Montenegro

#16 Montenegro – November 2023 – Age: 29

Hopefully I’m not repeating myself too much when I say Kotor Bay is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I think Lake Ohrid wins on tranquillity, but Kotor, in terms of diversity and wonderment of the different geographical features on display and curiosity over the formation. That’s all on Wikipedia though… 

We were staying a short 10/15 mins walk from the Old Town which is unlike any other I’ve seen, inset into the mountain side. Maddie welcomed us with a bottle of wine and we got sourced and caught up in our AirBnb; it had been a long days drive, so no major exploring was to be done today. We went for dinner very close by on a bayside restaurant and shared a few drinks before Maddie became mother to another stray cat (this is something she does anywhere she goes).  

First day we explored the old town which is magnificent. It’s much like other Old Towns in the region with nice cafes, tourist traps and churches, museums, etc. But then, there’s a rather curiously hidden entrance to a staircase through a jumbled route of cobbled back streets. Not unlike the secret stair into Mordor. Instantly in the mindset of Samwise the Brave, I buckled up for a lengthy climb with Frodo and the Ring. It’s quite a climb, but the views are worth it. You ascend the zig zagged staircase before opening out into what used to be a fortress, but now rests as the ruins. You can see out over the whole bay and beyond. It’s really quite breathtaking. 

In retrospect, I’m rather frustrated as I only recently found out, that there is in fact another secret stair, perhaps like Shelob’s Laire, where you can cut across from the fortress and enter a squirreled away path up the adjacent mountainside. Should you summit the mountain in which the fort is built into, I imagine the views are even more stunning. I should note, you can also drive to the top, which we did later.

After dinner in town, weary from our trekking, we did what any sane person would do and got pissed up, before hitting Eletrika for some late night dancing. Great vibes. The DJ is actually outside in the narrow cobbled street, lights, strobe, smoke machine and all, co-opting the street and smashing out the bangers until the early hours. We would spend 2 of our 3 nights dancing away here. 

The next adventure was Budva, a small city on the other side of the mini-Montenegrin peninsula. The weather gorgeous in the morning and the drive I mentioned up the mountain to leave the bay facilitated the stunning views we were hoping for, although our driver was an absolute nutcase, determined to show us how close he could get us to driving off the edge, at speed, whilst maintaining perfect control (despite our protests); to his credit, he’d clearly done, and nailed this, many times before..

When we got to Budva, sadly, the heavens opened, and we quickly surveyed the very beautiful Old Town, which, curiously, backs straight onto a quite ferocious sea front, with large waves crashing against the Old Town sea wall. We had a few drinks, ate some local food and headed back to Kotor Bay. That night, we experienced one of the most spectacular lighting and thunder storms I can recall. We sat on our covered terrace, failing to play cards for the wind, sinking a couple of bottles of wine, under blankets as shards of lighting and thunder rippled across our expansive view of the bay. 

Next one our list was a boat tour of the bay, visiting an old monastery – The Church of Our Lady of Skrpjela. The sun was glorious, the views were stunning and the bay waters were calm. Another night at Elektrika before the following day, we took a taxi around the bay for what I think we all agree was our favourite day – Wine tasting at the Savina Winery.

The setting is mesmerising, with views of both the bay, looking in, and out to sea. The wine is very good. The food is excellent and the service and tour were comprehensive. So comprehensive in fact, that the three of us now have a tacit agreement to buy and set up a winery in the not-too-distant future. Let’s see how this pans out. 

A taxi drive back. Completely sourced. Bed. Kotor Bay Done. Time to visit Podgorica (the capital) for a cursory exploration of the old town and city centre (not too much to report) before hopping on our flight home. Thanks! Love you both x