Places to Visit in Montenegro

Sunday, February 11, 2018

You want to explore the Balkan Peninsula but don’t know what places to visit in Montenegroinfo-icon?

Montenegro is for the adventurous. A small country in Eastern Europeinfo-icon, a Balkan region, Montenegro offers many spectacular places. It has an Adriatic coastline and exquisite mountains, and it the perfect destination for those who look for a hiking adventure.

The Balkans have a long history and Montenegro is part of it. You can still admire medieval villages and architecture, fortified towns and churches. Established in the 15th century, Montenegro resisted the Ottomans invasion and remained independent. After the World War I, it became part of Yugoslavia. Since 1990, the country has become independent again.

The tourism in this part of the world was always a part of people’s life. It isn’t a surprise with such a great landscape, the mild Mediterranean climate, and seaside resorts. Here is a list of the best places to visit in Montenegro.

Kotor

Kotor

The list of places to visit in Montenegro doesn’t begin with its capital, but with its most beautiful city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kotor is a fortified town, situated in Boka Kotoroska Bay, at the Adriatic Sea. Not only the city is beautiful, but the landscape around it is unique: the bay is the deepest natural fjord-like bay in the Mediterranean Sea.

The city was built here from strategic considerations, but the result is a very touristic place. For defense purposes, the city is organized as a labyrinth, so getting lost here isn’t something unusual. Actually, is highly recommended to get lost in the old city, just walk, admire, and enjoy. The city is full of cathedrals, museums, and palaces. Pay a visit to St. Tryphon’s Cathedral, an 11th-century Romanesque-Gothic cathedral dedicated to the Kotor’s patron saint.

After you finished visiting the old town, take a walk on the Upper Town Walls, or go rafting on Tara River, or enjoy paragliding from the surrounding cliffs. Yes, Kotor is a place of adventure.

The Durmitor Mountain

Amazing view from Durmitor Mountain

The Durmitor Mountain is a must on the list of places to visit in Montenegro. Part of the national park with the same name, The Durmitor Mountain is a high massif, with 48 peaks above 2, 000 meters. It has 18 glacial lakes, canyons, winter sports resorts, endless hiking paths, and stunning landscapes.

The Durmitor Mountain isn’t an easy destination. You have to love mountaineering, you have to love to get lost with a map and a backpack, and, for sure, you have to love nature. This is a wild area, home for bears and wolves. Your heart will pump with happiness and life.

Mount Lovcen

Lovcen peak

While the Durmitor National Park is in the North of Montenegro, Lovcen National Park is in the South. Mount Lovcen has two important peaks and a beautiful view over the Adriatic Sea. During the World War I, the mountain was full of fortifications and many battles took place here. Mount Lovcen is also the last home of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš. He was a poet and a philosopher, one of the most important people in Montenegrin and Serbian literature. His last wish was to be buried here.

Mount Levcen is special in other ways too. Nine different habitats can be found here, as a result of a meeting point between the Mediterranean and the Continental climate. Over 2, 000 species of plants make the delight of the botanists.

Biogradska

Biogradska national park

Another national park is on the list of places to visit in Montenegro. This one is in the central part of the country. One of the third remaining virgin forests in Europeinfo-icon is located in the Biogradska Gora National Park. With a surface of 54 km2, Biogradska hosts wild forests (with 500 years old trees), glacial lakes, and high mountains.

Biogradska Gora National Park is famous for its biodiversity. 220 species of plants, 150 species of birds, and 10 species of mammals live here. While hiking, trekking, and biking, look for raspberries and blackberries.

Tara Canyon

Tara canyon

Deep inside the Durmitor Natural Park, there is Tara Canyon. Impressive and protected, Tara Canyon is 1, 300 meters deep and 82 km long and part of the border between Montenegro, Serbiainfo-icon, and Bosnia and Herzegovinainfo-icon. Situated on Tara River, also called “the tear of Europe”, the canyon is known as a good rafting and canyoning place.

But you can just enjoy the turquoise waters, the waterfalls, the wild animals, and the perfect green meadows. It’s your choice.

Budva

Old city in Budva

With its orange roofs and medieval buildings, Budva sits proudly at the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is an important center in Montenegro’s tourism and rightly so. People have lived here since the 5th century BC. Easy access, sandy beaches, commercial hub, everything people need. The city met the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians, the Austro-Hungarians, and many others.

Budva is famous for its beaches and holiday resorts, but also for the beauty of the old town. Dancing Girl Statue is Budva’s Little Mermaid. Nobody knows her story, but so many legends are told around her.

Endless places to visit in Montenegro

Montenegro is a wild beauty. Small and concentrated, with several natural parks and so many invitations to adventure, with beaches and relaxation spots, with history and beautiful architecture, Montenegro is an enticing destination.

Monica Radulescu a freelance writer for aSabbatical.com
Travelling is a joy. It's a way to become a better and wiser person. Mountain paths and road trips are my favourites.