EmWhy go to Montenegro?
Montenegro is undoubtedly one of Europe’s hidden gems, with relatively few tourists from western Europe heading to it’s beautiful old towns and sandy beaches. It’s a small country and pretty easy to travel around, so you can spend a week seeing the main sights with only a few hours travel in between.
I’m seeing more and more people talking about Montenegro as a destination for 2024, so I’d get in before it becomes too touristy!
How do I get to Montenegro?
Montenegro has two main airports – Podgorica (where most budget airlines arrive) and Tivat (better for Kotor, if you can find a flight).
See my Everything you need to know about Montenegro blog for more information on how to get there and the practicalities of visiting Montenegro
Top things to do in Montenegro
1. Wander around Kotor old town
The absolute highlight of my trip to Montenegro was wandering the alleyways and squares of Kotor town. Built from the 15th century onwards, the town really shows it’s age – in a good way! Take your time wandering narrow alleys between centuries-old houses, visiting beautiful churches, and having a coffee at any of the many squares scattered throughout the town.
One of my favourites was in the ‘main’ square, by the gates in the old town wal. I was able to sit and eat delicious pizza with a view of both the town and the mountains surrounding it. It’s even more beautiful at night, lit with soft light, the epitome of summer (or spring) in Europe. Spend your evenings relaxing, with many of the restaurants featuring live music. Sample Montenegrin specialities such as cevapi (grilled meat and veg), cuttlefish ink risotto, and the local spirit rakia.
Kotor is good for memento shopping too. As well as the usual tourist knick knacks, there are a variety of more unusual gifts to bring back for your friends and family. My favourite was a shop selling an abundance of lavender-themed gifts. You could easily spend a morning wandering from shop to shop, trying to work out what to bring home for that special someone who really deserves a gift.
2. Visit Kotor’s Churches
The most famous church in Kotor is St Typhon Cathedral, more commonly known as Kotor Cathedral. First mentioned in the 9th century, the current structure dates from the 13th century. It has an iconic frontage, with two tall towers reaching above the main body of the church. It stands gracefully above one of the biggest squares in Kotor, making for beautiful pictures.
You can also visit the church of Saint Luke, or Sveti Luka, a picturesque medieval chapel built in the 12th century. There is also the much newer church of St Nicolas. This is an orthodox church built in the 20th century on the site of an older building which burnt down.
All three churches offer different experiences inside, ranging from the ornate in St Nicolas to the magnificent in the cathedral. Saint Luke’s really gives a sense of age. There are numerous other churches in the old town to enjoy as you wander.
3. Enjoy Montenegro’s history on Kotor city walls
Kotor is a walled city, contributing to the enormous sense of history you feel when you visit. Built between the 9th and 14th centuries, the walls still circle the majority of the city today. I only ventured outside for a supermarket and a cafe on the waterfront. It’s well worth climbing the few steps up and promenading around. The views are spectacular, with mountains on one side and water on the other, and you can see right across the city rooftops.
One of my favourite experiences walking around the walls was the insight into the daily lives of the Kotor locals. Parts of the wall go right up against people’s houses and you are walking past their laundry and kids playing. I always love seeing the functional parts of a town, as well as the tourist hotspots.
You can access the walls from various spots around the town. However, don’t be fooled into thinking all the stairs in Kotor lead to the walls – some lead up to houses nestled into the mountains, like my airbnb.
4. Pet Montenegro’s many cats
If you are a cat lover, Kotor is the city for you. Cats roam everywhere, just waiting for your attention. I was lucky enough to have a terrace in my airbnb. I walked out each morning to find cats sprawled across the patio furniture.
5. Our Lady of the Rocks
The church of Our Lady of the Rocks is on a tiny island outside the town of Perast. You’ll need to take a boat to visit (whether you’re in Kotor or Perast). Built in the 15th century, legend has it that the islet was formed after local seamen found an icon of the Madonna and Child in the sea in 1452, and made an oath to create a church in their honour. They formed the island through depositing a rock after each successful voyage. This tradition continues with a rock depositing event every July.
It’s undoubtedly one of the most Instagrammable spots I’ve ever seen. I visited in blazing sunshine, and the contrast of the tiny island, beautiful building and stunning blue water behind makes it a photographer’s dream. It’s only a few minutes visit to walk around the buildings and have a peep into the tiny church (where you can buy some religious memorabilia if that’s your thing), but it’s well worth the trip.
You can pick up a boat from the harbour in Kotor. If you’re leaving the town by either set of gates, go past the cruise terminal to a small waterside park, in line with the edge of the old town. You’ll be able to see all the boat cruises at the water’s edge. It wasn’t necessary to book in advance, and I would imagine this is the case except at the busiest of times.
I did my trip as part of my trip to Perast. Combining Our Lady of the Rocks with Perast or the Blue Cave is the most common way to visit. You’re taken out on a speedboat – an experience in itself, slicing across the beautiful water. You then spend a short 20 minutes or so at the island before heading on to your next stop.
6. Perast
Perast is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. I was lucky with my visit and had blazing sunshine, but it would still be lovely even in rougher weather. It’s a small town, strung out along one long road. It mainly consists of waterfront restaurants where you can eat with the water lapping just below your feet. There are a few shops as well, and you can explore the small church and the back alleys of the town, which is set into the hills.
