How to arrange a road trip around Montenegro and why it is a cool idea. Independent trip to Montenegro: tips for tourists Traveling around Montenegro by car

Ideally, use this route (it is based on one of the most popular excursions in Montenegro Maxi Montenegro tour (Cetina+Lovcen+Njegusi) :

If Google maps or a navigator refuse to plot the route Lovcen - Kotor, then build the route in parts. There is a Kotor-Lovcen road, it is of good quality and very interesting. Above Kotor there is a serpentine road of 26 loops, the road is narrow, and sometimes it is difficult to pass oncoming cars. But nevertheless, this does not prevent large excursion buses from traveling there. Drive boldly, but take your time, drive carefully.

The route is very interesting, the road is not annoying. Very beautiful views of the Budva Riviera. In 2017, the road above Budva was repaired; the Budva-Cetinje section is in excellent condition. There are many viewing platforms along the road above Budva. And the views that open here over the entire Budva Riviera are some of the best in Montenegro.

Excellent viewing platform with gorgeous views of the entire Budva Riviera

Cetinje- a small cute town, the cultural capital of Montenegro, but there is nothing particularly interesting there. Several museums, temples. It's nice to stroll along its neat streets and plunge into its cozy atmosphere. It's quiet and peaceful here. You can sit in one of the cafes in the center, eat or order ice cream, drink coffee.

You can park your car in a large free parking lot in the central part of the city. Free parking in the center (42.38713, 18.92652)
Such cars can be found there in Montenegro
Nice church in Cetinje
Construction in Cetinje, one of the museums
One of the houses in the center of Cetinje
Central street of Cetinje
Building in the center of Cetinje Very nice square in Cetinje

To Mount Lovcen(coordinates: 42.399902, 18.837514) , to the Njegos mausoleum from Cetinje there is a very pleasant, high-quality road through Lovcen park. There are very few oncoming cars, and actually passing cars. Open the windows, enjoy nature, and breathe in the beautiful fresh mountain air! This is a national park, local cars rarely drive here, mostly on weekends. The main road Kotor - Cetinje runs to the side. Not far from the mausoleum there is a fork where you can turn towards the city of KOTOR. That is, there are 2 roads leading to the mausoleum - from Cetinje and from Kotor. In front of the mausoleum there is free parking (coordinates: 42.398000, 18.840162). It is not big, but when there is no space, cars just line up along the road. Entrance to the mausoleum itself costs a few euros; behind the mausoleum there is an observation deck with a view of the Bay of Kotor. If the weather is clear, you will see the whole of Montenegro from the top point! We weren’t very lucky with clear weather, but overall we really liked the views, and it wasn’t hot, that’s also a plus!

Next we headed towards Kotor. The view of Kotor from the top of the serpentine is simple, a b a l d e n y!!! This is something! Can't express it in words, photos or videos! Highly recommend (again better in clear weather)!

HERE . Coordinates: 42.40086, 18.7935. Admission is free - don't take pictures - I don't want to! When we were at this site, thunder was also roaring (a little audible in the video). For those who do not have much driving experience, the serpentine road will not be comfortable, and in some places, perhaps even scary (see the end of the video). The road is very narrow in places. But there are a lot of such roads in Montenegro - this is the road to the Ostrog monastery, and along Lake Skadar, and to the Crnojevica River.
I wrote about this viewpoint in the article . In my opinion, this is one of the most interesting places in Montenegro!

Overall, I really liked the route. If you are by car, I highly recommend taking this route! You are guaranteed a lot of positive impressions! In my opinion, this is one of the main routes that are a must for exploring Montenegro!

You can also go in the opposite direction: Kotor - Lovcen - Cetinje - Budva. But it was the first option Budva - Cetinje - Lovcen - Kotor that I liked more.

Our video. How we climbed by car from Kotor to this viewpoint:

Follow the link for a detailed plan for two weeks. Typically, while on vacation, you'll be adjusting your itinerary as you go. Here is a post with paper maps of the main Montenegrin resorts.

A short background to this post

The article was written for all car travelers who are traveling to Montenegro for the first time. My first Montenegrin road trip was almost in jeopardy due to the inability to put together sensible routes in a limited time frame.

There is a ton of useful and necessary information on the Vinsky forum, but to find it you need to make incredible efforts and spend a lot of time. Due to the relevance of this problem (which I also encountered), it was decided to bring together all the relevant information on the most popular Montenegrin road routes in one post. Happy reading!

If you have additions, comments or criticism, then welcome to the comments. It is thanks to your advice and comments that the article turned out to be complete, useful and informative.

Have you ridden along my Montenegrin routes and did you like/dislike it? Write about your road trip

If you found inaccuracies in the article (something might have changed over time), then scold me in the comments to the post. :)

You can spend your vacation in Montenegro in different ways, either spend your entire vacation time on the beach, sea, restaurants, or explore in detail the most beautiful Balkan country, and the bonus will be relaxing on the best beaches (different every day).

Unlike a passive beach holiday, which many people unfortunately choose, you will have the opportunity to swim in the sea, in the Bay of Kotor, and in mountain and forest lakes; you will have lunch in the best restaurants or small cafes of local residents, and not in coastal tourist places, you can continue to describe the advantages of active recreation by car endlessly.

Where to rent a car

In this table I have included the main methods of renting a car in Montenegro; read on for more details and details. There is no traditional car sharing in Montenegro, but if you rent a car for a week, it will be even cheaper.

Renting a car in Montenegro is easier, cheaper and more convenient on a local rental website (I recommend this option).

Renting and driving around the country is available with a Russian driver's license (local police do not require an IDP - International Driving Permit), the roads in the country are good, there is a large selection of cars, so I see no reason to deny myself this pleasure.

Study a detailed report on how I rented a car in Budva, there are my reviews, recommendations and life hacks (I highly recommend studying the article). If you don’t have time at all, then read the light version of this useful article, it’s about Montenegrin car rental, briefly and succinctly.

