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Traveling to Montenegro for a few days is a good option to get to know its beautiful coasts. I had heard that it was one of the most affordable countries in Europe and it seemed that way to me, although, judging by the experience of my husband who has made two getaways in two years in a row: spring 2023 and this one, life is changing very quickly and has gone from being off the tourist radar to being threatened by multitudes of visitors.
This means, among other things, that the cost of living has experienced significant changes. In the fortified city of Kotor, long considered a hidden treasure, a place that the English poet Lord Byron described as "the perfect fusion between sea and land", huge cruise ships dock in its bay to drop off thousands of tourists .
There are also some problems due to traffic congestion. During our visit to the neighboring city of Budva, we couldn't park anywhere, driving around in circles for an hour and, finally, we did so accompanied by the owner of the apartment where we stayed, parking on top of the sidewalk on a local street. These and other drawbacks are starting to appear with the massive wave of outsiders.
Apart from this, Montenegro is a gem: beaches with crystal blue sea, picturesque old towns and unspoiled nature. This country is one of the youngest and smallest States in Europe.
For two millennia, Montenegro belonged to Empires and States. It was part of the former Yugoslavia and since 2006 it has been an independent Republic. In the 18th century, the Venetians baptized it with this name when they contemplated the dark color of its mountains from the sea.
We begin the trip by entering Herceg Novi, a city located in the Southwest. Looking for a place to buy a card for the mobile phone, since this country is not part of the European Union, we were lucky enough to pass in front of a cafeteria with a splendid viewpoint from where we appreciated, during the time we tasted a typical pastry cake of the land, a wonderful place with views of the Adriatic.
From that moment on, we began to enjoy continuous visual spectacles, while we toured that Balkan corner. Bordering this sea, we saw mountain peaks that dominated the landscape at more than 2,000 meters high.
After leaving the Bay of Kotor, known as the southernmost fjord in Europe, the image of one of the most spectacular landscapes in Montenegro still remains in our eyes. The city was fortified during the Republic of Venice to defend it from Ottoman attacks, although there was already evidence of previous defensive systems.
From this prosperous period in which it was known as Cattaro, there are also many of the beautiful buildings and churches of the old town scattered along alleys baptized with numbers instead of names.
The presence of cats throughout the city caught our attention. They constitute the group of inhabitants with whom tourists can interact most easily, since they are looking for their affection and some gastronomic reward.
Another place that would stand out for its antiquity, dating back to the 5th century BC, is Budva. Surrounded by mountains and the wonderful Adriatic, it is becoming a desired sun and beach destination. It is divided into two parts: the new part and the old part.
In the first you will find hotels, restaurants, shops and shopping centers, and in the second you can see the best monuments and the best views. It was a pleasure to visit this idyllic city, enjoying a spring temperature that allowed us to tour its old town, from where we captured exceptional panoramic views.
And speaking of places that you have to visit in this country, Cetinje is a small peaceful plain, surrounded by mountains, on which the ancient capital of Montenegro sits. In other times, the social engine was the political and diplomatic hustle and bustle. Today you can see that decadent charm of large buildings, such as the palace of King Nicholas and spaces that served as recreation for his court.
The current capital is Podgorica, a city that was destroyed in World War II. It has wide avenues with new buildings, from about 70 years ago. I am left with an area of small houses, quite degraded, in the center, which contrasts with the rest of the buildings. He reminded us that not many years ago the war in the Balkans wreaked havoc that still rages among its people and its way of life.
Without a doubt, the jewel of Podgorica is its Orthodox cathedral that allowed us to enter another dimension. It is large, spectacular, and the luxury is reflected in the decoration of its paintings and paintings. An impressive lamp and many other details caught our attention, looking at them for a long time.
Lastly, and not because it is an uninteresting destination, the glamor of Perast has made us visit it twice: on the first and last day of our stay in Montenegro. It began as a humble fishing village, but the Venetian Empire brought it to glory during its Government, from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 18th century. Being part of that Empire made its inhabitants very rich, especially thanks to fishing, trade and shipbuilding.
In fact, this town housed one of the most important maritime schools in Europe. It was also a bastion of defense against the Ottomans. We loved its Venetian architecture present in its opulent buildings.
Finally, the beautiful island enclave, Sveti Stefan, comes to mind. We saw it from the road, a few kilometers from Budva. The island buildings form a resort. It was the Yugoslavian president Tito who promoted the creation of this luxury hotel in the 60s. Since then, kings, actors, singers and other personalities have given it a little more glamor with their presence.
In the same way, I cannot fail to mention Lake Skadar, a lake paradise with the highest concentration of fresh water in the Balkans and one of the largest lakes in Europe. It is located on the border between Montenegro and Albania. We enjoyed a meal contemplating its beauty and it seemed ideal to escape, for a while, from the tourist routes of the coastal areas.
In short, we loved visiting this Balkan destination that, together with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
