The places to visit in Montenegro, Europe's up-and-coming summer hotspot
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What makes Montenegro so special is the wild beaches, hidden paths, and smiling locals, but there's a definite allure to the world of superyachts, trendy boutiques and beach clubs, too. Across the whole country, there is a slower approach to life here, and beyond its breathtaking landscapes and a rich cultural heritage that combines Orthodox, Catholic, Italian and Ottoman influences. Montenegro offers a sublime synthesis of modern comfort and rural charm not yet rubbed overly smooth by the passage of a surfeit of tourists, making it somewhere you should put near the top of your list of places to visit for a summer holiday this year.
But if there’s one reason you visit Montenegro in this lifetime, make it the mountains this majestic land is named after. Stretching skyward with a wild, untamed grace, cradling terracotta-topped homes, honey farms, ancient monasteries and scattered coastal towns along sapphire bays, Durmitor stands supreme, capped with snow at its highest peak even during scorching summer months. Prokletije, the Albanian Alps known as The Accursed Mountains, looms with solitary trails and shadowed faces flickering through swirling mists, forming a natural border between Balkan territories. Here is a place where the air is pure and crisp, edged with the scent of resin’s perfume that comes to life as sunlight filters through emerald boughs in the seemingly endless ancient black pine forests. A verdant blanket covers rugged slopes where bears and wolves roam, and lines giant lakes and meadows dappled with wildflowers. This is a part of the world where nature’s presence is almost intimidating, demonstrating with effortless grandeur just how tiny we humans really are. Below, find more of the best places to visit in Montenegro.
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Getty ImagesKolašin
The population in the entire country of Montenegro is a mere 600,000, so a long, winding drive from the coast to the mountain town of Kolašin, will take you along vertiginous drops, through tunnels carved into the rock and past just a few sporadic towns and cities. After a few hours, we trundled over a time-worn wooden bridge and pulled up to an unassuming, slightly ramshackled house exactly 1,000 metres above sea level.
Something you’ll do well to understand about this country is that, more often than not, the most vibrant, heart-warming and authentic experiences of this culture won’t be found in the spotless glitz and glamour of the newly built yacht marinas in Kotor Bay and Budva; it’s in local’s homes, and the miles of largely untouched land waiting to be discovered. Take the Šćepanović Honey Farm, for example – a generations-old beehive farm with a rustic restaurant serving up heaped dishes of Priganice (deep fried dough balls, a staple in Balkan family homes) dipped in deep bowls of floral honey.
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Getty ImagesA 15-minute drive from the honey farm leads you to Biogradska Gora National Park – one of Europe’s last remaining primaeval rainforests, that you can explore on foot or by 4X4 with a licensed tour guide. Here, the towering trees are half a millennium old, and the glacial Lake Biograd reaches depths of 12 metres and is over 400 metres wide. Despite being 25 degrees Celsius back down by the coast, mountain temperatures still drop to zero at night in spring months, but the shimmering, mirror-like waters are too inviting not to plunge into, whatever the weather. Adrenaline-seekers can also go kayaking, canyoning, rappelling, horse-riding and rafting in this rainforest, and you’re not too far from the Tara Canyon zip line, which takes you gliding over the second deepest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon.
In the more rural regions of Montenegro, like Kolašin, you’ll also find the best and cheapest food in the country. In this area, head to the family-run restaurant our guide took us to, Restaurant Vodenica, for traditional, exceptionally hearty fare of lamb and pork stews done ‘peasant mode’, trout caught from the Tara River and a national stick-to-your-ribs potato dish, Kacamak. You won’t find Michelin-starred establishments in this town of 2000 people, but you will find heart and soul.
Where to stay in Kolasin
Wulfenia Hotel & Spa is an elegant, five-star mountain retreat in the centre of Kolašin, with mountain views, a spa and pool. In winter months, the mountains turn pink in the early sunset and are covered with snow, leading to the opening of Europe’s best-kept-secret ski resorts, notably Kolašin 1450 and Kolašin 1600, nestled within two mountain villages, 1450 Nest and K16 Peak.
Getty ImagesPerast
If fine dining, wine tasting, lively nightlife and boat trips are more your thing, Montenegro has plenty of that, too. Despite being a small and, in some parts, undeveloped country, there are areas that have transformed beyond recognition in recent years, with some people dubbing the yacht-lined marinas of Tivat, Kotor and Budva a millionaire’s playground.
Perast is a spot that needs to be top of this list, too. Just a 30-minute drive from Tivat airport, it often comes up as a place to visit from nearby Kotor rather than stay in, due to it being smaller and quieter. But after one look at the sunny, yellow stone buildings, crumbling staircases leading into the hills, staggering ocean and mountain views, waterside seafood restaurants and a mix of affordable home-stays and historic hotels, you might decide to go against the grain. You can take day trips to Kotor Old Town and its hillside fortresses instead of the other way around. In Perast, it's busy but not overwhelming, and you’re a stone’s throw from Our Lady of the Rocks (accessible by boat for around €5), a man-made island and 17th-century church, with a legend of miracles dating back to 1452.
