Montenegro translates to “Black Mountain” in Italian, named for the tree-covered mountains. I personally think they only look black when in the shade of the mountain. Regardless, the scenery in this small 16-year-old country of under 1 million people is stunning. I rented a car to properly see the more mountainous regions.
Travel thought: If you visit a city and have bad weather during your stay plus one or two bad experiences, you have a negative impression of the city. Likewise, if the weather is great and you have one or two good experiences, you have a positive impression of the city. Is there a solution to approach travel in a way that improves the odds of good experiences?
Nothing says “This is Montenegro” better than a massive flag
Kotor fort overlooks Kotor’s old town
Cruise ships may be large, but this one is dwarfed in Boka Bay.
View from Budva cathedral
When the country’s name includes the word “Mountain”, you know things are serious!
Alpine lodge in rural Montenegro
Small mountain town in the Durmitor region
Sheep grazing near the mountains
Mountain sunset
More mountains
Tara Canyon, the 2nd deepest in the world behind the Grand Canyon
Tunnels. Lots of tunnels!
Piva Canyon near the border with Bosnia
Another view of the Tara Canyon
Kolašin ski area, perhaps the best developed ski area in the country
The peaks of Proklitije National Park hid in the low clouds and rain, so I will have to return to the Accursed Mountains.
Taking a mandatory photo of Sveti Stefan, which is the picturesque resort often used in Montenegro tourism imagery
Tivat, near Kotor, is sometimes called a little Monaco due to the yacht port and the high end shops. The billionaire yacht Olivia O. in the far background followed me from Monaco.
Old WWII submarine tunnel built into the mountain, complete with camo
Spot the solar boat. Montenegro declared itself an “Ecological State” in 1991.
View from St. John Fort above Kotor
Much huffing and puffing was heard ascending the route from the old town to the fort.
The view from Lovćen looks even better when it’s the end of a half marathon trek from Kotor.
The Njegoš mausoleum atop Lovćen is the resting place of Montenegro’s most famous poet.
All Kotor souvenir shops prominently feature the town’s many cats. There are many cats!
The Kotor Bay landscape provides a picture perfect backdrop for any activity.
Roads in Montenegro are a bit “raw”. Many tunnels in the northern half of the country don’t have lights and there are many two-way one-lane roads. At one point, Google Maps wanted me to take this snowed-over mountain pass, while another map app suggested a route through a tunnel that was either under construction or undergoing extensive renovation. Instead, I chose a route that consisted of a dodgy 15+ mile two-way one-lane road over mountain passes, but thinking the correct answer was “d) none of the above”, I took a 50 km detour to stick to major roads on the trip back
Am I digital nomading properly yet?!
