Find places in Montenegro

Must-Haves

• Kotor Old Town (Stari Grad)
  A maze of marble lanes, squares, churches and cats inside medieval Venetian walls.
• Perast (Bay of Kotor)
  A tiny baroque waterfront town of palaces and bell towers facing two island churches.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kotor Serpentine (Road to Njeguši)
  A road of twenty five hairpin bends above the bay, among the most dramatic drives in Europe.
• Prčanj (Bay of Kotor)
  A quiet village of captains' houses and a huge church, perfect for a waterside walk.

Fun for Everyone

• Kayaking on the Bay of Kotor (Kotor and Dobrota waterfront)
  Paddle along palaces and churches from the calm waters of the bay.

Must-Haves

• Kotor Fortress and San Giovanni (Above the old town)
  A steep climb up the city walls to a ruined fortress with the whole bay at your feet.
• Lovćen National Park and Njegoš Mausoleum (Mount Lovćen)
  Climb the steps to the mountaintop tomb of the poet ruler for views over half the country.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ladder of Kotor (Škaljari trailhead)
  An old mule path zigzagging up the mountain, a quieter route with the same views.
• Vrmac Ridge (Between Kotor and Tivat)
  Forest trails and Austro Hungarian forts on the ridge dividing the bay.

Must-Haves

• Cathedral of Saint Tryphon (Stari Grad)
  A Romanesque cathedral from the twelfth century with a small treasury of relics and frescoes.
• Our Lady of the Rocks (Off Perast)
  An island church built on a man made reef, reached by a short boat ride from Perast.

Fun for Everyone

• Maritime Museum of Montenegro (Stari Grad)
  A baroque palace full of model ships, uniforms and stories of Boka's seafaring families.
• Cats Museum (Stari Grad)
  A quirky little museum of cat postcards and prints that children love.

Off the Beaten Path

• Perast Museum (Perast)
  The Bujović Palace tells the story of the town's sea captains and naval glory.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kotor Green Market (Outside the Sea Gate)
  Locals buy cheese, smoked ham, olives and fruit here every morning beside the walls.

Fun for Everyone

• Kotor Old Town craft shops (Stari Grad)
  Small shops selling filigree jewellery, lace, olive oil and local wine.

Great for Date Night

• Galion Restaurant (Šuranj, by the old town walls)
  Seafood on a glassed terrace over the water with the walls lit up at night.
• Konoba Scala Santa (Stari Grad)
  A candlelit stone tavern for grilled fish and Boka style dishes.
• Stari Mlini (Ljuta, Bay of Kotor)
  An old stone mill on a spring fed stream, serving trout and seafood by the water.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Konoba Cesarica (Stari Grad)
  A small, homely tavern for black risotto, mussels and local wine.
• Njeguški Prsut tasting in Njeguši (Njeguši village)
  The mountain village famous for smoked ham and cheese, served at family taverns.

Fun for Everyone

• Maximus Club (Stari Grad)
  The old town's long running nightclub inside the walls, busy on summer weekends.

Must-Haves

• Boka Night (Kotor waterfront)
  A summer night parade of decorated boats and fireworks across the bay.

Fun for Everyone

• Kotor Winter Carnival (Stari Grad)
  Costumes, brass bands and parades fill the old town in February.

Off the Beaten Path

• KotorArt Festival (Stari Grad)
  Summer concerts, theatre and children's performances in the old town's squares.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel Hippocampus (Stari Grad)
  A boutique hotel in a restored old town house with characterful rooms.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kotor coffee terraces on the Square of Arms (Stari Grad)
  Slow morning coffee on the main square watching the town wake up.

Must-Haves

• Budva Old Town (Stari Grad)
  A compact walled town on a peninsula, rebuilt after the 1979 earthquake.
• Sveti Stefan (South of Budva)
  The famous fortified island village joined to the mainland by a sandy isthmus.

Fun for Everyone

• Sveti Nikola Island (Off Budva)
  A boat hop from the marina to an island with clear water and simple beaches.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pržno village (Pržno)
  A small fishing village beach with a row of tavernas just north of Sveti Stefan.

Fun for Everyone

• Budva Citadel (Stari Grad)
  The old fortress at the tip of the town with sea views and a small library.

Off the Beaten Path

• Podmaine Monastery (Above Budva)
  A quiet hillside monastery with frescoes and gardens away from the beach crowds.
• Reževići Monastery (Near Petrovac)
  A small coastal monastery above the sea founded in the Middle Ages.

