8 places to visit in Montenegro »

Montenegro: a beautiful, diverse country located in the middle of the Balkans. For both nature and culture lovers is Montenegro an ideal destination. The country offers nice beaches and lively towns around Kotor Bay, but also magnificent nature in its national parks. In this post I’ll tell about 8 places which you can add to your list for visiting when in Montenegro.

Durmitor National Park

My ultimate number one favorite place to visit in Montenegro: Durmitor National Park. I’ve made soooo many photos and have said so many times ‘wauw’ during my time in Durmitor, because this park has some amazing landscapes! It’s located in the Northern side of Montenegro and consists out of magnificent mountains and lots of gorgeous lakes.

A minimum amount of two nights is definitely recommended to stay in Durmitor National Park. We stayed two nights, but to be honest I still find it quite short as there’s so much to see. There are many cabins where you can stay which gives the ultimate nature feeling. The starting point for exploring Durmitor National Park probably be in Zabljak, where you can find the visitor centre. Here you can see what places are worth the visit and what hiking possibilities there are (and of course there are many!).

Would you like to know more about Durmitor National Park and my experiences? I’ve written an extensive guide which you can find by clicking here.

Kotor

Located at Kotor Bay, you can find the well-known town called Kotor. As there are many cruise ships arriving in Kotor daily, it’s recommended to visit the town when it’s less crowded (for example in the late afternoon). The old town of Kotor is a must visit. It’s nice to wander around these small streets, go into boutique stores and have lunch or dinner in one of the cosy eateries. The Kotor Cathedral is one of the highlights of old town, which you can also view from the inside. If you’re into hiking, the trail to the castle of San Giovanni is worth the hike.

Lovćen National Park

Another beautiful national park which is located more towards the coast of Montenegro. Here you can find many hiking trails, but the park is most well-known for its beautiful mausoleum. In the national park, you can drive all the way to the top of the mountain, where you can find the mausoleum. To reach it, you need to hike up 461 steps on foot from the parking lot. Quite intensive, but absolutely worth it as you’ll get rewarded with magnificent views.

Biogradska Gora National Park

This beautiful national park is located in the middle of the country and is well-known for its mountain lakes and ancient forests. In the heart of the national park you can find the biggest lake, named Biogradska Lake, which is located at the base of the highest mountain tops of Bjelasica. If you’d like to, you can walk a hiking trail of 3 kilometers around the lake, which also goes through the forest. Biogradska Gora is the smallest national park of Montenegro, but nevertheless absolutely worth a visit.

Perast

This idyllic town is, like Kotor, located at Kotor Bay. The town is smaller than Kotor, but provides several accommodations and cosy restaurants along the quay which offer beautiful views over the bay. One of must do’s when visiting Perast will probably be taking a boat trip to the two small islands Our Lady of the Rocks and St George. St George Island is a natural island where you cannot go ashore. On this island you can find an old monastery. Our Lady of the Rocks Island, on the other hand, is an island where you can go ashore. Here you can find a Roman Catholic Church where you also can go inside. It’s nice to stroll around the small island for a short amount of time and to enjoy the views over Kotor Bay.

Cetinje

Another nice town is Cetinje, which is home to one of the most impressive museums of the country. Here you can find out more about the history of Montenegro. The monastery of Cetinje also is a must visit when you’re in town.

Skadar Lake National Park

This national park provides the biggest lake of the Balkans and is one of the biggest national parks of Montenegro. The Skader Lake National Park is located at the border of Montenegro & Albania and is well-known kayaking, hiking and its wineries. This is the perfect place for nature-, wine- and outdoor lovers.

During my stay in the national park, I went kayaking which I can definitely recommended! Kayaking isn’t that hard on Lake Skadar, as the water isn’t that wild. On your way you come across some beautiful surroundings, like you can see in the right picture above. On the left picture you can see our accommodation, which is located in the middle of a winery. We loved it!

Would you like to read more about Skadar Lake National Park? I’ve written an extensive guide which you can find by clicking here.

Prokletije National Park

In the Eastern part of Montenegro, you can find Prokletije National Park. This national park is part of the Albanian alps (Prokletije in Montenegrin), which you can find in Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo. Prokletije National Par provides the highest peak in Montenegro, named Kolata (2528 meters), and is thé national park for hiking. There are hiking trails for starters, but also for experienced hikers.

Have you ever been to Montenegro? Have you visited any other places which you can recommend? I would love to hear about it! Please don’t hesitate to share it with us in the comments.

Kotor, Lovćen, Perast en Cetinje are also featured in another article I’ve written a few weeks ago. This article tells you more about Kotor Bay and its surroundings. You can find the article by clicking here.

Author: Tamara