Also be sure to read the article about non-tourist attractions of the country (this is for those who have a lot of time).

What is important to know when traveling by car in Montenegro

Important information!

Choice: If you decide to spend your Montenegrin holiday by car, then I strongly recommend booking a car in advance. The sooner you take care of this, the greater the choice of vehicles will be at your disposal, so to speak, there is plenty to choose from. On the contrary, right before a vacation, the choice of rental cars is limited, and it is especially difficult to choose in the summer months (tested from personal experience).

You don't risk anything: You pay the full rental amount only when you receive the car; the reservation can be canceled or changed at any time.

In Montenegro, it is profitable to rent a car for a long time. If you rent a car for your entire vacation, you save significantly on car rental (the longer the rental period, the cheaper), on group excursions (excursions from 20 Euros per person, and car rentals from 20 Euros per car; you can travel around half the country in a day ) and a taxi to the airport (during the season, taxi drivers charge 50 Euros per trip). You just need to notify the rental company to bring and pick up the car at the airport.

Sometimes renting a car for a day costs less than going on a group excursion! Don't believe me? Here are the current prices for the most popular excursions. I have described the most popular excursion routes for you, you can study them and ride along them yourself.

Local (Montenegrin) car rental companies (check prices). If you do not plan to travel by car in Europe, then it is most profitable to use local rental companies. There are many car rental companies in Montenegro, their prices are lower than those of large international rental companies, but there are a number of restrictions: you can take and return the car only in the territory of Montenegro (if you are traveling across Europe, then this option will not suit you); Not every distributor will allow it within the country (it’s still possible to go to neighboring countries Albania and Croatia, but further to Europe it’s more difficult).

• around the Bay of Kotor;
• to the Albanian border and nudists;
• across the country to Durmitor National Park (2-day route);
• the best Montenegrin beaches by car;
• to Lovcen National Park and beautiful views of Kotor.

By car around the Bay of Kotor

The Bay of Kotor is the most beautiful coastal region of Montenegro, it has everything a tourist needs, from entire cities - UNESCO monuments (Kotor), to tiny and very picturesque fishing villages. I recommend devoting the first day of your road trip to the Boka Kotor Bay.

UPD: This year I realized my old automobile dream, I drove the entire Adriatic Highway from Albania and almost to the border of Croatia with Slovenia. You will definitely need to write some exciting posts about this trip.

The total mileage is more than 600 kilometers, most of the Adriatic Highway runs through the territory of Croatia. There are funny sections of the road when you pass the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and after 6 kilometers you re-enter Croatia.

And I’ll tell you what: in my opinion, the most picturesque section of the entire route is the Bay of Kotor. Of course, Split and Dubrovnik are magnificent, but they don’t have a mix of nature and attractions, but Boko Kotorka does.

I liked the bay so much that I changed my car to a bicycle and went around Boko Kotorka on a bike.

Route map around the Bay of Kotor

Total length of the route: 125 kilometers.

Total time to complete the route: it is advisable to have a whole daylight hours, the route is very interesting.

Driving route around the Bay of Kotor:

1. Budva - Kotor: 24 km;
2. Kotor - Perast: 12 km;
3. Perast - Risan: 5 km;
4. Risan - Herceg Novi: 25 km;
5. Herceg Novi - Igalo: 3 km;
6. Igalo - Kamenari: 17 km;
7. Kamenari - Lepetane: 300 m;
8. Lepetane - Kotor: 15 km;
9. Kotor - Budva: 24 km.

We get up early and go from Budva to Kotor, while there are still no crowds of tourists there. In the morning it is better to go to Kotor through the pass rather than through the tunnel. Just after the stadium you should turn (see map), the road is quite interesting.

Kotor

Almost all parking in Kotor is paid, look for a free space, park and run to the Old Town (before Kotor is occupied by crowds of tourists). There are many attractions in Kotor and its immediate surroundings, look for the most striking ones at the link.

A small life hack about Kotor: If you arrive before 8 am, you can go up to John’s Fortress for free; cashiers come to work after 8:00 or 8:30. Bring a bottle of water, comfortable shoes and a camera.

If you have free time, here is a list of Kotor attractions:

• sit in numerous cafes;
• feed the Kotor cats;

Boko Kotor Bay

We leave Kotor and slowly drive along the Bay of Kotor. You can visit almost any locality that you like. If you don’t have a lot of time, then I strongly recommend visiting Perast and Risan, there are a lot of interesting things there (especially in Perast).

From Perest you can take a short boat excursion to the islands (St. George Island and the Island of the Virgin on the Reef) or a longer one along the Bay of Kotor, this will greatly diversify your car excursion. Looking at the Bay of Kotor from the sea is a must-see for any tourist. Or you can just wander along the only street in Perast.

There will be restaurants and cafes along the route, I recommend having lunch/dinner at an oyster farm, there are several of them in Boko Kotorka (look in the vicinity of Perast, and where you will see signs).

Herceg Novi and Igalo

The next obligatory point of our road trip is the city of Herceg Novi. Before the city, I recommend checking it out.

If you have a lot of free time, then you can look into the neighboring town of Igalo. In this small town there is a mud bath and an institute; anyone can undergo a course of treatment (for a fee), or splash around in the healing mud right on the local beaches (completely free).

Ferry Kamenari - Lepetane

Let's head back. To shorten the journey to Budva, you can use the ferry crossing Kamenari - Lepetane (then you can go through Tivat, but without Kotor), the ferry fee is 5 Euros per car. The crossing itself is one of the attractions of the Bay of Kotor, so you can take advantage of it and admire the views.

If you are returning through Tivat, be sure to stop by the luxury area of ​​Porto Montenegro, order a cup of coffee and enjoy the sunset, which is magnificent in these places. Or just take a walk around the city and take a quick look at the sights of Tivat; a couple of hours is enough for this walk.