Must-Haves

• Mogren Beach (West of the old town)
  Two pretty coves reached by a cliff path from the old town walls.

Fun for Everyone

• Jaz Beach (West of Budva)
  A long, wide beach with space for families and big summer concerts.
• Kamenovo Beach (Rafailovići)
  A sheltered sandy beach linked to Rafailovići by a seaside tunnel path.

Off the Beaten Path

• Drobni Pijesak Beach (Between Budva and Sveti Stefan)
  A hidden cove of fine pebbles below olive groves, far calmer than the main beaches.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Petrovac Beach (Petrovac na Moru)
  A relaxed family resort town with a Venetian fort and a calm promenade.

Great for Date Night

• Dukley Hotel and Resort (Zavala peninsula)
  Seafront suites with pools and views back to the old town.

Fun for Everyone

• Hotel Astoria Budva (Stari Grad)
  A small hotel in the old town walls with a seafront terrace.

Fun for Everyone

• Top Hill (Topliški put, above Budva)
  An open air hilltop club with big summer nights and views over the coast.

Great for Date Night

• Budva Marina promenade bars (Slovenska obala)
  The seafront strip where Budva comes out for evening drinks and people watching.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Jadran kod Krsta (Slovenska obala)
  A classic seafront restaurant for grilled fish and seafood platters.
• Rafailovići fish tavernas (Rafailovići)
  Family run seafront tavernas where fishermen's catches go straight to the grill.

Great for Date Night

• Konoba Stari Grad (Stari Grad)
  A terrace inside the walls by the sea for fish and local wine.

Great for Date Night

• Budva old town cafés (Stari Grad)
  Café terraces in tiny squares for an evening espresso or gelato.

Must-Haves

• Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Central Podgorica)
  A newer Orthodox cathedral with golden domes and striking modern frescoes inside.
• Ostrog Monastery (Above the Bjelopavlići plain)
  A white monastery built into a sheer cliff, the most visited pilgrimage site in Montenegro.

Off the Beaten Path

• Stara Varoš and the Clock Tower (Old Ottoman quarter)
  The surviving Ottoman quarter with a stone clock tower and old mosques.
• Doclea Archaeological Site (North of Podgorica)
  The ruins of a Roman city in open fields, rarely crowded.

Fun for Everyone

• Montenegrin National Theatre (Central Podgorica)
  The national stage for drama, music and festivals through the year.

Fun for Everyone

• Millennium Bridge (Morača river)
  The cable stayed bridge that became the symbol of the modern capital.

Great for Date Night

• Plantaže Šipčanik Wine Cellar (Near Podgorica airport)
  A former aircraft hangar deep in a hill, now a wine cellar with tastings.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dajbabe Monastery (South of Podgorica)
  A cave monastery with frescoes painted by a monk inside the rock.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gorica Hill (Northern Podgorica)
  Wooded trails and viewpoints over the city where locals walk, run and picnic.

Off the Beaten Path

• Niagara Falls on the Cijevna (South of Podgorica)
  A wide waterfall that is spectacular after spring rain, with a restaurant beside it.
• Morača Monastery (Morača Canyon)
  A thirteenth century monastery above a canyon on the road north.

Fun for Everyone

• Hercegovačka Street bars (Central Podgorica)
  A street of bars and cafés where the capital's night life begins.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Pod Volat (Stara Varoš)
  A traditional tavern under the clock tower for grilled meats and local plates.

Fun for Everyone

• Delta City (New Podgorica)
  The capital's big shopping mall, with a cinema and food court.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Podgorica Green Market (Central Podgorica)
  The main produce market for cheese, honey, figs and seasonal fruit.

Must-Haves

• Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora (Central Podgorica)
  A historic central hotel, modernised, close to the main square.

Must-Haves

• Lake Skadar National Park (Lake Skadar)
  The largest lake in the Balkans, full of water lilies, islands and birdlife.
• Pavlova Strana viewpoint (Above Rijeka Crnojevića)
  The famous horseshoe river bend seen from the road above.

Off the Beaten Path

• Murići Beach (Southern Lake Skadar)
  A pebbly lake beach shaded by trees, with views to the Albanian mountains.

Must-Haves

• Lake Skadar boat trip from Virpazar (Virpazar harbour)
  Small boats glide through reed channels to islet monasteries and pelican haunts.

Off the Beaten Path

• Rijeka Crnojevića (Rijeka Crnojevića village)
  A sleepy riverside village with an old stone bridge and riverside tables.
• Godinje wine village (Lake Skadar)
  A stone village with connected houses and family wine cellars.

