Travel Tips: Montenegro, Perast and Kotor

If you are in the south of Croatia, for example, in Dubrovnik, it's absolutely worth travelling further south just 81kms to the small country of Montenegro. It takes just 1.45 hours through small mountain road and villages and you will need your passport as while it has the euro currency,  Montenegro is not yet a member of the EU union so there is a strictly controlled border crossing.  I visited two medieval villages and the drive through the mountainous coastal region and road was stunning and still memorable. Montenegro is similar to Norway with its fjords, except it has a summer atmosphere and is as hot as Greece in summer.

The drive to Perast is on a winding coastal roads with spectacular views. Perast itself is small but has a little Monastery to visit on a small island in the middle of the bay which takes a five minute ferry ride and boats leave literally every ten minutes. The monastery and museum are on a small islet called "lady of the rock" and the legend is that when seamen returned from voyages, they would throw rocks down in faith of the Mother Mary. Eventually the pile of rocks grew to the small islet and the monastery was built.

 

The road to Perast is one long winding view of this!

 

From the boat on the way to the small Monastery 

 

The Perast Monasteryon Saint George's' island

 

Waiting for the boat to leave the monastary 

A picture of the town itself from the Perast Visitors Guide https://www.montenegropulse.com

There are also lovely restaurants on the water's edge on the mainland and many a luxurious yacht sailing on the smooth water. The village itself is small and quaint and the best way to pass time is to enjoy the weather on the and water, which is all around,   at a restaurant or cafe.


Driving on to to Kotor, you will encounter an even more charming village than the Old City in Dubrovnik. Small, quaint and extremely authentic, Kotor has a city wall, somewhat more chaotic in design but it will leave memorable impressions for its natural stone and prettiness, set against a mountain backdrop and on the water's edge. 

 
Kotor from the outside wall 

 

  Palm trees and roofs seen from outside the wall
 
The backdrop above and behind the city all  

                        Inside gorgeous authentic quaint alleys, balconies and aarchitecture

 lovely restaurants

Witches Broomstick Square

There are tours of the town or you can amble the old cobblestoned streets yourself, stopping at small boutiques and square cafes or alley restaurants.  There is a cat museum, and funny tourist items, such as this giant bench and outside the city walls in the small but obviously deep enough bay, was a huge American cruise ship. Quite a contrast to this tiny, charming medieval Kotor town.  I could talk more, or enclose more photos but I will leave it up to your imagination and only advise to book your ticket and organise your next trip to Montenegro. There's a superb world out there waiting for you to explore!

Taking a ferry from Kotor across the bay