For our third full day in Croatia we decided to switch things up a bit. Weather in Dubrovnik was forecasted to be cloudy, so we took the opportunity to add another stamp to our passports and visit Montenegro. A day-long bus trip to Montenegro is just one of many different options available from Dubrovnik, and the highly-rated trip seemed right up our alley. The coach bus picked us out right outside the city gates of Dubrovnik at 7:20 A.M. for a full 12-hour day trip. Finding our appropriate bus was a challenge, as many trips leave from the same location, and hectic travelers get pushy not to be the last one aboard. An English-speaking tour guide informed us about Croatia-Montenegro history and culture as we drove through the scenic Croatian countryside to approach the Montenegro boarder. After about two hours of travel time and a quick stop at a small shopping mall for restroom and coffee break, the bus loaded onto a ferry to cross the Bay of Kotor to arrive at our first destination, the city of Kotor, Montenegro. We were permitted to get off the bus during the ferry ride and enjoy the fresh air during our crossing, which was neat to see.
Kotor, Montenegro
Upon our arrival in the fortified city of Kotor, our tour group met up with a local tour guide who gave us a quick walking tour of the city, a nice touch that gave us a starting point for hour we wanted to spend the few hours we had in the city. We knew that we did not want to spend the entirety of our time sitting down to eat, so we found a quick pizza shop and snagged a gigantic slice of pizza. We also knew that we were not up for the 3 mile hike all the way up Kotor’s walls to the lookout above the ancient city. Instead we explored the city on foot, taking in the unique architecture and stone buildings. We stumbled upon a cat museum that Emily felt compelled to enter, and I obliged. I can truly say I’ve never seen anything like this place! This old residence was filled with walls that were littered with cat memorabilia: everything from stamps, to advertisements and political adds, to currency. There were even live kittens which we stopped to spoil. Finally, we walked to the edge of the city and along the bay before rejoining our tour group on the bus. The weather was still cool and cloudy, but that was about to change!
Budva, Montenegro
Our next stop along our day trip to Montenegro was the interesting city of Budva. I call this city interesting because along with its old town that rivals many of those along the Adriatic, Budva is also home to a “riviera” that includes new hotels, casinos, and other nightlife. Our tour did not allow us quite as long in Budva as we had in Kotor, but we still felt that we had plenty of time to explore the old town. There were many beautiful sights and vantage points throughout the city and even a sandy beach outside its walls where we sat and enjoyed staring out into the sea. We paid for entrance into the Citadel, which gave us the ability to ascend the stairs to its upper landing, offering the best panoramic views of the cityscape. The streets throughout Budva are narrow and confusing but very fun to explore. And best yet, the sun decided to rejoin us for our time in Budva!
Perast, Montenegro and Our Lady of the Rocks
Our final stop in Montenegro was the old fishing village of Perast. This was a quick stop and primarily served the purpose of providing a boat ride to the Our Lady of the Rocks church. We were given the opportunity to pay a small fee for the boat ride to the island or to stay back at the village which had, among other things, a small ice cream shop. There was no question for us: we took the ride to the beautiful island church. I loved hearing the legend of the man-made islet, which claims that it was built over centuries by local seamen who would drop a rock into the bay each time they passed in order to keep an ancient oath. Unfortunately, we arrived on the small island just after the church closed, so we were not able to go inside. Still, the boat ride was fun, and the views of the bay just before sundown were unbeatable. I’ll never forget the beautiful tranquility of this place.
The full day trip to Montenegro was so much more worthwhile than I had anticipated. As I look back, it is definitely one of the highlights from our whole Europe trip, and I would recommend travel through Montenegro to anyone looking for an Adriatic country with a slightly different cultural feel. What we were able to see of the country’s landscape was so impressive that we were left wishing we had more time to explore. Still, we were exhausted after the long 12-hour day trip and ready to get some rest. The commute back to Croatia was a scenic one along cliff’s edge at sunset. Some of the best views of Dubrovnik’s old town can be seen from these high, mountainous roads. When we got back to Dubrovnik, we ate a quick, completely unmemorable meal, probably ate some gelato, and retreated to our AirBNB for a good night’s rest, grateful for a day full of adventure and good weather.