Getty ImagesMontenegro is a nation of sailors and highlanders, and Perast is its maritime soul. Peter the Great sent his nobles here to learn to sail when he founded the Russian navy and, at the town’s height, the waters around Perast bristled with the masts of nearly four hundred warships and merchant vessels. The splendour of the tiny town reflects this bygone prowess, and an astonishing sixteen churches jostle for space with the grand baroque stone palaces of merchant princes, bishops and admirals and the towers built to protect them.
If you are driving, stop on the way at Luka’s Oyster Farm near Ljuta, for fresh oysters with a glass of local white wine. Take a quick look around the small Perast town museum before hopping on one of the regular boats across to Our Lady of the Rocks. The 17th-century church was built on the Adriatic’s only artificial island, created, according to legend, from over two hundred years of sailors dropping rocks in the sea following the discovery of an icon of the Virgin Mary on a rocky outcrop at the spot in 1452.
Where to stay in Perast
The restaurant at Hotel Conté, with seating on the elegant seafront looking out at Our Lady of the Rocks, is hard to beat. Inside, modern rooms are spread over several historic buildings in the centre of the town. Request a room with a sea view and you won't be disappointed. Many people also travel to Perast to visit 16 preserved palaces, one of which has been converted into the five-star Rixos Heritage Grand Hotel. As well as offering huge rooms, an indoor pool and a spa with an excellent massage therapist, here you’re also treated to a private oceanside pool and sunbathing deck, the best balcony views in the area and arguably the best restaurant on the strip too.
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Getty ImagesKotor and the bay
You can reach Kotor from Perast in around 20 minutes by car, but a vastly more exhilarating mode of transportation available to everyone is a speedboat. Our skipper blasted 00s chart-toppers as we whizzed over the waves, stopping to float into an eerie wartime submarine tunnel (“the perfect place for fishing for Calamari”, he tells us) and for a brief boat-side swim. Gliding into Boka Bay, Kotor’s marina, is practically a spiritual experience. The sun-kissed, forest-covered mountains beckoned us in. Presiding over one of the world’s most perfect natural deep-water harbours – at the end of an inland bay that gives any Norwegian fjord a run for its money – Kotor’s cobbled streets, Venetian Republic palazzi, ancient town walls and eponymous fortress are unmissable.
This part of Montenegro is best known for its cable cars, alpine roller coaster and characterful old town, a veritable maze of winding medieval streets initially founded by the Romans and later becoming part of the Byzantine Empire. Beyond the walls, a string of white stone villages made up of sailors' and fishermen’s cottages and the imposing homes of their captains. The beautiful churches where they prayed for a safe return before each voyage hug the shore of the bay.
There's plenty to do here – stroll around the walled old town and take a break under a stately poplar tree planted after the great earthquake of 1667 in quiet Cinema Square before heading up a narrow alley of 16th-century houses. Make your way up the 1,350-odd steps to the top of the fortress that looms 280 metres above the town, before taking a slow drive along the coast to the village of Stoliv, then taking in the extravagant Italianate Church of the Mother of God and making time for lunch at waterside Mademoiselle in Prcanj on your way.
It does get crowded here, but a 5-minute walk up-hill, tucked away behind the busy town, you'll find a more authentic side to Kotor. Feast on traditional cuisine – we tucked into polenta and fish stew, and had a few too many glasses of homemade wine and liquors, including the explosive, plum-flavoured Montenegrin tipple Rakija.
Where to stay in Kotor
In a renovated 17th-century building in Kotor old town, the small boutique Hotel Hippocampus has smart rooms in an excellent location. A mile or two around the bay in the picturesque coastal village of Prčanj, Palazzo Sbutega is an exquisitely restored seafront home with a serene stone-flagged courtyard with a swimming pool. Five metres from the front door is a private pontoon on the seafront for lounging and swimming. Rent one of the five guest rooms or take over the whole house if you're travelling in a group.
AlamyThe Luštica peninsula
Despite being just 20 minutes from an international airport, the charmingly rural Luštica peninsula was only joined to the mainland by a paved road in the 1970s and since then, the pace of development has remained mercifully slow. At night, jackals call to each other in the dense maquis beyond the terraced olive groves, while during the day, turtles amble across the narrow, winding road that loops around the peninsula, connecting its handful of small hillside hamlets. This is where locals sell homemade fruit brandy, wine and delicious pršut (Montenegrin prosciutto), and rocky tracks descend through shady umbrella pines to secret beaches and hidden Yugoslav submarine tunnels.
From Luštica, swim out to the island monastery of St. Vavedenje, off wild Arza beach, and then eat some of the best seafood on the Adriatic at Ribarsko Selo (pictured) – sweeping Žanjice beach is just around the corner. Enjoy a quad-bike tour of the peninsula and clamber around the massive abandoned Austro-Hungarian Kabala fortress just off the road to Rose. Finish your day with a sundowner and grilled squid at the laid-back Adriatic Tavern as you watch the water turn to gold.