I spent a couple of hours here over lunch, which is enough time if you’re sightseeing. My main task was to decide which restaurant with stunning views was the right spot for me. Although I did run into a group of morris dancers and got to see them performing in the square outside the church. This is definitely one of the most surreal things that’s happened to me on all my trips around the world!
To get to Perast, you take the boat out from Kotor, usually stopping at Our Lady of the Rocks beforehand. There are also a few hotels at Perast, with stunning waterside views – well worth thinking about if you are keen to stay somewhere blissfully relaxing.
7. Head to the beach in Petrovac
While Kotor does have a beach, I wouldn’t personally recommend it. It’s a thin pebbly strip and there are so many boats in the harbour that I can’t imagine the water would be particularly clean. So to get my beach fix, I headed down to Petrovac, favourite of Montenegro’s holiday makers.
Most tourists from western Europe head to Montenegro’s beaches at Budva. I was looking for something a little quieter and more off the beaten track, and I certainly found that in Petrovac. It’s a sweet town reminiscent of the quieter English beach towns (no arcades or nightclubs in sight). There’s a long beach front and cheap accommodation in the town.
There’s a range of hotels on the beachfront, but I chose to stay in an airbnb a few minutes back from the beachfront to have my own cooking space. This was a massive mistake given I arrived on a Montengrin national holiday. There were no shops were open the first two days I stayed there!
However, there were plenty of restaurants to choose from on the seafront. I particularly loved the pizza at Dominus (is it even really a holiday if you don’t have multiple pizzas). Hotel Riva had a killer tiramisu.
I spent most of my time in Petrovac on the beach. The town beach is lovely, with sun loungers available to rent and everything you need for a beach day nearby.
8. Luhice beach
However, my favourite spot was Luchice beach, about 20 minutes walk from Petrovac down a very quiet road. This is a smaller, narrower bay. It has a more enclosed feel with steep, fir clad hills rising around it. Luchice has two restaurants offering typical tourist fare, and a small tourist shop (floaties and beach gear only). The sunloungers here were more expensive, but it was worth it to spend the day beside such crystal clear water.
9. St Nedjelja church
You can also take a short boat ride out from Petrovac to see nearby caves. It also takes you to an island opposite the town, which features a steep climb to a tiny, astonishing church perched on a rock spit. This is a short trip and very cheap, and it’s well worth it!
We climbed up to the top of the hill to get to St Nedjelja (a bit nerve wracking, as there wasn’t a handrail for some of the steps). It was entirely worth it to see the tiny church and the views of Petrovac and the surrounding bays. There are a couple of companies in town offering this trip multiple times a day, so just walk up and ask for the next available time.
10. Take in the sunset on the hills around Petrovac
One of my most magical experiences in Montenegro was taking in the sunset on the small hill at the end of the harbour in Petrovac.
There are two ways to do this – you can walk down to the end of the harbour and watch the sunset from what’s left of Kastio Castle, a beautiful small castle built by the Venetians in the 16th century.. This has the obvious benefit of being free, and is well worth a few minutes walk around even when it’s not sunset.
However, I chose to take in the sunset from the amazing Castelo Terrace bar and restaurant. From the harbour, you wouldn’t even know this amazing gem is there – it’s only visible from the castle. It provides a magnificent 180 degree viewpoint for sunset, and is open into the evening for a drink or dinner. It’s a really magical spot to sit and end the day.
Honourable mentions – popular sights in Montenegro I didn’t visit
1. Blue Cave
Instead of visiting the Blue Cave, I chose to stay in Perast – but the majority of tours and visitors head out to the Blue Cave, on a much longer boat tour. The Blue Cave is a natural wonder, only accessible by boat. A large cavern where the water combines with smooth walls to create an unusual blue light effect, you have time on the boat trip to swim and enjoy the space.
2. Hike up to St John’s Fortress
Full disclosure, I was too lazy to do this. But my host was absolutely adamant that this is one of the must dos in Kotor, and in Montengro itself.
St John’s Fortress stands 260 metres above Kotor, on a steep hill only accessible via steps. Guides say it takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour each way, passing a small church on the way. The steps lead you to stunning views of Kotor and the surrounding bay, and if you are less lazy than me, my airbnb host would absolutely recommend that you take the time to do the climb.
3. Budva, Montenegro’s most popular beach town
Most tourists heading to Montengro from western Europe head to Budva, which is a lively beach town with good transport links and a variety of places to stay and eat.
Full disclosure, I was looking for a quieter stay so only passed through Budva on my way to Petrovac, but even from the bus it was clear that it’s evolving into a modern, busy beach resort. Budva has a beautiful old town as well, and stunning sandy beaches to soak up the sun. There’s also a waterpark, as well as a modern shopping centre for when you need a break from your sun lounger.
4. Lake Skadar, Montenegro’s biggest lake
I didn’t get to visit Lake Skadar properly, but my drive back to the airport in Podgorica went across it, and it is stunning. Situated between Albania and Montenegro, it is a Montenegrin national park and is surrounded by mountains. You can drive there easily or take various guided cruises across the lake.
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