Montenegro

After reading and hearing that Montenegro is like a hidden treasure yet to be discovered by Americans, I had to see it for myself.  My husband, two children and I flew into Dubrovnik airport, rented a car, and drove a mere hour and twenty minutes south to the Bay of Kotor.  At first glance coming from the Croatian border, Montenegro is not such a treasure.  Communist-era soulless buildings in major need of at least a power wash dot the hilly landscape.  But the further south we drove, the more beautiful it became.  As we drove along the Bay of Kotor, the scenery turned fjord-like, with limestone cliffs dropping into the crystal-clear bay.  It is dramatically beautiful.  As we reached the crown jewel of the treasure chest, Kotor town, we were in awe.  A 2.8 mile-long stone wall snakes its way up the mountainside above the ancient town to a fort, the last line of defense for this strategically-positioned town. 

The old town of Kotor is exactly what we Americans want when we visit Europe - enter through a gate in the old city wall, wander tiny, meandering stone streets and sit in traffic-free squares.  UNESCO agrees, having declared the town a World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, the cruise lines also agree and there are usually one or two cruise ships dropping passengers off in Kotor daily.  Compared to Dubrovnik's thousands of cruise ship passengers, though, Kotor's crowds are not overwhelming, and they disappear in early evening leaving overnight travelers and locals to enjoy the nightlife.

How to Get to and Around Montenegro:

We flew to Dubrovnik, Croatia (click here to read about our time in Croatia).  The airport is only a short drive from the Montenegrin border, and just an hour and twenty minutes total to Kotor town.  Having a car will give you freedom to explore, and the roads are easy to drive.  You will need to park outside of the city walls in Kotor and explore the town and its ramparts on foot.  You can also fly to Montenegro's capital, Podgorica, but its actually a longer drive to Kotor than from Dubrovnik, and you will find better flight connections to Dubrovnik.

If you don't want to drive yourself, hire Pepo Klaic to drive you from Dubrovnik to Kotor. His prices are reasonable, and his English is excellent, and his experience as a defender of Dubrovnik during the 1991 war means you will learn a lot on the way to Kotor.  You can also arrange shared shuttle services, but I think Pepo is worth the price.  Pepo was the first Croat to take travelers into Montenegro after the war, since Montenegro sided with Serbia in the war's early days.  Pepo found that he was welcomed with open arms, as were the travelers.  Pepo took us to Mostar, Bosnia and around the hills of Dubrovnik where the war was fought, and it was a highlight of our seventeen-day Balkan adventure.  Click here to read more about our day with Pepo, and for his contact information.  

Where to Stay in Kotor:

After reading that staying inside the city walls could be noisy at night, I decided to look for accommodation in Dobrata, located right on the bay four kilometers from Kotor.  My first choice was to stay at Palazzo Radomiri, which has two "family rooms" to accommodate four guests, a pool, and access to the bay.  Despite contacting the hotel seven months in advance, I could not secure one of the popular rooms.  The hotel referred us to Forza Mare, but it was so expensive for the two rooms we would need that I could not pull the trigger.

We ended up booking a spotlessly clean and very quiet one-bedroom apartment at Apartments Radulovic, for just 100 Euros a night.  The friendly owners, who live on property, included a cot in the living room so my kids did not have to share the pull-out sofa bed.  We had a huge balcony off of the living room, overlooking the beautiful bay. There is a little pier across the street with lounge chairs, umbrellas, and a tiny pebble beach to access the bay.  The water in June was freezing cold, and despite its clarity there was quite a bit of trash floating around.  One hot afternoon, we were wishing for a swimming pool and felt a little too lazy to drive 40 minutes to a beach on the sea.  

Although you could walk into Kotor town, it was too far for us (maybe 40 minutes), especially in the heat, so we drove and parked in one of the lots just outside of the walls. Just next door to the apartment is a small market, where you can buy drinks, fruit and fresh pastries in the morning for breakfast.  The apartment was great, and we were so glad we booked it.  One afternoon as we were returning from the swimming pier, the owner's mother met us with a plate of still-warm-from-the-oven apple cake, handing it to us with a smile.  "For you," she said, motioning us to take it with us.  We sat on our balcony and polished off all eight delicious slices in about five minutes.  I think it was the best apple cake I ever ate, partly because of the kindness that went into making it for us!  

Where to Eat:

On our way from Dubrovnik to Kotor, we stopped at Catovica Mlini in Morinj for a sensational lunch.  The restaurant is in an old stone house tucked into the forest, surrounded by streams.  Sit outside on the patio for a delicious fish dinner.  I had the monkfish in saffron sauce, which was very good.  Get off the road in Morinj and follow the arrows on the pavement to the restaurant!

In Kotor town, our favorite dinner was at Cesarica, which took us awhile to find as it is hidden on a tiny street behind the music hall.  We sat outside and our smiling waitress recommended the local catch of the day (caught by the owner himself), the shrimp and mussels in wine sauce, the octopus and the squid. I had the succulent grilled sea bass with Montenegrin potatoes that were so good I'm going to try to make them at home (mashed with garlic, olive oil and swiss chard).  My husband had the mussels in wine sauce and the sauce was absolutely delicious.  The kids were happy with veal steak and french fries. The fresh bread came with house-made olive oil. 

We also had lunch at Konoba Scala Santa, which had excellent reviews but we thought was just okay.  I had the mussels and spaghetti in a tomato sauce.  The waiters sat around smoking cigarettes next to our table.

One evening, we walked fifteen minutes from our apartment toward town and sat on the bayside patio at Konoba Portun.  We were pleasantly surprised at how fabulous the seafood tasted.  My husband loved his shrimp and saffron risotto, and the shrimp buzzara was my favorite buzzara sauce of the trip.  (Buzzara is a local sauce seen on all virtually all menus. It comes in red (tomato) and white (wine).)  Unlike many Montenegrin restaurants, Konoba Portun shells the shrimp for you.

What to Do in Montenegro:

In Kotor:

• Hiking up to the fort at the top of the Old City walls is a must.  Hike in the morning or late afternoon, wear good shoes and bring water!  The views are beautiful and it is amazing to think about how this wall was built over a span of 1000 years, citizens defending their gem of a town. 

• Bring a soccer ball to the old town in the evening and play with your kids in one of the town squares (or watch them play with other kids).  Stroll around the peaceful, beautiful town.  Sit at a café and enjoy dinner or a drink.  As my mother says, "soak up the atmosphere."

• Relax by the beautiful bay.  Read a book.  Enjoy the spectacular scenery!  If you want to get out on the bay, book a sailboat excursion.

Outside of Kotor:

• After two days of traveling, we stayed put.  But friends of ours visited Budva, a resort on the Adriatic Sea with beaches, hotels, shops and restaurants.  According to them and to Rick Steves, Budva is overrun by Russian tourists on package vacations. However, if you want to swim in the sea in Montenegro close to the Croatian border, this is the place. Six kilometers south of Budva, Sveti Stefan is an island connected by a thin strip of land to the mainland.  The island boasts sandy beaches and lots of charm, but supposedly lots of crowds, too.  We heard from Montenegrins that the beaches further south closer to Albania are quieter and spectacular.  Next time!