KYRYLO SHEVTSOVWhere to stay on the Luštica peninsula
Book into the sprawling and family-friendly The Chedi, which overlooks the Adriatic and Montenegrin riviera, and has its own private slice of nearby Luštica Bay beach. For something more boutique, Villa Stari Mlin (pictured) is a beautifully renovated 400-year-old traditional Montenegrin farmhouse, with five bedrooms, a 10-metre private pool, gardens and 180-degree views of the sea and mountains.
Getty ImagesHerceg-Novi
Close to the Croatian border and in the shadow of the Orjen mountain range, the vibrant small town of Herceg Novi cascades down a steep hill. Within its limits is a jewel-like neo-Byzantine church of the Archangel Michael that combines Gothic and Romanesque details, a 17th-century Spanish fortress, a 14th-century Bosnian castle and the 16th-century Ottoman Kanli Kula fortress, which in summer hosts excellent film, theatre, guitar and opera festivals in its open-air amphitheatre. Head down to the bustling small port by the sea for lunch at Konoba Feral, where succulent octopus is cooked in traditional Montenegrin fashion under a bell on open coals.
Book a wine tasting with a view out to sea at the beautiful Savina vineyard, next to the monastery of the same name, or take a private boat tour to the Blue Cave on the nearby Luštica peninsula. Finish the day with supper at the family-run Sikimić Tavern (bookings essential at least two days in advance), located in the ancient hill village of Žlijebi at 700m above sea level and with views of the whole Montenegrin coast stretching to the horizon.
Where to stay in Herceg-Novi
On the edge of town, Hotel Lazure is centred around a restored 18th-century Venetian Lazaret, and has smart rooms, a spa with a large indoor pool, and a beautiful stretch of private beach.
Getty ImagesLake Skadar
A short drive from the coast, Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans and sprawls spectacularly in a bowl of mountains astride the Montenegrin-Albanian border. The sloping southern shores of the lake are dotted with mediaeval Orthodox monasteries and small family vineyards, while the lake itself is home to an astonishing variety of birds and wildlife.
Getty ImagesThe best way to explore the lake is to rent a kayak in the picturesque lakeside town Virpazar. While there, taste wines and brandies together with local cheese and cured meats at the family-run Buk Winery. A great day trip is to take a drive along the southern shore of the lake through small fishing villages before going for a swim at the sandy Murići Beach (pictured), with a view out to the working 14th-century Beška island monastery.
Where to stay in Lake Skadar
Lake Skadar can easily be visited in a day from the coast, but if you want a Montenegrin experience, I recommend the simple rooms of the lovely Pejanović family’s Villa Mond in the tranquil village of Limljani, where you will be plied with traditional homemade Montenegrin food, and wine from the family vineyard.
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Getty ImagesBudva & Sveti Stefan
Budva is the place to be if you’re hoping for a good night out and a meal on the marina next to the old town walls. Try Shanghai for excellent Chinese food and sushi. Neighbouring Sveti Stefan, minutes away, is the most photographed place in Montenegro with a quieter vibe (particularly since the Sveti Stefan resort never actually re-opened post-pandemic) and what locals consider to be one of the best beaches in the country, albeit a pebble one - the Kings and Queens beach. From here, you’re perfectly positioned to dip into the city life of Montenegro (Budva and Bar being the best options); head to Cetinje, the Royal City which remains much the same as it did in the 19th century with old Palaces and churches and natural phenomenon, Lipa Cave, to explore; or take a relaxing boat trip on Lake Skadar before visiting family-run Buk Winery. You can rent a car to get around, or make use of day tour transfer providers Daytrip if you’d rather not drive.
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Getty ImagesWhere to stay in Budva & Sveti Stefan
There are a number of hotels here, but sitting just outside the town a little further up the mountain, you’ll find Blizikuce and the newly built Belsize villas, sat next to a handful of family-owned restaurants. These multi-storied villas are the perfect choice for families or friends travelling together, equipped with your own private pool, jacuzzi, sauna and exceptional sea, city and mountain views.
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Getty ImagesUlcinj
A seaside town right down south, near the border of Albania, Ulcinj is a Montenegrin destination that often gets overlooked, but if you’re a fan of beaches or birdwatching, this shouldn’t be missed. Here you’ll find Velika Plaza, the longest beach along the Adriatic Sea; the Old City - like Kotor and Budva, but peaceful; and the Ulcinj Salina salt pans, home to (wait for it) an estimated 2500 Greater Flamingos. There are many flamingo tours you can go on which helps you get the best observation point without causing any disturbance. In addition to Flamingos, there are 250 other bird species waiting to be spotted in this area, making it a Birdwatcher’s paradise. Ulcinj is also a great access point to the Peaks of the Balkans Trail, one of the most awe-inspiring hiking paths in the world, which covers three countries (Kosovo, Montenegro and Albania) and four national parks over 192km, through the Prokletije mountain range.
Courtesy of Plaza Hotel & SPAWhere to stay in Ulcinj
The Plaza Hotel & Spa offers direct beachfront access to Mala Ulcinjska Beach and is just a short walk from all the shops, restaurants and bars of Ulcinj Old Town. If you choose to stay here, fly into Podgorica Airport, which is 70km away.