Exploring The Black Mountain Country | Montenegro

There are countless reasons to visit Montenegro, from friendly people to magnificent nature, historic cities and great food.

Montenegro got its name from the dark mountain forests that cover the land. It’s known as the country of the black mountain.

In this blog, you’ll find the best places to visit, what to do, where to stay and many more.

We hitchhiked from Albania to Montenegro, which was quite a tense hitchhike, with some long hours, and walking with the backpacks in extreme heat didn’t help, but in the end, it was so much fun meeting such incredible people along the way.

Some six hours later, when we finally made it to our first stop, we had a last-minute cancellation of the apartment where we were supposed to be staying. Being so tired and hungry it was the least we wanted at that moment.

We had to find a solution, so we kept walking to find a WiFi hotspot somewhere until we noticed a beauty salon where we politely asked for the password. Help in Montenegro is effortless. People are so compassionate!

The view we had from the guesthouse we stayed in unexpectedly and the best hospitality from our lovely Serbian hosts. The last-minute cancellation of the other apartment was entirely worth it!

Best Places to Visit in Montenegro

Budva

Budva is part of the Budva Riviera, a town in Montenegro known for its sandy beaches and nightlife. You’ll find around 35 rocky beaches in the Budva area, with some having just a little sand. 

What to see and do in Budva 

Wander around the alluring narrow cobblestone street of Stari Grad (The Old Town).

Enjoy the beautiful beaches and dip in one of the swimming spots at the seaside promenade that connects the town to Sveti Stefan.

Take some nice shots next to the famous Budva ballerina statue, also known as the Gymnast statue from Budva.

Kotor

If you visit Montenegro you can’t skip Kotor!

Kotor is one of our favourite places to visit for so many reasons. It’s a town formed by the river Gurdic in the south, the river Skurda in the north, and the Adriatic Sea in the west. Mountains surround this town, and it has an unusually high cat population! Having said this, cats have become a symbol of good luck!

What to see and do in Kotor 

Explore Old Town. In our opinion, it’s one of the most beautiful Old Towns we’ve ever been to.

Hike the Ladder of Kotor. You’ll get the most breathtaking views of Kotor from above.

Explore Perast. A tiny village on the edge of the bay in Kotor. It’s one of the most picturesque spots along the entire Adriatic Sea.

We spent four beautiful days exploring this magical neighbourhood, where we stayed in a small studio with one of the most beautiful sea and mountain views.

We can’t forget that we had countless cute cats, including Steff’s favourite, Lucky the black kitty, living with us, which made our stay more fun!

For all cat lovers, this accommodation is perfect for you. Check it out here.

Podgorica 

Interesting Fact: Podgorica isn’t the sole capital city of Montenegro, the other one being the old capital Cetinje.

Podgorica was our last stop in Montenegro before heading to Croatia. We stayed in one of our favourite hostels, Hostel Q.

While in Podgorica, there was a change in weather, and since we planned a shorter time for our backpacking adventure, we only had Summer clothes as we thought by September we’d be back in Malta.

On our last day, the temperature went down to 5°C, and we had a flight to Croatia, where we were told the temperature was even lower.

The hostel owner herself and some other travellers whom we met there gave us a few Winter clothes so we don’t feel cold. We couldn’t be any more grateful to meet such warmhearted people who we now call friends!

What to see and do in Podgorica

• Stroll around Podgorica’s oldest neighbourhood, Stara Varoš.
• Observe The Clock Tower, which overlooks Stara Varoš square. This was useful for signalling times of Muslim prayer during the Ottoman era.  
• Go on a fantastic day trip to Niagara Falls.
• Visit one of Podgorica’s few landmarks, the Millennium Bridge.

Where to stay in Montenegro 

Montenegro is heaven on Earth, and we’re sure it will be on your travel list if not already. For a large selection of the most beautiful places to stay in, search for your dates, and we have no doubt you’ll find your ideal accommodation when you visit Montenegro.

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