Evening Kotor

If you have enough time, you can take a ride along the bay (I recommend this option). If on the way back to Budva you are driving along the bay, be sure to stop by Kotor and admire its evening illumination, sit in one of the street restaurants, of which there are many in the city. A postcard view of Kotor (the reflection of the city lights in the water forms a heart) is available from the embankment in the village of Muo. I recommend it, you won't regret it.

From Budva to the south of Montenegro to the Albanian border and nudists

In the south is the longest beach in the country - Velika Plazha, its length is more than 12 kilometers, and the largest nudist beach, Ada Boyana, is also located here. In this region, the countries (near the Albanian border) of Montenegro and Montenegrins are completely different, but nevertheless the trip will be interesting.

Route map to the south of Montenegro

Minimum route length: 220 kilometers.

Total time to complete the route: it is advisable to have a whole daylight hours.

Driving route to the south of Montenegro:

1. Budva - Bar: 39 km;
2. Bar - Old Bar: 5 km;
3. Old Bar - Ulcinj: 25 km;
4. Ulcinj - Velika plaza beach: 9 km;
5. Velika plaza beach - Ada Bayana island: 7 km;
6. Ada Bayan Island - Virpazar: 64 km;
7. Virpazar - Rijeka Crnojevica: 25 km;
8. Rijeka Crnojevica - Budva: 46 km.

Another simple route for adaptation, which goes along the coast and abuts the border with Albania. This is if you get to Ulcinj and return to Budva the same way.

If you have time and the desire to drive along Lake Skadar (but the road here is quite difficult), then the route can be divided into several sections. The first section from Budva to Ulcinj, overnight. Next, we drive along mountain roads along Lake Skadar and spend the night in Virpazar. On the third day, we visit the village of Rijeka Crnojevic. and calmly return to Budva.

Now let's talk about everything in order.

We leave Budva and drive without stops (or with stops, if you like) to the city of Bar.

Budva Riviera

If time permits, you can stop by Becici on the way and visit Old Oliva. Before reaching the resort of Przno, you can climb Mount Celobrdo and admire the beautiful Sveti Stefan from the best observation deck. But you should remember the time; perhaps an extra day should be allocated for these routes.

City of Bar and surroundings

Five kilometers from New Bar, there is Old Bar, here it is much more interesting, I recommend slowly wandering around the ancient city.

Near the Old Bar there is another attraction - the old olive tree. They say that the tree is more than 2,000 years old, but you can’t tell by looking at it. The attraction is paid (1 Euro for entry), it is not very easy to find (I indicated its location on Google map), here are the exact coordinates @42.0729748,19.1083698, (just enter it in Google maps). In Becici there is a similar tree, which is about the same age, there are no tourists near it, and you can visit the attraction for free.

Ulcinj and Velika Beach

Our next stop will be in the ancient city of Ulcinj, this city is very different from other coastal Montenegrin cities, it has a large Muslim community, mosques predominate, but there are also Christian churches.

Village of Rijeka Crnojevic

After Lake Skadar there is another dilemma: either return to Budva along the already familiar road (along the sea), or drive through the small picturesque town-village of Rijeka Crnojevic (the most beautiful town on the shores of Lake Skadar) and then through Cetinje (Cetinje can be passed in transit) return to Budva (this path is indicated on my map).

If you have managed the mountain road through Vladimir well, then you can go to the village of Rijeka Crnojevic. If the road was difficult for you, then it is better to return to the sea, since from Virpazar to Rijek Crnojevic there are several serpentines and the path itself is a little more difficult.

From Virpazar to the village of Rijeka Crnoevich there are no more than 25 kilometers, but this section of the route is the most dangerous. The village of Rijeka Crnojevic can be visited in a safer way if you take the Cetinje-Podgorica highway from the city of Cetinje, then the path to the village will be no more than 7 kilometers.

By car through all of Montenegro to Durmitor National Park (2-day route)

Your trip to Montenegro will not be complete if you do not visit the mountains; the purpose of this route is to visit the Durmitor National Park with an overnight stay in the city of Zabljak. But to be honest, there will be other National Parks on our way (Skadar Lake, Biograd Lake), which are also worth your attention.

Many people make a trip to Zabljak for one day, but in a hurry they do not see all the beauty of the place; we will not rush and repeat their mistakes. For this reason, the trip is divided into a trip from Budva to Zabljak and from Zabljak to Budva, we go there and back by different roads.

There is a more budget option, go on a bus tour “Canyons of Montenegro”, see how it goes, see the link.

Driving route from Budva to Zabljak (first day)

The plan is as follows: leave Budva as early as possible, drive along part of yesterday’s route (see above) and see what we didn’t have time to see (Skadar Lake), then the capital of Montenegro - the city of Podgorica, then to the north of the country and the final point of the route - Zabljak (there overnight).

Route map from Budva to Zabljak

Route length: 245 kilometers.

Driving route from Budva to Zabljak:

1. Budva - Virpazar: 43 km (through the mountains);
2. Virpazar - Niagara Falls: 27 km;
3. Niagara Falls - Podgorica: 7 km;
4. Podgorica - Moraca Monastery: 47 km;
5. Moraca Monastery - Biograd Lake: 43 km;
6. Biogradsko lake - Ravnjak waterfall: 28 km;
7. Ravnjak waterfall - Djurdzhevich bridge: 28 km;
8. Djurdzhevich Bridge - Zabljak: 22 km.

Virpazar

We leave Budva as early as possible and go to Lake Skadar. There are two roads from Budva to Virpazar, one is easier through the toll Sozina tunnel, the second is free, interesting and mountainous. On this route we drive through the mountains (this path is indicated on my map). To do this, you should turn inland right at Petrovac. In Virpazar you can have breakfast, take a boat ride on the lake, take a walk and move on.

Montenegrin waterfall "Niagara"

We are going to the Niagara Falls; of course, the Montenegrin waterfall does not reach the real Niagara, but you can stop by. Be careful, you can easily skip past Montenegrin “Niagara” if you don’t know where to stop (see the location on the map). :)

Finding the way to Niagara is also not easy; it is located on the Tsievna River, on a secondary road. After you pass the turn to Golubovitsy airport there will be a bridge over the Tsievna River, after the bridge turn off and drive along the river. There is a restaurant at the waterfall with leisurely service.

