Montenegro. Part 1.
I was in Montenegro last summer.
We rented an apartment in Budva from the hosts. They are the owners of the restaurant too. There we had breakfast and dinner. The food was simple and tasty, we had no problems with the food or after it.
I like the sea. Also I enjoy visiting old castles, churches and fortresses.
The temperature had never been scorching but warm and pleasureable.
Almost every inch of beach was covered with loungers and umbrellas that were able to be rented by the day. There were some smaller areas that could be used free.
Budva has a well preserved old town within the castle walls, with cute narrow streets filled mostly with little cafes and restaurants, souvenier shops and other stores aimed at tourists.
Budva is really a party town squeezed into a small area between the mountiains and the sea.
In the old part of the city it felt like we were in Italy with the Roman influence.
To get great views over both the Adriatic Sea and the city, we visited the Old Budva Castle. For €2.50 we were able to walk up onto the walks as well as visit a small museum and a library. I could spend all day looking at the sea and the coast.
From Budva it is an easy bus ride to Kotor, probably the most well known coastal town in Montenegro.
Kotor has another really well preserved old town, with multiple churches and museums that are worthy of a visit. Even just wandering the narrow cobbled streets is a pleasant way to spend an hour or so.
The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in Kotor is one of two Roman Catholic cathedrals in Montenegro.
High above the medieval town of Kotor in Montenegro is one of the best views points over the Bay of Kotor - the city walls, St John’s Fortress.
The earliest Kotor city walls were built into steep, rocky cliffs back in the 9th century to protect the town from invaders. They were added to over the years by whoever ran the city at the time - everyone from the Byzantines to the Venetians - until the 15th century when they finally formed a full loop running up into the hillside. There’s a mixture of ramparts, gates, churches, forts and bastions mixed in with them, and despite the onslaught of time, invasion and earthquakes they’re still remarkably well-preserved. Today the climb to the top is one of the top things to do in Kotor. Kotor is a popular stop for cruise ships in the Adriatic Sea so during the summer it is particularly busy with visitors. When we visited there was one ship in.
A long way upwards - the climb to the fortress at the top is 1200 metres, or 1350ish steps. My legs protested about the climb on steps. Exiting Kotor old town by the east gate I found a path with a lot of switchbacks heading up into the hills. We followed this path for maybe 50 minutes and clearly saw a large window in the walls with steps up to it. We took this route and we were almost at the top of the city walls.
It's a strenuous climb and one that would be difficult on a hot day without lots of water. It was worth it! With each bend of the walls you get a different view, each better than the last.
Beach Luchitsa is one popular with the locals, and is one of the best places to visit:
We went on an excursion to the mountains and canyons.
The mountains are covered in dark green forest that looks almost black. Even on the coast, the mountains are a constant and dramatic backdrop.
The largest of the national parks of Montenegro is Durmitor. Durmitor lies in the north east of the country in high mountains.
Of course, the climate is very different from the climate on the coast, I understood that. But I was very surprised when I discovered a nature similar to our near Moscow.
Black Lake has a glacial origin:
Durmitor is one of two national parks of Montenegro with a ski field, which is based in Zabljak. The ski season starts in December and goes through to April.
The Moracha Canyon was close a bus sometimes.
But a visit to the monastery in the valley gave peace and confidence.
Ostrog Monastery is considered the most holy place in all of ex Yugoslavia for those of the Orthodox religion. People come from all over the region, including Russia, to visit this famous monastery.
The monastery was built into a cliff- face in the 17th Century and the founder, now a saint, still lies in the monastery. You can visit St Vasilije's bones inside a small room inside. There's usually a queue at the entrance and a monk watches over the worshippers.
Roads are good everywhere.
We saw the construction of a high-speed motorway.
Great!
The Tara Canyon is one of the most beautiful in the Europe, second in the world on deep- after Colorado.
The view of the Tara River below is absolutely phenomenal.
I red there is the best canyon ZipLine on the planet! That is why I let my son go, although I was worried about him!
He tried the fastest and longest zipline across Tara Canyon. And I got an unmatched canyon view on phone from the bridge.
Also By the way we saw ancient long-distance railway that actually trundles slowly through the mountains and gorges from the sea port Bar to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It's a marvel of engineering, with 254 tunnels and 435 bridges on the 296-mile journey.
Construction of the line started in the 1950s but only completed in 1976, opened by President Tito himself.
