Wild Beauty - Montenegro

The meeting of sea and land

"When our planet was born, the most beautiful meeting of land and sea happened on the Montenegro coast" - with these words George Byron, an English poet and playwright of the Romantic era, described the beauty of Montenegro. Montenegro is the Italian term for "Czarna Góra". The state is small, but it offers tourists an immeasurable wealth of attractions.

Getting to Montenegro will take us a whole day, and after passing the Slovenian-Croatian border, we can admire the scenic routes along the waterfront. Many tourists believe that the road leading from Croatian Dubrovnik to Montenegrin Kotor (approx. 86 km long) is one of the most beautiful routes on our continent. At times it runs only a meter from the waterline, and in front of our eyes there is a beautiful Adriatic bay with high mountains descending straight into the sea and a series of tiny islands with churches on the water. Such views cannot be forgotten.

Boka Kotorska - Adriatic fjords

The first stop, already abroad with Croatia, is the picturesque Montenegrin town of Herceg Novi . Along with Kotor and Budva, it is located in the three most popular resorts in the country, which is largely due to the beauty of the baroque monuments of the Old Town. The history and culture of ancient times can be felt here at every step - after all, the city is over 700 years old. One of the most interesting monuments of Herceg Novi are well-preserved walls with shooting bastions, which are part of the 15th-century fortress Kanli Kula. From the fortress there is a beautiful view of Boka Kotorska and the whole city.

Approx. Herceg Novi is 40 minutes away from Kotor, a city described as "little Dubrovnik" because of its beauty. Its location is also delightful - the resort is located at the end of the bay formed by valleys flooded by the sea, connected by a narrow isthmus. The landscape delights everyone who comes here, and the only Adriatic fjord, Boka , placed on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List, makes the inhabitants of Montenegro particularly proud. The road along the shores of the bay leads right next to the sea, revealing more and more beautiful landscapes to the eyes of the viewers. On both sides The sides of the rock climb up almost vertically, which gives the route an amazing climate.

From the bird's eye view, the Bay of Kotor looks a bit like a big mouth, which is why it was named Boka - in Italian "bocca" is the mouth. At its end is Kotor , a medieval town entered on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list . The entire Old Town is surrounded by walls - both from the side of the mountains and the sea. The most important monuments of Kotor include the Romanesque cathedral of St. Tripuna from the 12th century, which houses a treasury (Relikvijar) full of paintings and goldsmith products. There is also a cross with which the papal legate blessed the army of King Sobieski before the Battle of Vienna. For defensive reasons, Kotor was designed as a labyrinth. This means that it is easy to get lost in it, even with a map in hand, but the tangled streets and wandering between them only add flavor to a city trip.

It will take us about an hour to reach the main resort of Montenegro - Budva. The tourist capital of the country is sometimes referred to as Los Angeles of Montenegro. There is no exaggeration in this - there are many exclusive hotels, clubs and restaurants in the city, and beautiful beaches and festivals organized on a large scale attract thousands of tourists. Budva never sleeps, and the sounds of Balkan music come from all streets. It is one of the oldest and most beautiful Adriatic cities, which means that it is also expensive.

It is located in the center of the region known as the Budva Riviera, and its beaches are among the most beautiful on the Adriatic. The city is full of narrow winding streets with a whole lot of atmospheric pubs and shops. The 2 km long promenade with a wonderful sea view is also a big attraction. A stone's throw from Budva is the resort of Bečići , which tempts tourists with a chain of hotels and a beach with thousands of small, multicolored pebbles.

"If I were rich, yubby dibby dibby ..."

Near Budva, in the sea, there is an island where the foot of an ordinary mortal will not stand. It used to be an ordinary fishing village, today those times are a thing of the distant past. The island was connected to the mainland by a causeway and turned into a huge hotel for the stars. We are talking, of course, about the Island of St. Stephen , full of historic mansions and hotels for exceptionally wealthy tourists.

The most expensive island in Europe can be seen from a boat. During the trip, the helmsman sails up to the walls of historic houses, now being private residences of great-class celebrities or exceptionally expensive hotels. In order to realize more or less the price range, it is enough to give an example of a hotel not on the island itself, but only with a view of it. Aman Sveti Stefan offers apartments with prices starting from 900 euros in high season and 650 euros in low season - for one night.

"Ordinary" tourists can spend a month or longer in Montenegro at this price, but not everyone can boast of Claudia Schiffer's earnings. There are several nice campsites in the region where you can relax properly and not lose your life. The memories we bring with us will be invaluable.