Podgorica

The next stop is Podgorica, here you can look at the Old Town, the Millennium Bridge, monuments to Vysotsky and Pushkin, do some shopping in the capital's malls and move on. Many people generally pass through the capital in transit, there is some truth to this, so the choice is yours.

Moraca River Canyon

The road along the canyon of the Moraca River leads us to the monastery of the same name. Before reaching the monastery there is the Mrtvica River, be sure to take a walk along the canyon of the Mrtvica River, there are very beautiful places here (entry coordinates 42.705212 19.374902). Next, we examine the Moraca monastery and move on.

On the way to the national Biogradsko Lake Park

On the way to the Biogradsko Lake National Park there will be the city of Kolasin; if you have free time, you can visit it, but if you pass by, you will lose practically nothing.

We go to the Biogradsko Lake National Park, take a walk and move on. We pass the city of Mojkovac, again, if you have time and desire, you can visit there.

On the way to the national Durmitor Park

We are heading towards another National Park of Montenegro, this time it is Durmitor Park and our final destination of the trip is the town of Zabljak. The entire further path lies along the canyon of the Tara River, it is quite picturesque here. Halfway to Zabljak you can stop at the Ravnjak waterfall and have lunch at the restaurant of the same name (the preparation takes a long time, but is delicious).

Djurdjevic Bridge

Before reaching Zabljak, we turn a little to the side and admire the views of the Djurdzhevich Bridge. You can ride a ZipLine (ziplines are also available in other places of the National Park), there is also the opportunity to kayak (I recommend), but this is for those who are going to Zabljak for a few days.

Zabljak

We arrive in Zabljak. In order not to waste time looking for accommodation, we book it in advance. A word in advance is important here, since there is a demand for good options.

For comfortable accommodation, I recommend these cozy houses (Vile Calimero), they are built in the style of Alpine chalets with a fireplace and a homely atmosphere.

The houses are located a little away from the city center, but within walking distance. There is free parking, free WiFi, coffee maker, etc. And most importantly, the rooms have a cozy, homely atmosphere, and not the feeling of a hotel room. This option is perfect for large companies or families with children; there are houses for 7 people.

We need a simpler option, then (Apartmani Prisoje). Very clean rooms, a little away from the center (but who cares, you're driving), there is free parking, a kitchenette, and breakfast is included in the price. If necessary, the hostess will tell you everything and tell you everything, she speaks Russian well.

We check in, and if you have some strength left after the journey, then you can go to Black Lake (2 kilometers from Zabljak), for the most persistent (or the most stubborn) you can climb the Čurovac cliff (the sunsets here are wonderful), etc.

Car route from Zabljak to Budva (second day)

The plan for this day is the following: wake up early, walk around the surrounding area and head back to Budva, but along a different route, which also promises to be interesting.

Route map from Zabljak to Budva

Route length: 286 kilometers.

Total time to complete the route: whole daylight hours.

Driving route from Zabljak to Budva:

1. Zabljak - Piva Lake Dam: 61 km (through the mountains of the Durmitor National Park);
2. Piva Lake dam - Piva Monastery: 24 km;
3. Piva Monastery - Niksic: 51 km;
4. Niksic - Ostrog Monastery: 25 km;
5. monastery Ostrog - Danilovgrad: 30 km (along the M18 highway);
6. Danilovgrad - Daybabe Monastery: 26 km;
7. Daybabe Monastery - Virpazar: 26 km;
8. Virpazar - Budva: 43 km.

After spending one night (two, three, etc.) in Zabljak we move back to Budva. We will go to Budva by a different route to see as many beautiful places and attractions as possible.

Lake Piva, dam and monastery

One of the man-made attractions near the Durmitor National Park is an artificial lake (Piva Reservoir) and a huge dam on it. If you are lucky and the mountain road through Durmitor National Park is open to traffic (you should check in advance), you will see colorful views and save time on the road. The road itself is not very difficult, the road surface is suitable for any car.

Near Lake Piva you should turn right and drive along the water for no more than 15 kilometers (see map). The dam on Lake Piva is considered the largest in Europe, and its size is truly impressive (height is more than 200 meters).

We turn around and move south, pass Pluzine, a few kilometers behind it will be the Piva Monastery. After the Piva Monastery, I recommend making a stop in Niksic, stretching your legs and taking a walk along the lakes (look at the map). If you live in the Bay of Kotor (Herceg Novi, Tivat, Kotor, etc.), then you can drive directly from Niksic to Boko Kotorska, the route is as follows: Niksic - Grahovo - Risan (look on the map).

Ostrog Monastery

There is a legend that all travelers on this road are protected by Vasily Ostrogsky himself, who is the founder of the monastery, so nothing bad should happen on this mountain road.

Daibabe Monastery and Podgorica

Next we drive towards Podgorica, pass through the capital in transit and stop at a rather interesting monastery with a funny name - the Daibabe Monastery. If you have enough time, then you can pay a little attention to the capital.

Cetinje or Lovcen

It should be noted here: you can go from Podgorica (via Cetinje) to Lovcen National Park (see the road on the map). However, I recommend making a separate trip to Lovcen. By following the link you can see what the national is. Lovcen Park, and how group excursions go there.

Montenegrin beaches by car

Considering all of the above, I suggest taking a ride on the beaches that are less accessible for car-free tourists, although there will also be a lot of vacationers there.

Map of the route beaches of Montenegro by car

Route length: 120 kilometers.

Total time to complete the route: whole daylight hours.

Driving route beaches of Montenegro:

1. Budva - Jaz beach: 6 km;
2. Jaz beach - Trsteno beach: 4 km;
3. Trsteno beach - Ploce beach: 2 km;
4. Ploce beach - Bigovo beach: 25 km;
5. Bigovo beach - Blue Horizons beach: 19 km;
6. Blue Horizons beach - Krasici beach: 5 km;
7. Krasici beach - Rose beach: 10 km;
8. Rose beach - Zanjica beach: 10 km;
9. Zhanica beach - Mirista beach: 1 km;
10. Mirista beach - Budva: 42 km.