Would I return? I hope so!
We rented an apartment in Budva from the hosts. They are the owners of the restaurant too. There we had breakfast and dinner. The food was simple and tasty, we had no problems with the food or after it.
I like the sea. Also I enjoy visiting old castles, churches and fortresses.
The temperature had never been scorching but warm and pleasureable.
Almost every inch of beach was covered with loungers and umbrellas that were able to be rented by the day. There were some smaller areas that could be used free.
Budva has a well preserved old town within the castle walls, with cute narrow streets filled mostly with little cafes and restaurants, souvenier shops and other stores aimed at tourists.
Budva is really a party town squeezed into a small area between the mountiains and the sea.
In the old part of the city it felt like we were in Italy with the Roman influence.
To get great views over both the Adriatic Sea and the city, we visited the Old Budva Castle. For €2.50 we were able to walk up onto the walks as well as visit a small museum and a library. I could spend all day looking at the sea and the coast.
From Budva it is an easy bus ride to Kotor, probably the most well known coastal town in Montenegro.
Kotor has another really well preserved old town, with multiple churches and museums that are worthy of a visit. Even just wandering the narrow cobbled streets is a pleasant way to spend an hour or so.
The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in Kotor is one of two Roman Catholic cathedrals in Montenegro.
High above the medieval town of Kotor in Montenegro is one of the best views points over the Bay of Kotor - the city walls, St John’s Fortress.
The earliest Kotor city walls were built into steep, rocky cliffs back in the 9th century to protect the town from invaders. They were added to over the years by whoever ran the city at the time - everyone from the Byzantines to the Venetians - until the 15th century when they finally formed a full loop running up into the hillside. There’s a mixture of ramparts, gates, churches, forts and bastions mixed in with them, and despite the onslaught of time, invasion and earthquakes they’re still remarkably well-preserved. Today the climb to the top is one of the top things to do in Kotor. Kotor is a popular stop for cruise ships in the Adriatic Sea so during the summer it is particularly busy with visitors. When we visited there was one ship in.
A long way upwards - the climb to the fortress at the top is 1200 metres, or 1350ish steps. My legs protested about the climb on steps. Exiting Kotor old town by the east gate I found a path with a lot of switchbacks heading up into the hills. We followed this path for maybe 50 minutes and clearly saw a large window in the walls with steps up to it. We took this route and we were almost at the top of the city walls.
It's a strenuous climb and one that would be difficult on a hot day without lots of water. It was worth it! With each bend of the walls you get a different view, each better than the last.
Beach Luchitsa is one popular with the locals, and is one of the best places to visit:
We went on an excursion to the mountains and canyons.
The mountains are covered in dark green forest that looks almost black. Even on the coast, the mountains are a constant and dramatic backdrop.
The largest of the national parks of Montenegro is Durmitor. Durmitor lies in the north east of the country in high mountains.
Of course, the climate is very different from the climate on the coast, I understood that. But I was very surprised when I discovered a nature similar to our near Moscow.
Black Lake has a glacial origin:
Durmitor is one of two national parks of Montenegro with a ski field, which is based in Zabljak. The ski season starts in December and goes through to April.
The Moracha Canyon was close a bus sometimes.
But a visit to the monastery in the valley gave peace and confidence.
Ostrog Monastery is considered the most holy place in all of ex Yugoslavia for those of the Orthodox religion. People come from all over the region, including Russia, to visit this famous monastery.
The monastery was built into a cliff- face in the 17th Century and the founder, now a saint, still lies in the monastery. You can visit St Vasilije's bones inside a small room inside. There's usually a queue at the entrance and a monk watches over the worshippers.
Roads are good everywhere.
We saw the construction of a high-speed motorway.
Great!
The Tara Canyon is one of the most beautiful in the Europe, second in the world on deep- after Colorado.
The view of the Tara River below is absolutely phenomenal.
I red there is the best canyon ZipLine on the planet! That is why I let my son go, although I was worried about him!
He tried the fastest and longest zipline across Tara Canyon. And I got an unmatched canyon view on phone from the bridge.
Also By the way we saw ancient long-distance railway that actually trundles slowly through the mountains and gorges from the sea port Bar to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It's a marvel of engineering, with 254 tunnels and 435 bridges on the 296-mile journey.
Construction of the line started in the 1950s but only completed in 1976, opened by President Tito himself.
Would I return? I hope so!