9 Most Scenic Places to Visit in Montenegro

If you’re looking for inspiration here are some of the more scenic places to visit in Montenegro plus a little more info about visiting the country.

Why visit Montenegro?

Montenegro is a beautiful country nestled between Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovin and Albania. It has similar vibes to Croatia – pretty old towns, sun and sea. However, Montenegro tends to be much cheaper and less crowded. It’s definitely starting to become a more popular tourist destination and bigger resorts and being build and more flight routes are becoming established. So I would recommend visiting soon whilst it’s still a hidden gem!

1. Kotor

Kotor is one of the most popular spots in Montengro. Its an old town built on the Bay of Kotor, shelter by mountains.

This is plenty to do and see in the old town, including visiting the 900 year old cathedral, walking along the town walls and even visiting a cat museum.

Outside of the town walls you can explore the more modern harbour area and visit a local farmers market along the edge of the walls.

2. Kotor Fortess

Kotor Fortress was built up the hill from the town. You can visit its ruins by hiking up the mountain from the old town, this could be fairly strenuous in hot weather but there are plenty of places to stop along the way up and soak in the view.

Suprisingly, you do need to pay to walk up the main path. It costs €8 to visit Kotor fortress this way but you do also pass the Church of our Lady Remedy and get great views over the old town and the Bay of Kotor.

There is another sneaky way up if you’re determined to avoid the fee. This way is much less direct, it starts by the old hydroelectric power station and serpentine up the mountain towards a tiny hidden church – Sveti Juraj. From there you can follow a path up to an old window in the fortress wall where someone has attached a wooden ladder. This ladder, known as the Ladder of Kotor will take you straight into the fortress, although beware there is a sign warning visitors not to enter this way!

We actually paid the €8 and walked up the official way but crawled out through the window and down the ladder to walk a different way back. I’d recommend doing it this way as there is a lot to see on both sides! I’m not sure if you could get back through the ticket booth without a ticket so it would be risky trying it the other way round.

3. Perast

Perast is another old town along the Bay of Kotor. It’s smaller than Kotor and extends right to the water. This means its the perfect spot to enjoy a meal or drink along the waters edge. There are also plenty of opportunities to take a boat trip from Perast if you want to explore the bay further. Perast is one of the closest points to Old Lady of the Rocks island.

4. Our Lady of the Rocks

Our Lady of the Rocks is an old church built on a tiny island in the Bay of Kotor. There is a good viewpoint of the island just outside Perest. If you fancy getting a closer look there are regular boat trips departing from Perast and Kotor.

There is also the Monastary of St George just next door on another tiny island.

5. Locven National Park

Locven National Park is a short drive from Kotor, up the mountain via the Kotor Sepertine.

The park costs €2 per person to enter, which can be paid by card. Within the park, the main attraction is the Mosuleum perched right at the very top of the mountain. You have to pay an additional €5 to enter and this can only be paid in cash so make sure you have some with you!

Be prepared for a drop in temperature. Locvan National Park is up a mountain so it will be much colder than towns around the Bay of Kotor. When we visited in April, I was in sunglasses and sandals only to find there was still snow at the top of the mountain. Luckily we had a change of clothes and shoes with us!

6. Budva

Budva is a fairly large town in Montenegro with modern high rise buildings along the outskirts and a wall old town by the coast. The town is well known for its night life but there is a lot more to it than that!

I’d recommend spending some time exploring the old town, including the citadel. A little archway in the town walls will lead you out on to the beach, from there you can walk around the coastal path to see the stunning Ballerina of Budva statue and her spectacular view point over the Adriatic sea!

7. Sveti Stefan

Sveti Stefan is a luxury resort housed on its own little island. It’s not very far from Budva, just a little along the coast so easy to visit from there. If you don’t want to splash out to stay on the island, you can book a table at one of the restaurants for lunch or dinner.

When we visited in late April, the entire island seems to be closed so I think it only opens in the summer seasons. But its still worth visiting the area as there are stunning beaches either side of the walkway. There is also a lovely walk through the trees to reach a more secluded hotel set in a bay of stunning turquoise water.

8. Bar Old Town

Stari Bar is an old town towards the Albanian Border. It’s nestled in the mountains, about an hour drive from Budva. There’s plenty to explore in the old town but beware, you do have to pay to enter beyond the old town walls and you have to pay in cash. The cost is only €2 but make sure you have cash with you as there are no cash machines near by.

9. Skadar Lake

Skadar Lake sits across the boarder of Montenegro and Albania. One of the best views of the lake is from the Pavlova Strana Viewpoint. This is the best viewpoint of all the islands and hills surrounding the lake. From here it feels like you’re in another world, or at least not in Europe!

Beware of the route that your maps or satnav sends you down if you put this stop in. Ours led us town a serpentine dirt track down a mountain that was two narrow for two cars to pass but luckily we didn’t have to attempt it. There is actually a much more established, less-terrifying road to the view point so just zoom in and double check which way you’re approaching!

When is the best time to visit Montenegro?

We visited late April and the weather was mostly pleasant. There was a thunderstorm on our first night but it cleared up afterwards and was warm and sunny. Visit in May, June or September for the best weather and few crowds.

In the height of summer the temperature I’d great for lazy days and sunbathing but not so much for hiking and exploring. You can also expect lots more crowds as cruise ships dock in Kotor throughout the summer.

Best way to get to Montenegro from the UK?

As Montenegro starts to become a more popular holiday destination there will likely become more flight routes available. Currently you can flight with Easyjet from Manchester to Tivat, Montenegro or with Ryanair from Stansted, London to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. Another option is to fly to Dubrovnik and hire a car or get a bus from there. Dubrovnik airport is only about a 1.5 hour drive from Kotor.