There is nothing special to say about this route; you enter the coordinates into the navigator and drive along all the beaches. I tried to include the most interesting and less touristy beaches in this list (although this is not about Montenegrin beaches, they are all touristic).

The roads along this route are different, part of the route runs along highways, there are also some completely country roads, but very nice ones (mainly on the Lustica peninsula).

Beaches near Budva

The route starts, as always, from Budva; according to our legend, the nearest beach is Jaz Beach. The beach is quite large and there are no too large tourist settlements near it; the closest settlement is Budva. The beach is covered with large pebbles, there is all the tourist infrastructure and paid parking.

We drive further, and then Tršteno beach. This is perhaps the best sandy beach near Budva, it is very small so it can be crowded. Tršteno beach is perfect for motor tourists with children; the entrance to the water is gentle, the beach is located in a sheltered bay, which means there are no strong waves. The beach is covered with sand, there is all the tourist infrastructure and overflowing free parking.

Your road trip would not be complete without visiting Lovcen National Park and admiring the bird's eye view of Kotor harbor. The route of this day is not very long (no more than 130 kilometers), but due to the complexity of the landscape (mountains and hills), you will have to drive with extreme caution.

Route map to Lovcen National Park

Route length: 122 kilometers.

Total time to complete the route: whole daylight hours.

Driving route to Lovcen National Park:

1. Budva - Kosmach fortress: 16 km;
2. Kosmach fortress - Cetinje Monastery: 16 km;
3. Cetinje Monastery - Cetinje: 2 km;
4. Cetinje - Njegos Mausoleum: 20 km;
5. Njegosh mausoleum - Njegushi village: 14 km;
6. village Njegushi - serpentine road to Kotor: 16 km;
7. serpentine road to Kotor - Goradzha fortress: 6 km;
8. Goradzha fortress - Kotor: 9 km;
9. Kotor - Budva: 23 km.

Kosmach Fortress

We leave Budva and move towards Cetinje, on the way you can visit the Austrian fortress Kosmach (built 1841-50). For those who like to explore fortifications, the Kosmach fortress is ideal; it is well preserved and at the same time has battle scars.

Getting to the fortress is not as difficult as it might seem initially. We are driving from Budva to Cetinje, after a long climb (above the coast), the road begins to go to the left into the mountains, we enter the village of Braichi (here you can park your car and walk to the fort). We slow down and look for a small tourist sign (the right turn sign is brown), turn off and drive along a narrow road (the surface is asphalt, but the road is so-so).

Having passed the village, the road becomes even worse, and besides, it bifurcates, we need the one that goes to the right with a strong slope (more like a path). There is no need to go further, we park and walk (no more than 5 minutes), you can also park on the highway near the village of Braichi, then the walk is no more than 15 minutes.

Cetinje

Next we go to the Cetinje Monastery. I won’t write much about the Cetinje Monastery; there won’t be any difficulties with visiting it; it’s too touristy a place. It would be a sin to be in Cetinje and not take a walk around the city, because this is the former capital of Montenegro. Be sure to visit the main street of the city and look into some museum. In fact, all life in the city takes place on this street, there are restaurants, shops, and all the attractions are nearby.

Lovcen National Park

From Cetinje we go to Lovcen National Park, there is an entry fee, the fee is charged per car. In the National The park has several roads and it doesn’t matter which one you take. If you have time, it’s worth driving around Lovcen National Park in a circle and admiring the views.

You should be careful with navigators and other Google maps, they can lie in this area. Pay attention to the scan of the map for this part of the post, on it Google Maps (for some unknown reason) did not allow me to find a direct route from Lovcen to Kotor (along the famous Kotor serpentine), persistently directing me to take a detour through Cetinje.

We leave the car at the Njegos Mausoleum and stomp up the steps, there are a lot of steps, but the views are beautiful. Entrance to the mausoleum is paid, but if you are not a big fan of Njegos, then you don’t have to go inside.

The next obligatory point on our car tour of Lovcen National Park will be the village of Njegusi (similar to Njegosh, but these are different things :)). The village of Njegushi is famous for its pshrut (dried meat); they say that this place has the best products. I won’t comment on anything here, choose for yourself, the place is very touristy and is part of group excursions around Lovcen.

Kotor serpentine

We bought wine, cheese, and pshrut from the local population, had lunch and drove towards Kotor. But you shouldn’t rush, but carefully choose a place for a selfie against the backdrop of the Bay of Kotor. The best photos are taken from the Kotor serpentine, although there are many places with good views.

The descent to Kotor is not as scary as it is described, but there are very narrow roads, and there are sharp turns, the so-called “hairpins” (180 degree turn), but you can pass oncoming traffic. There are two main dangers of this serpentine road, stunning views and monotony of the road. Be careful.

If you want to visit another fortress and it is still light outside, then turn to the side (look on the map) and the Goradzha fortress will be very close. The safety of this defensive structure is excellent, access by car is good, and admission is free.

Evening Kotor

The last point of our excursion today is Kotor in the evening, don’t be lazy and look into the city, it is especially charming in the evening, there are no crowds of tourists, but there are cozy cafes, small restaurants in the Old Town and a huge number of Kotor cats, who also like to walk in their own way in the evenings hometown.

Another exciting day (vacation) in Montenegro has ended, thanks to the car we spent it in an interesting and dynamic way. We return to Budva and remember this day, this vacation, this wonderful, friendly Montenegro...

Neither a nail nor a rod for you.

