In May, my husband and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary as a couple, and to commemorate this beautiful event, we were looking for a warm and beautiful destination. We had dreamed about several destinations, but we decided on Montenegro because we read that this country is not too expensive, surrounded by natural beauty, and we didn't have many stories about this land from others, so we could go without any expectations.
We flew with Airbaltic on a direct flight to Tivat, which took only about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
The first impressions were indeed pleasant, and the warmth embraced us. Overall, I would say there were few tourists; we hit a very good season.
We started the trip with:
- Budva Old Town — we would say it's a nice old town, but you definitely don't need to spend the whole day there or look for accommodation specifically nearby. You can stop along the way, stroll through the old town for a moment, and then move on. In this area, I would recommend visiting @vistavidikovac, from where you can see a view of the entire old town, enjoy a delicious meal, and also appreciate the view of the rocky beach on the other side.
- Sveti Stefan — next, we went to the small island that you can only walk around if you stay there overnight. However, I think it is a very nice stop, even if you don't manage to get into the town. We enjoyed sitting on the rocky beach, admiring the beautiful water color, and enjoying the view!
Near these cities, we also enjoyed pool amenities at Reset Hotel & Restaurant. You can find it on Google with this name. It's great that the pool is free if you order something from the restaurant!
- Perast — this seems to be my favorite place in Montenegro. A small town surrounded by mountains, stone houses, smiling people, and lovely towers. And flowers grew on the house walls here, making the streets smell wonderful. This town has many options for eating, but we dined at @djardinperast. It was delicious and very beautiful. From here, for 5 euros, you can take a boat to the nearby island 'Our Lady of the Rocks' and walk around it, but I enjoyed the boat ride itself more than the small island with a church on it!
- Mausoleum of Njegoš — 461 steps to reach the top of Mount Lovćen. It's definitely worth it. Even the road to this place was breathtaking. I constantly wanted to get out and just look around! Along the way, there was a cafe where you literally sit in the clouds and look at the Bay of Kotor. Simply magical!
- Kotor Old Town — we definitely liked this city more than Budva's old town. We walked around, ate sweets, had lunch, and also dinner here. If you want a rooftop cafe with a view of the entire old town, we recommend @hippocampushotel's rooftop terrace - it was delicious, and the view was excellent!
In general, the Bay of Kotor (which includes several cities, including the previously mentioned Perast) is, in our opinion, the most beautiful region to visit, explore, and see! I would say that you should plan your entire trip around this area, and maybe 1-2 days maximum somewhere else!
- Rose — next, we went to the town of Rose — this was my second favorite place in Montenegro. There were only two working cafes here, each with a handful of people. Such peace, quiet, and absolute beauty. I'm surprised it appeared so little in recommendations when we were looking for locations worth seeing. Maybe it's because it was about a 1-hour drive from Kotor and you can walk around it in 20 minutes, but I would say this is a 'must-see' place!
- Tivat — This city also has 'Porto Montenegro' and fancy shops and cafes. Such a luxury area. An impressive contrast after the quiet town of Rose. Here I had the tastiest latte in Montenegro. The last days in Montenegro we took at a slower pace, to enjoy a bit more and better imprint this beautiful land in our memory.
But there are still a few places worth mentioning.
- @huma.kotorbay if you have the chance to stay here overnight! We only used the restaurant option and the pool, but we really liked the food and the atmosphere.
- A delicious coffee and breakfast spot in Tivat — Lotta Cafe. I really recommend this place.
- In the evening, we took a walk along the Bay of Kotor, just driving around, and ended up in a small town directly opposite Perast. Interestingly, from here you could get to a town on the hill (where you can't get by any transport, but it's a one and a half-hour climb up). We didn't climb with the kids, but if you have the chance, I would recommend it; it seems like an extraordinary experience! Look for the town like this — Donji Stoliv!
The land is truly beautiful, and there is much more to see and explore. Montenegro pleasantly surprised us, and I dare say it was more beautiful than we had hoped.