wealth of knowledge on all things trekking. Each day he would brief us on the hikes, marking up our MapsMe with important landmarks and turns. He was also ready to share stories and advice on hikes all over the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
We hikers regularly met up in the common room after breakfast to figure out who wanted to do which hike. Alex helped us coordinate sharing a taxi so we could get to the start of specific trails. My favorite hike was to the highest peak of Montenegro. This hike is considered highly challenging because the last bit before the peak is rather steep. A cable has been fitted into the rocks to help people make their way up, which seemed safe enough to me. Once on the top I was literally in the clouds. The path on the way up passes a glacier lake, patches of snow, and some rocks with some seriously stunning swirls.
On a different day I did the ice cave hike. I enjoyed the scenery as I made it to the cave. Along the way I encountered a Montenegrin man in a hut selling beer. He had a pony and let us come inside to warm up. The ice cave itself was quite terrifying. I held onto a rope as I dug my heels into the steep incline of snow and descended into the cave. I ended up slipping and sliding on my butt half the way down. When I finally managed to stop, I turned around and went back up. I could see the ice stalactites well enough from the entrance.
If you prefer a less physically challenging day, Durmitor National Park has a few lakes near the park entrance you can hike around in just a few hours. There were adorable puppies just looking for a hiking companion. This place had some of the best hiking of my life. It was such a magical place, and it seems like it is still a well-kept secret. I connected with more travelers in that week than I did in two months in Croatia. Montenegro puts out a great vibe and it attracts some really interesting people! I fell in love with Montenegro during that week and I can’t wait to go back!
Chronicles of a Wandering Soul 