Herceg Novi – We drove from Bosnia(Mostar) to Montenegro(Herceg Novi) after 2pm on Day 7. The drive was 200km and took us about 3.5 hours which included 20 minutes getting past immigration.
Herceg Novi, is a small coastal town that sits near the Bay of Kotor. Our hotel was about 3 miles from the old city where you have all the attractions. We checked in, freshened up, and took an uber to the old city to avoid spending time finding parking. We strolled through the charming old town. Nikola Durkovic Square is the center of the Old Town, also known as Stari Grad, where locals and tourists meet for a cozy coffee or to shop in the small boutiques. From Durkovic Square, a staircase leads directly to the city’s landmark, the Sahat Kula clock tower. This monument was built in 1667 by Sultan Mahmud and is still one of the most important landmarks in the Old Town.
Another place to stop by is the beautiful Belavista Square, also called Herceg Stjepan Square. The Mediterranean flair of the old stone houses, the white fountain and the Orthodox church of Archangel Michael church create a picturesque setting.
The Kanli Kula, fortress is from Turkish times, located in the upper part of the old town. Its name means something like “Bloody Tower” because the fortress from 1539 served for years as a prison. Today, this impressive structure is a beautiful open-air stage and one of the most popular venues on the Montenegrin Adriatic. From Kanli Kula you have a dreamlike view of the old town, the picturesque church and the deep blue sea.
Bay of Kotor, Perast, Kotor
On Day 8, we started off early from Herceg Novi driving east to the Bay of Kotor. The Bay of Kotor almost resembles the fjords of Norway, with green cliffs plunging into the blue water of the bay. A two-lane road meanders along the edge of the Bay of Kotor, passing through small towns and villages. It’s a very scenic ride so we took our time stopping wherever we could to enjoy the view.
Not quite halfway around the Bay of Kotor you will arrive in Perast, a gorgeous town. It’s worth a quick stroll, but the most popular thing to do here is to take a boat out to the artificial island where the people of Perast built the church – Our Lady of the Rocks. Legend says that on July 22, 1452, a fisherman found an icon of the Madonna and child on a rock jutting out of the bay at this location. The people of Perast decided to build a church at this spot. Rocks were dumped here and the church was built on top of the artificial island. The tradition continues today, and every July 22 local residents fill their boats with rocks and drop them around the perimeter of the island.
A parking lot comes up just as we enter the town of Perast. As we were parking, a vendor came over and let us know that parking would be free if we took a boat ride (€15) to Our Lady of the Rocks. We accepted the offer and since it was still early in the morning, there was a boat waiting, which took us immediately to the island. We had 30 minutes on the small island which was plenty of time to check out the church, the lighthouse, and the view. The church you see today is from the 17th century, as the original church was destroyed in an earthquake.
We then strolled through the old town Perast admiring the buildings and church in the main square and enjoying a cup of coffee in one of the many cafes.
We were then on our way to the town of Kotor which like Herceg Novi, is very compact and you can walk the old town in an hour or less. It is filled with restaurants, shops, and small museums. You can climb the city walls (€8/adult) all the way to the Castle of San Giovanni which is about 1350 steps. As you climb the walls, the view of the Bay of Kotor is just stunning at every corner. Due to time constraints, we climbed halfway up (650 steps) to the church of Our Lady of Remedy. The view of Bay and Kotor was just amazing.
In the town of Kotor, we stopped to see St Luke Church, St. Nikola Church, and the Clock tower.
Lovcen National Park – Continue the climb into Lovcen National Park. Mount Lovcen is one of the highest peaks in the area. The views from up here are breathtaking.
To get to this view, we drove a series of 21 tight, narrow, 2-lane switchbacks. At one point about 5 cars including us, had to back down to a slightly broader portion of the road to give way to a bus driving in the opposite direction. The bus was followed by 25 more vehicles. After letting all the vehicles pass by, we slowly and cautiously continued our journey up. After enjoying the view from the top, we drove down to Cetinje, former capitol of Montenegro. We realized that one can access Lovcen mountain driving from Cetinje which will be easier and less stressful.
Cetinje – We stopped here for a cup of coffee and a quick stroll. This 15th-century town of Cetinje once served as Montenegro’s capital during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Today, the embassies have been turned into museums, government buildings, and educational academies, and the town is a pleasure to wander aimlessly about for an afternoon. The Cetinje Monastery here has a collection of Early-Christian-era relics you can see for a donation, and the Vlah Church dating back to the 15th-century is another notable sight.
Old Town Budva – We drove to Budva which is about half hour drive from Cetinje. We checked into our hotel which was within walking distance to the Budva Riveria and the walled city. Budva has a history that dates back 2,500 years. This medieval walled city has a lively atmosphere and is filled with restaurants and shops, as well as a town museum. It also has a citadel which is basically an ancient 15th century fortress on the Adriatic coast. We spent the rest of the evening in the old city, checking out the citadel (€3 admission) and having dinner at one of the restaurants.
