During our current winter trip we had Albania en Greece as a destination in mind, but we ended up taking a month to get to Albania. We fell in love with Montenegro!
This beautiful Balkan country turned out to be too beautiful to drive through and we spent a great time here. Read here why we love Montenegro so much and recommend a holiday to this unknown destination to everyone.
Read more about the perfect itinerary for one here roadtrip in Montenegro, where you visit the most beautiful places!
#1 The scenic nature
Montenegro's scenic landscapes are the main reason to explore the country. The small country combines a dramatic coastline with beautiful beaches, rugged mountains, huge lakes and jagged canyons. In a short time you can visit the most diverse landscapes in Montenegro!
One of the highlights of Montenegro is the Bay of Kotor, named after the picturesque Kotor in Montenegro. It is also called the southernmost fjord, although this series of bays is not formed by an ice mass, as we know from the Scandinavian fjords. It is certainly equally beautiful with clear blue water, surrounded by series of mountain peaks. Located in the farthest corner of the sea Kotor, the UNESCO city that is Montenegro's most famous attraction and even day trippers Croatia and large cruise ships.
Other impressive landscapes can be found in the north Durmitor National Park with its beautiful mountains and the More from Skadar on the border with Albania.
Also read: The 15 Most Beautiful National Parks in Europe | Unprecedented beauty
#2 The easy travelability
We found Montenegro surprisingly easy to travel. Did you know that you can even pay in euros? Because the country was too small to develop its own currency, the German mark was used here for many years. When Germany introduced the euro, Montenegro also followed suit. The euro is therefore the currency in the country.
But also the good English, the hospitable people, the good roads and the low prices make Montenegro a great holiday destination. The country is also not very big. We read that the country is half the size of Belgium has. As a result, you can easily travel from one beautiful landscape to another and from one nice city to the next attraction, without spending hours in your car.
By the way, the time in the car is always a treat, because the views are phenomenally beautiful. The most beautiful routes are also called the ´Panoramic Roads´ of Montenegro and are signposted.
Also read: 5x nice Balkan destinations | Hot, hip and cheap!
#3 The beautiful towns and sights
Montenegro is full of nice towns, beautiful views and special attractions. Kotor is the most famous highlight of the country. The ancient city center is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is a picturesque ensemble of historic squares, city palaces, narrow streets and city walls. You have the best view of the city from the castle against the mountainside. The climb is quite tough - especially in the summer heat - but afterwards you look out over both Kotor and the Bay of Kotor.
It is another special, but less visited sights mausoleum of the national hero Njegos. It is the attraction of it Lovcen National Park near Kotor. In addition to the monumental mausoleum, you will find an impressive viewpoint over the national park here, because the monument is on top of a mountain top. In addition, to get here from Kotor you drive the Kotor Serpentine, a special road with dozens of hairpin bends.
Other highlights are the ancient Budva, a walled city on the coast near the most beautiful beaches, and ruin city Old Bar. Be sure to make a stop in between Sveti Stefan a resort island just off the coast of Budva.
#4 The nice climate
Because a nice holiday destination often also has to be accompanied by a nice climate, we would like to mention that Montenegro has a nice Mediterranean climate with warm summers and dry winters.
By a location on the Adriatic Sea it has a similar climate to better-known sun destinations such as neighboring Croatia. Montenegro also has fine beaches, so in the summer you are in the right place for a wonderful beach holiday off the beaten track.
We visited Montenegro itself in October and were surprised by the sunny summer weather with temperatures above 20 C. Sebastiaan even regularly took a nice dip in the sea.
