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A small Balkan country slightly smaller than the US state of Connecticut, with a coastline that runs for 300 kilometers along the turquoise Mediterranean Sea. Montenegro is one of the trendiest places in Europe right now.
Even if it is home base only 620,000 inhabitantsThe country’s popularity as a summer destination is rapidly increasing, posing a challenge to established regional hubs such as Croatia and Greece.
In recent years it has attracted an average of 2.5 million visitors per year, an impressive figure considering both the size of the country (it is the eighth smallest country in Europe) and the fact that it is mainly served by two small airports that operate effectively during the summer months.
From a so-called backwater of Europe to a highly sought-after Adriatic getaway, Montenegro is undergoing a tourism renaissance like no other, but as a visitor who doesn’t know much about the country and isn’t quite sure where to go, what do you even plug into Google Maps?
Being here 5 bucket list places to see this spring and summer in Montenegro that you will still be bragging about months later:
Kotor
Kotor, Montenegro’s most iconic coastal destination, is one UNESCO World Heritage City located in the inner reaches of a winding bay, surrounded on both sides by cliffs and fed directly by the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic Sea.
Heavily fortified by walls, drawbridges, watchtowers and the like, and criss-crossed by cobbled streets that look like they’ve been plucked straight out of a medieval-themed fantasy RPG, it’s one of Europe’s most picturesque old towns.
Some even go so far as to call it the “mini-Dubrovnik”, and the similarities are indeed there: the characteristic Dalmatian ocher-colored buildings with Italian green shutters, beautiful fountain squares dominated by Romanesque churches and narrow alleys, but in our book Kotor is even more beautiful.
Oh, and considerably less pressure, if we might add.
For the best views over Kotor’s stone cityscape and the Bay of Kotor, climb to St. John’s Fort, an ancient stronghold perched on a hill overlooking the entire bay.
Perast
A short drive from Kotor itself, still in the same bay, is Perast, that quaint fishing village that revolves around a medieval belfry. He’s small, but he punches well above his weight, and he is definitely not somewhere you want to skip when traveling through Montenegro.
Kotor may look unusual and quiet compared to Dubrovnik, Croatia, but it still gets ridiculously busy during the boating season. In Perast there are no swarms of cruise ships: just one main road on the water, stone mansions and a handful of laid-back seafood restaurants.
For a city of this small size, with only 250 inhabitants, it has quite a collection of Venetian buildings: more than 16 baroque palacesto be more precise, and between the sun-bleached stone facades and the sparkling waters, it almost looks like a miniature version of Venice… minus the chaos.
The absolute must-see here, however, is Our Lady of the Rocks, an artificial island with a lone Baroque church with a lavish interior. The boat taxi only takes 5 minutes and costs approximately $10 return per person.
Cetinje
We leave the coast for the time being and drive further inland towards Cetinje, The most beautiful mountain village in Montenegro and its former royal capital.
Now Podgorica holds the title of the country’s administrative center and main city, but unless you have a penchant for brutalist architecture, heavy traffic and graffiti-covered concrete blocks, you might find the Montenegrin capital a tad… uninspiring.
Cetinje, on the other hand, has a largely car-free center lamp-lit streets with colorful historic housesgreat palaces and museums.
In the background, dark green mountains that literally give the country its own name: Monte Negro. Black Mountain, and if you’re staying for a long weekend you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to hiking trails.
A must-see is the Cetinje Monastery, an Orthodox monastery with ancient icons and Montenegrin relicsĆipur, or Court Church, where members of the Petrović dynasty, who once ruled the country, are buried, and the Blue Palace, the former presidential residence.
Budva
As beautiful as the mountain-crossed hinterland may be, Montenegro’s Mediterranean charm lies in its Adriatic coast, shaped by more than two thousand years of Greek colonization, Roman rule, Venetian trade and later Yugoslav socialism.
It seems like everyone is flocking to Kotor, and we don’t blame them, but if so one city that captures the spirit of Montenegro and does not feel overrun by tourists, that is the modest Budva, a walled port city directly on the Adriatic Sea.
Situated on a historic peninsula, lapped on both sides by gentle waves, it consists essentially of cobbled streets, Romanesque church towers, squares lined with simple cafes and a Venetian citadel. The most fascinating part?
It is still mainly locals who live in those historic, rock-hewn houses. enjoying the sun on Mogren Beach– a pebble beach with stunning views of the fortified ensemble – and sunsets in the old port. In short, Budva feels like the real thing: less showpiece, more living history.
Durmitor
From coast to mountains to coast, back to the mountains again. Is there a better way to describe Montenegro than this constant rollercoaster of landscapes?
I love a relaxing holiday on the Adriatic Sea on the Montenegrin Riviera, but there is no denying that the real beats of the Balkan country can be heard in Durmitor. a vast national park where rugged mountain peaks, pine forests and glacial lakes stretch as far as the eye can see.
Just like Switzerland… but without the eye-watering prices or the gridlock of tour buses.
One of the most beautiful emerald green lakes in Europe, Lake Crno has hiking trails that follow the entire coastline, climbing dramatic ridges and along quiet villages dotted with Alpine-style wooden chalets who feel untouched by time.
At the Tara River Canyon, adventurous rafters brave thrilling rapids, and for sunrise hunters, Bobotov Kuk, the highest peak in the mountain range, offers a rugged, Dolomite-like panorama you won’t soon forget.
Durmitor is all about slow nights in rustic lodges spread across alpine meadows, fresh mountain air, stars shining in the sky, and wilderness that feels truly wild. You know, the real Montenegro at its rawest and above all untamed.
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