Europe’s hidden gem: Montenegro

The sun is setting behind the mountains, it’s 6pm and I’ve been here for an hour just watching the sun move across and down the sky peeking out before it goes below the high mountainous faces. Alex and I dangle our feet over the wooden jetty with a cold cider and pack of salted peanuts nestled in the space between us. We came to Kotor bay on a whim after hearing it was beautiful from other travellers, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Just two hours south from Dubrovnik is the small bay of Kotor in Montenegro. It feels like Dubrovnik’s cousin; smaller and less touristy. The bay is ringed by mountains stretching high into the sky, the water is crisp and clear and every pebble is defined. Fish dart around the shallows and disappear as we plunder in to cool down. There’s a small old town with plenty of restaurants, hotels and cafes. From the back of old town you can hike up the old fortress walls, which has the most beautiful view!

It is a lot harder than Dubrovnik’s fortress wall but about ten times better. The rocky path goes up and up and up and up. About halfway is a small church where locals sit selling cold water. We stop to rest and take photos of the beautiful lookout before we start climbing up again. It’s a hard slog, a solid hour uphill and though we left early, around 7:30am, the sun is just starting to rise and the sweat is already rolling down our backs. At the top of the walk you can actually climb into the old run-down stone buildings. Weeds smother the stones and huge parts of walls are missing. Our legs are wobbly by this point and when we finally reach the very top all we can do is sit, rest and stare. There’s about 1300 stairs to reach 1200m above sea level and the view is incredible. From here we can look down over the town, see locals starting their day and unpacking chairs and tables for incoming guests, people starting the climb and boats coming in. The view is just an expanse of land, ocean and mountain.

  

If there’s one thing to do in Kotor, it is to climb the fortress walls. And the only thing to do after is to take a dip in the cool water and wash the sweat away. Then go find a café along the waterfront and enjoy a well-deserved breakfast. We spent 3.5 days in Kotor, walking around, swimming and eating. It was a break from the craziness of continuous movement and travelling. It is peaceful and visually stunning.

There is a club that rages in the wee hours of the night for intense partygoers, beaches for sun and sea lovers, restaurants for all the foodies and peace to enjoy some time alone. Take a stroll through old town to pick up a pastry, ice-cream or enjoy the special $10euros 3-course meals from pumping restaurants.

Or pick up some takeaway food, a cold drink and a snack and sit along the waters edge with your makeshift picnic. You don’t need to pay for restaurant service when the view is free. But if you do feel like a fancy meal, try the café/bar/restaurant on the corner of the beach. It’s cheap and good value. The stuffed squid and seafood salad went down a treat. About 10 minutes walk down the beach, away from old town, is a series of restaurants, which all specialise in fresh seafood and from others reviews were fantastic.

 

The list

• Stayed at Montengero hostel 4 u (approx. $18 euros a night pp)
• Ate at beach side café and a lot of picnics! (approx. $4-6 euros a meal)
• Approx $20 Australian from Dubrovnik to Kotor on a bus
• Fortress walk (around $3 Aus, or free if you go before 8am!)
• Beach – free!