Fun for Everyone

• Kayaking on Lake Skadar (Virpazar and Vranjina)
  Paddle among lilies and herons on calm morning water.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Virpazar wine tasting at family cellars (Crmnica region)
  The Crmnica valley vineyards pour Vranac at farmhouse tables.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Konoba Badanj (Virpazar)
  A village tavern for carp, eel and Lake Skadar's little bleak fish.

Great for Date Night

• Stari Most (Rijeka Crnojevića)
  Fish from the river and lake served beside the old stone bridge.

Fun for Everyone

• Hotel Pelikan (Virpazar)
  A family run hotel and restaurant on the main square that has hosted lake visitors for years.

Off the Beaten Path

• Žabljak Crnojevića Fortress (Northern Lake Skadar)
  Overgrown ruins of a medieval capital on a hill rising from the marshes.
• Kom Monastery (Odrinska Gora island)
  A fifteenth century monastery on a lake island reached only by boat.
• Grmožur Fortress (Lake Skadar)
  A small island fortress once used as a prison, seen on boat trips.

Must-Haves

• Black Lake (Durmitor National Park)
  A forest lake under the peaks, with an easy loop path around it.
• Bobotov Kuk (Durmitor National Park)
  The classic summit hike of Durmitor, with long views across limestone peaks.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ice Cave on Obla Glava (Durmitor National Park)
  A long hike to a cave that holds ice through the summer.
• Ćurevac viewpoint (Above the Tara Canyon)
  A grassy summit with a dizzying view straight down into the canyon.
• Piva Lake and Piva Monastery (Plužine)
  An emerald reservoir in deep canyons and a monastery moved stone by stone.

Must-Haves

• Đurđevića Tara Bridge (Tara Canyon)
  A soaring arched bridge over Europe's deepest canyon.

Fun for Everyone

• Tara River rafting (Tara Canyon)
  Rafting through the canyon on clear green water, gentlest in late summer.
• Tara Canyon zipline (Đurđevića Tara)
  A long zipline flying over the canyon beside the bridge.
• Savin Kuk Ski Centre (Žabljak)
  Winter skiing and summer chairlift rides into the mountains.

Off the Beaten Path

• Durmitor Ring road and Sedlo Pass (Durmitor National Park)
  A high mountain loop through bare plateaus and summer pastures.

Great for Date Night

• Hotel Soa (Žabljak)
  A modern mountain hotel close to the park entrance.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Durmitor eco villages and mountain huts (Around Žabljak)
  Wooden cabins and katun stays for a simple night under the stars.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kačamak and kajmak at mountain taverns (Žabljak)
  Hearty cornmeal porridge with cream cheese, the fuel of Durmitor hikers.

Fun for Everyone

• Durmitor summer hiking season (Durmitor National Park)
  Long days, open trails and mountain festivals from June to September.

Fun for Everyone

• Žabljak town centre cafés (Žabljak)
  Warm up with coffee and cake after a day in the park.

Must-Haves

• Herceg Novi Old Town (Stari Grad)
  Steep stairways, flowers and fortresses rising from the sea.

Fun for Everyone

• Blue Cave boat trip (Luštica peninsula)
  Swim in glowing blue water inside a sea cave.

Off the Beaten Path

• Rose village (Luštica peninsula)
  A tiny fishing hamlet with tavernas facing Herceg Novi across the water.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Pet Danica promenade (Herceg Novi)
  A seaside walk along an old railway line through several villages.

Fun for Everyone

• Kanli Kula (Stari Grad)
  An Ottoman fortress turned open air summer stage.
• Forte Mare (Herceg Novi waterfront)
  A seaside fortress with views across the mouth of the bay.

Off the Beaten Path

• Savina Monastery (Savina)
  A peaceful hillside monastery among cypress trees.

Must-Haves

• Mimosa Festival (Herceg Novi)
  A winter festival celebrating the yellow mimosa blooms with parades and music.

Great for Date Night

• Mamula Island (Mouth of the Bay of Kotor)
  A former fortress island turned into a hotel and memorial.

Off the Beaten Path

• Žanjic Beach (Luštica peninsula)
  A pebble beach with very clear water, reached by boat or a rough road.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Konoba Feral (Stari Grad)
  A friendly tavern for seafood and Dalmatian style dishes.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Herceg Novi Square cafés (Belavista Square)
  A small square with cafés and a famous view down to the sea.