Top things to see and do in Montenegro

Planning a road trip to the Balkans, and curious to know whether you should visit Montenegro? Are you wondering what Vanlife in Montenegro is like? Or do you want to find out why we think the best way to travel around Montenegro is by campervan?

For such a small country, Montenegro packs a real punch in the diversity of things to do and see here. In this blog we share some of the best things we did in this country, to give you some starting inspiration for your next trip!

And if you’re looking for more info on what VanLife in Montenegro looks like – check out this blog for planning here.

Lovcen National Park

Considered to be the heart of Montenegro, and the resting place of a Montenegrin hero Bishop Peter Petrovic the second, the ‘Black Mountain’ is the reason why Montenegro got its name. Rising 1,749 meters high, the summit at the top gives you views across pretty much the whole of the country

From up here you can see the Bay of Kotor, Durmitor National park, the Dinaric Alps and Lake Skadar!

Entrance to the park is two Euros, with a further Five euros to access the viewpoint and mausoleum. You have to go up here. After climbing 472 steps, the views at the top are exceptional.

It was a big trip highlight for us, with a steep, but pretty accessible hike. The views were beautiful, and the sunset we were treated to later that evening was one we’ll never forget!

A boat trip on the Bay of Kotor

The Bay of Kotor is a fjord-like bay at the top of the country, and one of the best known parts of Montenegro. The best way to really experience this area – with a rich and grand naval history – is by boat.

We booked a boat trip to take in some of the bay’s most famous sights, and we must admit, it was probably one of the fanciest things we’d done in a while. To find your boat trip, either look online, or visit the docks in Kotor, where you will find ALOT of boat operators eager to sell you tickets for a tour of the area. We booked ours through Kotor Boat Tours. Most places will take you to:

• The Lady of the Rocks: a church built on rocks and the ruins of enemy ships destroyed by Montenegrin defenders as they tried to raid Kotor
• The Blue cave: a secluded cave that you drive into with clear, fluorescent blue water
• Submarine Bay: a submarine bay used by Yugoslavian soldiers defending the bay during WW2 against Italian forces
• Perast: the historic sailing port of Perast, with stunning Venetian architecture and a good place to grab a coffee or bite to eat in its many fancy restaurants

After the boat trip we’d recommend walking around the old town of Kotor, and if you’re travelling by campervan, we’d recommend Camp Dulas for this epic park-up!

Lake Skadar 

At 140 square miles, it’s the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula; surrounded by mountain peaks to all sides, it’s a wildlife haven and great for bird watchers like us.

The best way to explore the lake is, of course, by taking a boat trip, booked through one of the tour operators close to the visitor centre.

We paid 25 euros each for a sunset trip through Pelican Boat Tour. While we felt a little pushed into booking through them (they will literally run up to your vehicle as soon as you turn into the port!), we weren’t disappointed with the quality of the trip, and felt we got value for our money.

We booked the boat for sunset, and the golden light really brought this place to life.

Petrovac 

Montenegro is home to some very pretty and stunning coastline. But quite a lot of it is either home to many of the country’s towns and cities, or it’s been developed on. We discovered a tiny bay close to Petrovac and fell in love with this part of coast, with pine forests and crumbling rock formations providing the perfect wild escape, and crystal clear waters perfect for us to kayak on!

Stari Bar

Stari Bar is the site of an ancient old town, now abandoned after an earthquake in 1979.

For two euros you can walk around the site and imagine what life used to be like here, you can walk along the old town walls, explore abandoned churches and cathedrals as well as learn about the cities storied past as it was conquered by Venetians, Serbians, Hungarians, Ottomans and more. 

Even if you don’t like history, it’s worth the walk around for the views at least.

Montenegro’s Panoramic Roads

It may seem weird that we’re giving the roads of Montenegro it’s own section. But bear with us. The country has designated parts of its highways and old roadways as its panoramic roads, and we can vouch that they more than live up to their name.

On the four designated routes between the beautiful Adriatic coast and the wild and romantic mountains of the north there is a lot to discover to see.

Our favourite road that we drove on was between Petrovac to Lovcen to the Bay of Kotor. Including a section of the road called “The Serpentine” the views were incredible, and the drive was breathtaking.

You can catch a glimpse of some of these road-trip views in our Montenegro Video here:

Extend the trip!
As always, we left this country with unfinished business and places we didn’t get to see; we would recommend you also check out:

• Durmitor National Park: Durmitor’s region is the most important part of Dinara mountain range, characterized by high peaks, abundant forests and deep gorges
• Prokletije National Park: In 2009 Montenegro declared this amazing area as a National Park Prokletije. Gorgeous National Park Prokletije is located between Montenegro and Albania
• Budva: Budva – the town of summer theatres and festivals, the location of the most beautiful beaches and night life