Photos in this post belong to: Nick Savchenko / flickr.com / Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Staying in one place for the entire vacation, even at sea, even in good weather, even in such a busy resort town as Budva - you must admit, it’s boring. And if the sun is hidden behind the clouds and there is no point in going to the beach, then you definitely need to go somewhere, see something. And then the question arises: should I go buy an excursion or head towards the rental office. The first option gives you the opportunity to completely relax, and while sipping from a pre-filled flask of local Vranac, you can calmly listen to the stories of the guide, but this, of course, is not as interesting as traveling by car on your own. Would a tour bus take a short route to Zabljak, through the pass? And we went without any idea of ​​what awaited us there...

And at the beginning of September, when the peak season is already behind you, it is quite difficult to find an inexpensive “living” car in a rental office in Budva, it is better to book in advance. But we were lucky - we managed to rent a gasoline Toyota Yaris, and the rental companies didn’t even ask us to leave a deposit. It’s strange, but for some reason they don’t like diesel cars in Montenegro, although the terrain is very conducive to it. So, the flasks are filled, the prosciutto is purchased, it’s time to go!

Budva is left behind

While we were buying provisions and filling our flasks, the weather improved significantly, and we immediately turned to the nearest beach to continue our vegetable rest; the sun was hot, but the decision was made, and we were moving further from the sunny coast into the harsh (as it later turned out) Montenegrin wilderness. From the poster of the Russian company that bought half of Montenegro, they smile after us.

The route was planned practically on the fly, using a navigation program. The road is still good, there are not many cars, there is beauty on both sides!

Even passengers sometimes take a break from their flask to take a bite of prosciutto and admire the views

We stopped in front of the tunnel to take a breath and gather the courage to take pictures of the majestic mountains and the road we had just driven along.

At the fork after Shavnik we turned left, and immediately realized that we had made a fatal mistake, why is Montenegro called Montenegro

Meanwhile, the road was getting narrower and the temperature outside was getting lower.

We climb to the pass, the road has narrowed so much that you can only go further on a donkey; passing an oncoming car can cause problems. Before sharp turns, of which there are a great many, we honk the horn so that an oncoming KamAZ truck does not accidentally crush our tin can and warn us of its approach. But cars practically don’t drive on this road, because... all smart people take another, good road through Mojkovac

There are no oncoming or passing cars, but there are cows

And finally, people! True, it is not clear what they are doing there; it looks very much like some kind of ritual. They didn’t bother to find out the details so that we wouldn’t be accidentally sacrificed

Meanwhile, it’s not getting hot at all overboard; I probably should have taken warm clothes with me. But who knew that the temperature difference with Budva would be as much as 20 degrees!

We quickly examine the sights along the way - and quickly get back to the car, it’s warm there, there’s a stove there

It is clear from everything that the places here are not touristic.

Abandoned houses, gloomy, deserted

But still, even among this despondency, as it turned out, there is life

Fences serve a purely symbolic function

The purpose of such bridges in front of some houses remains a mystery

It’s a creepy-looking dwelling, but the car’s bumper is made of natural wood!

We got to Zabljak, looked at the Black Lake, and went to look for accommodation for the night. Dinner at a hotel in the outskirts of the city cost a ridiculous amount, several times cheaper than in Budva, and it was very difficult to finish all the meat offered, but we managed!

Because There was nothing else to see in Zabljak (or maybe there was, but we didn’t know what else to see there), so the next morning we set off on the way back. The thermometer in the car showed +3, it was completely cold in the T-shirt, I had to shudder until the interior warmed up. Fog was creeping across the mountains

We went back along a different road - through Mojkovac, along the way there is a very beautiful bridge

But it’s probably already been seen 100 times on tourist brochures and in guidebooks

As we approached the coast it became warmer, the sun appeared more and more often

Houses aren't so scary anymore, they turned off the heater in the car

When we passed Lake Skadar, it was already hot, we turned on the air conditioning

If you liked the village houses presented in the topic and you may be in search of a “new homeland,” you can familiarize yourself with real estate prices in Montenegro. The site also has many offers of townhouses and apartments in the cities of Montenegro.

By inertia we reached Stefan, we can relax again!

Report on traveling in a rented car in Montenegro in May-June 2017. Podgorica, Kalashin, Plav, Bosnian side, Zabljak, Pluzine, Niksic, Herceg Novi, Bay of Kotor, Budva, Cetinje, Petrovac, Bar, Ulcinj, Skadar Lake, Podgorica.

Preface

After our first trip abroad to “package” Turkey in 2015, we realized that it was wildly boring, so in 2017 we decided to arrange a trip according to our own rules. It was decided to go to Montenegro: consider, brotherly people, a visa is not needed, the prices are adequate. To save money, we took a tent with us, although we had previously spent the night in it several times on local outings. Well, I wonder what came of it?

Rent a car in Montenegro

No special preparation was required for this trip, because we already had foreign passports, our driving license was suitable for driving in Montenegro, and it was not difficult to buy tickets, but the rental issue raised questions, since we were renting a car for the first time.

Having counted the money, we decided to fork out for a car and dismissed the option of public transport, because a car on vacation is freedom, especially when you have tents, sleeping bags and foam. We monitored international aggregators, but there was a huge deposit everywhere, and I didn’t want to pay it. And then we came across a local website: montenegro.rentacarfor.me, where rent was cheaper and without a deposit, with Russian-language support.

For 14 days, renting a Toyota Yaris cost about 33 thousand rubles, and we were completely satisfied with this car. My husband was a little annoyed by the CVT and in the mountains it would have been more fun with a more powerful car (although not critical), but the consumption was a ridiculous 5-6 liters, and given the price of gasoline in euros and our mileage, this gave normal savings.

Podgorica

Having arrived at the airport, we picked up our car without any problems, listened to the instructions (in English) and immediately went to the first object - Niagara Falls. He was on his way to Podgorica itself.

The waterfall, although small, was very nice

Then we took a walk around the city, leaving the car at the hostel, which we rented for the first night. Bridges, parks, mosques... we walked around the whole city! On the same day we bought a local SIM card at Montenegro Mall, foam and a gas burner: ours did not fit the local “pierced” gas cylinder.

