Montenegro-Coastal Towns and National Park

We are on our way to Croatia on the back roads of Albania, heading towards the Albania-Montenegro border crossing on the coast. At the border we have a quick passage and emerge into Montenegro on narrow roads that lead through a small rural area of farms and old homes.The further north we travel into Montenegro, the better the roads as they continue to widen and improve in design and maintenance. We are joined on the road by cows grazing and a large flock of sheep that brings us to a standstill. The shepard uses his "crook" to guide the sheep to the far side of the road allowing us to pass sailing on the way again;and just around the corner donkeys eating by the road.

The road opens to views of the Adriatic Sea and towns spilling towards the water. The orange-red roof lines are similar to any Mediterranean Coastal community, white washed houses and olive trees everywhere. The road is high above the first town as it will remain during our trip through Montenegro.



We pass through Bar, Montenegro, a very active vacation community on our way to lunch in Petrovac. Now, this is one beautiful ocean city between Bar and Budva.


Turning down the hill we head for the center of Petrovac and end up parking right next to the entry to the beach/boardwalk. It is not the "season" yet, so much of the town is still shuttered and repairs are taking place all around us.People are painting shutters, stringing wire and putting up awnings on the sides of the buildings.Petrovac is home to an old light house station, which now houses a modern "torch" for a harbor light.

Madlyn and I discuss the thought of staying here on our next trip up the Balkan Coast.The waves are crashing against the seawall and the sun is out; it is still cool in the shade and we leave the long sleeves on for heat. We are in the mood for food, so we camp out on the boardwalk at a fairly active pizzeria. We make a good choice; the restrooms are clean(a must) and the beer is "Nik-Gold", (arguably the best beer in the Balkans!!). The pizza is a Margarita and it is delicious; oh, have we mentioned in our travels around the Balkans that the coffee is outstanding? Well, it is, all of my friends have commented on the quality and taste. Another thumbs up!

We cruise the highway in our new rental Chevrolet, bypassing "old" Budva to the town of Lepetane to catch the ferry to Kamenari. By taking this route we save the trip around the Bay of Kotor, the only fjord in the Adriatic Sea. We will drive completely around the Bay of Kotor on our return trip from Croatia.
The five-seven minute ferry ride stops at Kamenari and we disembark and head for Dubrovnik, Croatia just a short 35 minutes away. We pass through the borders without incident and will return three days later; taking the long drive around the Bay of Kotor.

We are not prepared for what awaits in the Bay of Kotor, the adjacent Bay of Risan and the towns that line the shore. Near to the town of Perast in the Bay of Kotor is located the Lady of the Rock Island(a church) and St. Georges'(a monastery) Island.


The island for the church was created by sinking boats full of rocks, setting a foundation in the Bay for the church.

We stop in Perast(named after the Illyrian Pirusta tribe) on the Eastern side of the Bay of Kotor. A strategically located city that at one time was an ally of Venice and then a vassal of Venice; a maritime power that at one point dominated this part of the Balkans.It is now an empty city of 22 churches; where the docent told us of the 200 residents in Perast, 60 were her cousins.
I am ready for lunch, except Madlyn tells me that I must wait until we get to Dobrota where we must find a restaurant called Ellas. Off I march to visit the remnants of Perast.It is a quiet little fishing/ tourist town that is working towards restoring the past.
We stop at the cathedral to see the unfinished dome, a victim of the sinking fortunes of Perast.It is now a museum that houses a large collection of vestments and an imported altar.
The water is calm and we hit the road after a picture of Madlyn and the Bay.


We are headed to Dobrota and a second floor veranda seat for lunch. Driving through Dobrota from the East, Madlyn reads the guide book and directs me through town...and just like in the book; there it is!! With a great view of the Bay, we settle in for an outstanding lunch that includes a birthday party for a three-year old. Madlyn orders chicken kabob and I have my usual pasta plate and of course a cold one. The service is great and the food is all the book said it would be; excellent. On the way out, Madlyn meets the owner and tells him about the guide book; without blinking an eye he says, "I paid a lot for that paragraph" and just smiles. He asks for the name of the author and thanks us for our business; this is definitely a thumbs up stop!
Back on our way to Kotor, the gem of the fjord. The city is packed with tour buses and due to time, we do not linger.We will return and spend a good day in Kotor. The ancient city of Kotor was surrounded by a massive fortified wall that snaked up the side of the mountains, not unlike Mordor in Lord of the Rings.

Exiting Kotor we are headed South for Budva, Montenegro. We will spend one night here at the Splendid Hotel, which is quite a resort. Budva is a smaller version of Dubrovnik with a walled city.
We walk through old Budva, although not as spectacular as Dubrovnik, Budva is charming and filled with shops geared towards tourists. The old city has many churches, administrative/citadel buildings and has narrow winding streets with small plazas.
The churches are mainly Orthodox, small and set up for visitors. The churches are amazingly cool inside and dimly lit, with many icons on the walls. We walk back through the boulevard passing many children and families walking and eating gelatto(Which I found to be excellent. Montenegrin ice cream is the best I have had in the Balkans.).

The next morning, back on the road to return to Albania via the road from Petrovac to Podgorica and then to Albania. We pass through Skadar Lake National Park past major forests and small villages clustered on the terraced hillsides.Crossing over the bridge on Skadar Lake we spot an 18th century fort that is strategically located to control traffic on the Lake.
A short time later we take the turn to Tuzi and head South towards the border crossing leading into Skodra, Albania. A quick pass through the border station; next stop Tirana.

Montenegro turned out to be a tremendous surprise for us. We did not know what not to expect as we drove through this country, what we found was a beautiful coastline with hidden gems around each corner and a National Park that was as peaceful as it was breathtaking. Montenegro was not expensive and I would consider it a good bargain for what we received...we plan to go back to visit Montenegro once more.