We walked along three bridges over Moraca

The roads are not busy, except in the center, but we still don’t understand the parking issue: in many places there are signs for paid parking, but it’s not clear how to pay. As a result, we always ended up in “spontaneous” parking lots. In principle, it was always possible to find them.

Kolasin

On the second day we went to Kolasin, since we saw everything we could in Podgorica, and on the way we stopped to look at the ancient city of Duklja, the Medun fortress and the Moraca monastery, which is not for nothing considered the most famous in Montenegro. Along the way, we collected an unreal number of small tunnels: no lighting, no decoration... just a hole in the rock and that's it. It’s unusual, and even the turquoise Moraca flows at the bottom of the gorge - at least make a stop every kilometer and admire the views.

Kolasin seemed to us a very quiet and pleasant town: we remembered the square paved with timber, the Bianka Hotel and the botanical garden. Thanks to the caretaker: he suggested that we need to go to Plav through Komovi, and not as we had originally planned. As a result, the road Kolasin - Plav was one of the most picturesque.

There were very few people in Kolasin, very quiet and peaceful

Melt

After the first night in a tent near the river at the exit from the road, we went to Plav along the same road: when the view of the Black Mountain opened up, we stopped four times to take photographs.

Actually, the same Black Mountain

In Plav we had lunch on the lake and moved towards Bosnia. We stopped in Gusin, at the Brezoevitsa monastery, looked at the Church of the Holy Trinity, and then an incident happened that we will tell the children about.

Eh, I should have taken a boat and rode on Lake Pavskoye

I read somewhere about the beauty of Lake Hrid and dragged my husband there. But there was no road at all. But the car is not ours, why not take a risk. We drove the first part on terrible asphalt at a speed of 30 km/h (about 30 minutes), then for about an hour we crawled uphill on a rocky dirt road at a speed of 15-10 km/h.

Not only did they overheat slightly, but they also damaged something on the bottom with a bouncing stone. There started to be a frightening rattling noise from below, a suspicious smell coming from under the hood, and we decided that it was time to go down in neutral. The way I became hysterical when we turned around on a 2-meter wide path between a rock and a cliff is a different story. We never got to the lake, and I recommend that you only go there on foot (very long) or in a jeep.

That day, angry and puzzled by the breakdown, we spent the night in a tent near houses in some locality on the way to Berana. They decided to fix the problem in the morning.

Berane, Rozaje, Belo Pole

The car service center in Beran did not fix it for us: by that time we had already realized that the muffler had been bent. Apparently, since the car was rented, the service man did not dare to take extreme measures. But the boy in Rozaje made up his mind. For 5 euros he cut, bent and welded the pipe back. The husband at this moment became noticeably happier.

In the Bosnian side we wandered through mosques, towers, churches and went towards Durmitor, where the first stop was the Biogradska Gora park.

Biogradska Gora Park

Rozaje is not small at all, and in general the Bosnian side is much busier than the north and even the coast in the off-season.

It was raining heavily and we couldn't go for a walk, but we still paid 6 euros to enter the territory to look at the lake.

Put on your raincoats and off you go!

Next stop is Djordjevic Bridge. Fortunately, literally 5 minutes before approaching the bridge, the rain stopped, and we were able to enjoy the view of Tara. And now through incredibly picturesque places to Zabljak!

You can’t erase the view of the Tara River from Djordjevic Bridge from your memory, even if you want to.

It was damp and cool in the mountains, and we were already freezing on Biogradska Gora, so we decided to rent a house next to the Ivan Do camping. Two nights in a two-story house with a stove and a view of the mountains for 30 euros? It's a shame we can't stay here for a week.

Zabljak

We spent the first day in Durmitor walking around the lakes: Zmeinoe, Barno and, of course, Chernoe. This really took all daylight, but it was very cool. Everywhere there is the smell of firewood - almost all of Montenegro is heated by stoves. True, there is nothing special to do in the evening: we go to a cafe, to a memorial (they have almost as many war memorials as we do), to the Church of the Transfiguration with a cemetery infested with huge snails, and sleep.

It took us more than one hour to get around the entire Black Lake.

We spent the second day in Durmitor on a hike to the Ice Cave. My husband, wearing sneakers, and I, wearing cheap sneakers, tried to tackle a not-so-easy hiking route. And they did it! We didn’t reach 300 meters because the entrance was blocked with snow, and climbing in the snow was not an option in sneakers. We returned back after lunch and decided that it was time to move to Pluzhin.

We didn't get to the Ice Cave, but it was one of the best hiking routes of my life

Ooh, this road. Insanely beautiful. Here we first truly felt the mountain serpentine. No, there were strong bends before, but here the road was without guardrails and narrower.

The road surface and the bends of the road are a little visible

But what a view awaited us at the entrance to Lake Piva! Homemade pancakes and coffee, a short walk, and a quick march to Niksic.

Friends said these were landscapes from Tolkien

Niksic

The day began in Durmitor and ended near Niksic, the road to which was suspiciously flat and straight. The city itself was not very impressive, so after looking at the fortress, the brewery and the local park, we rushed to Slansko Lake to spend the night with a tent.

Herceg Novi

From the place where we spent the night, we looked at Lake Krupachko and went to the Ostrog monastery in the rock, and then we were supposed to move towards Herceg Novi, but due to some work on the only highway we were allowed through only from 9 to 12 and from 14 to 16, and we arrived at about 10 o’clock. We had to turn around and finish our walk in Niksic. When they finally let us through, we drove all the way to Herceg Novi almost without stopping. We stopped only to climb the Upper Fortress, from which we finally saw the sea.

In Herceg Novi, we realized that the traffic had ended: the city was small and stretched far up the mountain. It’s scary to drive, the streets a little further from the shore are such that two cars can no longer pass, you have to back up into a sharp slope.

It is difficult to park near the shore. As a result, we got up somewhere at an average height and went for a walk. Forte di Mare (2 euros for entry), the Bloody Tower (3 euros for entry) and the abandoned Spanish fort, which impressed the most. Of course, the clock tower, the square and a walk along the coast. It's just cold to swim.

The Spanish Fort has its own atmosphere

We've been walking around so much that it's time to put up a tent, but there are no flat areas. It was too late to look for a hostel, so after wandering around for about an hour, we plucked up courage and approached a local resident to ask to pitch a tent near his house on the lawn. He agreed and gave me some brandy to drink. Thank you, kind man!

Perast, Kotor

The next day the first swim happened. It was cool, only locals were at sea, there were practically no tourists, and the hotels were just getting ready for the season. After walking around the parks and embankment, we decided to move on. But first we will get to the border with Croatia. Just like that.

The next point is Perast. It was interesting to take a walk, but we were too lazy to go to the islands. By the way, you can’t go into the city by car, and they charged 3 euros for parking. If you drive through a city, which is tiny, and leave your car on the road, you can park for free.

The Bay of Kotor is not for swimming, as is hinted at by small concrete beaches and a bunch of boats, but the views there are amazing. Of course: a bay, which is hugged by mountains close to the water. True, in Kotor we were suddenly not happy about this fact. The city is probably 500 meters wide, and then the mountain. There was nowhere to pitch a tent at all, and hostels were a bit expensive. After walking around Kotor in the evening for a bit, we book a hostel in Dobrota for 20 euros and return there.

Well, I’m telling you, it’s wildly narrow!

Tivat, Lustica

The next day we climbed the Kotor Fortress, walked around the old town and went to Tivat, which turned out to be a fairly busy port. The mountains here are further from the sea, and parking was easier, but we didn’t stay there for long. On this day we had to go to the Island of Flowers, the Lustica Peninsula and get to Budva.

Even a small section of the primer to the Island of Flowers is very decent

So, we will remember Lushtitsa for the fact that we ran into some men on an empty road, because the strip of asphalt was too narrow, and we were afraid to get off the dangerously low side of the road after the incident with the muffler. There wasn't much damage visible, and the men didn't make a fuss. And Lushtitsa is beautiful, with fishing villages and olive groves.

But that’s not all: having decided not to stay with a tent on Lustica, we flew with the hostel. We arrived in Budva, and there was no one in our hostel, neither guests nor owners. I had to sleep right next to this hostel in a tent. Oh, the downsides of online booking.

Budva

We spent two days in Budva, and it was the only city after Podgorica where there were a lot of cars and significant traffic. What's in season then? Both nights we stayed at a different hostel, 15 euros per night. Here we had a lot of shopping. We sailed to the island of St. Nicholas, wandered around the Citadella and the old town, and ate in cafes. For those looking for a cafe where the locals go, I recommend Verige. Everything is very simple, home-style, cheap and tasty, but far from the coast.

On the island of St. Nicholas there was very coarse imported gravel, at least wear coral

The next day we booked a full-day excursion on a ship, because I had a fixed idea: to visit the blue cave, but I couldn’t find any locals who would take us there. It turned out to be beautiful, plus we did stop by the islands near Perast, but overall the day was sluggish. Still, organized excursions are not the same.

Cetinje

If we had not stopped in the old capital, I would have been upset, but I was even more upset because of the regular repair roads that we ended up on.

It seems that not only hotels, but also roads were prepared for the season in May

Because of them, we did not stop by the Kosmach fortress, which is a pity. We stayed in Cetinje for a short time, seeing the most important things, and from there we headed to Lovcen Park, for which, by the way, they also charge 2 euros for entry. Having gone up to the movzaleum, we learned that entry there costs another 3 euros, but the view of the bay is very beautiful.

The road to Njeguša is like this in places, and if you also get into a cloud, it’s really fun

From the park we drove to the village of Njegusi, where supposedly they make the best prosciutto, but somehow the local merchants did not impress us, and after walking a little, we returned to the coast (after standing for another hour at yet another road works).

And again we wait until they let us through, and the most offensive thing is that it’s not even a collapse!

We approached St. Stephen, because mere mortals are not allowed to visit it, stopped in Petrovac with its shallow beach and strange red sand and rushed to Bar, where we spent the night in an unfinished building, which successfully protected from the rain that had begun.

Bar, Ulcinj

The new city didn’t impress us much, although we found somewhere to walk there, but the old Bar was something. After all the forts and fortresses of Montenegro, this was the cherry on the cake. They ask for only 2 euros for entry, considering that we spent 4 hours there.

A piece of the old bar

Now you need to get to Ulcinj, and here again is this striking contrast of the Bosnian side: a lot of people, narrow roads and busy traffic, just like in Beran or Rozaj. Due to the fact that the city is by the sea, there are even more people and noise, and there are fewer parking spaces. The old town has been turned into a large cafe with barkers on every corner, but the sand on the beach is really fine, fine and dark.

In the evening we rent a room for the night on the same Booking.com for an unprecedented 10 euros, and the next day we will try to get to the nudist beach of Ada Boyana. It’s a pity, the weather is rainy, and there are no nudists, but they still paid 5 euros for entry - it’s worth checking out.

Yes, yes, the color is like our earth, but it feels like the smallest soft sand

Skadar Lake

And here is the second dangerous road: from Ulcinj to Skadar and along it. Before turning, we had to honk our horn (we spotted it from a local) so as not to inadvertently fly into someone, since visibility due to the rocks is zero. And this is at a speed of 50-60 km/h!

The road along Lake Skadar is not the widest, but what views

A few stops on the shore of the Lake itself, but without a boat excursion, and we are almost at Podgorica. There are many flat areas here, but everything is behind barbed wire. This time we ask you to pitch a tent on the lawn of an Albanian family, but no less hospitable than that Serbian.

Podgorica

The last day in Podgorica was lazy: it was raining, so we ate deliciously (in Montenegro there are very large portions of meat for a reasonable price), drank beer, and then slept in the car in a terrible thunderstorm. At 5 a.m. we had to return the car at the airport: the girl didn’t even check to see if anything had happened to it. Now you can breathe a sigh of relief and go home with a lot of impressions!