Montenegro is a beautiful country situated in the Balkans, with breathtaking beaches and picturesque mountains to spare. While you may be tempted to overlook Montenegro for one of its more famous neighbors, we suggest diving into Montenegro’s fascinating culture, fantastic cuisine and many wonderful cities that this country has to offer.
Here, we’ll list some that we believe are definitely worth exploring:
1. Budva
If you feel like sunbathing all day but have an inexplicable desire to start dancing and singing as soon as the first lights hit, this is the city for you. With many cafés, restaurants and nightclubs, this city is the best choice for young people that are looking to have a good time.
Budva is well connected to other parts of Montenegro, and it can be reached by car from several directions, north from Podgorica, south from Bar or Dubrovnik, from the east and from the west if you are coming from Kotor or Tivat.
The prettiest jewel of Budva is Stari Grad (Old City), paved with lovely but very old cobblestones, awaiting anyone who wishes to see beautiful narrow streets that are there for one reason: to remind you in a very obvious way—you are indeed in Europe, while also giving you a perfect place to spend all your holiday money if you don’t particularly enjoy carrying a heavy wallet on your way home.
Speaking of luxury, it is worth mentioning that the gorgeous island of Sveti Stefan is just 15 minutes away, and that the beach overlooking the famous resort that’s in every picture of the island, is this country’s pride and joy. The hotel situated on the island is quite stunning, with charming little buildings that are definitely worth seeing.
2. Herceg Novi
This is another one of Montenegro’s coastal cities, and definitely one of the more popular ones, which is not at all surprising considering all the city has to offer. What Herceg Novi lacks in size, it compensates with beautiful landmarks. Forte Mare, Clock Tower, Church of St Michael the Archangel and Kanli Kula are just some of the places that will make your visit to Herceg Novi worthwhile.
If you enjoy bathing in the Adriatic Sea, you appreciate nice sceneries and you consider yourself a beach connoisseur, Herceg Novi should definitely be your pick.
From wandering the Old Town to walking down the Five Danica Promenade, there’s no place in Herceg Novi that won’t charm you. Loved by both younger and older generations, you’ll easily find yourself overwhelmed with the city’s vibrant energy and warm hospitality of locals.
3. Podgorica
If you’re not a fan of coastal cities and you prefer to take your morning coffee from the same place, and drink it with locals instead of tourists, look no further than Montenegro’s capital. Residents of Podgorica enjoy the quiet most coastal cities lack, but treasure the privilege of having a handful of beaches just a short ride away.
Even though most people just stop in Podgorica only briefly while anxiously waiting to see the coastline, there’s more to this city than meets the eye. If given the chance, you might be surprised with what you’ll discover.
If you get lost or need any advice there’s no need for concern, as people there are quite welcoming and happy to help you with anything you might need.
4. Ulcinj
Ulcinj is a great choice for people who like to enjoy many different activities while traveling. If kitesurfing represents your hobby of choice, then this is the city you were looking for.
Golden sandy beaches and endless activities surely add to the city’s value, but it’s important to note that the pictures you’ll find while googling won’t quite captivate the feeling you get when you smell the air of fine pine forest trees and walk through 13km long beaches, which makes Ulcinj one of the most underrated cities that need to be on your bucket list.
One of the advantages of Ulcinj is definitely something every traveler considers before making a final choice regarding their destination—expenses, or to put it more precisely, cheaper prices. In Ulcinj, you’re guaranteed to spend a lot less money enjoying all that this city has to provide, starting with food: everything is equally delicious, yet somehow more affordable.
As soon as you take your first steps or drive through the city, make sure you steer them towards a place that offers your favorite food, or better yet—seafood.
5. Kotor
If it was up to the locals to choose which place was best to stay in Montenegro, many if not all would agree it could only be Kotor. There’s no denying the beauty you’ll encounter here—the irresistible and allencompassing glow of the perfect mixture of mountains and the sea. One of Kotor’s most beautiful places is the Kotor Fortress—that is, if you’re an adventurer, you feel particularly optimistic about your physical shape, and you generally believe that roughly 1350 steps are a piece of cake.
Joking aside, the sight from the fortress is one that will instantly make you forget just how hard it was to get there. People who chose Kotor once usually develop a tendency to come back to their favorite spot in Montenegro, which is what makes this city so special.
Even with its loyal wanderers, nomads and explorers who keep coming back to the place they fell in love with a long time ago, we can’t help but feel that Kotor is a real gem, just patiently waiting to be discovered by younger generations.
6. Tivat
If you combine words such as “Luxury”, “Beach” and “Instagrammable” (or “Insta-Worthy” if you’re under 30), you would be describing the city of Tivat in just a few short words. If you haven’t heard about Porto Montenegro yet—now is the time to learn all about this luxurious and hair-raising, heart-stopping place.
While walking down the marina, there’s a chance you’ll see many celebrities on their yacht, and if you happen to own one, there’s no better parking space in the whole Mediterranean! However, if you wish to explore Tivat and arrive in Porto Montenegro using just your legs, there are many restaurants and hotels that radiate extravagance and an almost pretentiously grandiose feeling.
We hope that this article helped guide you in your choice in picking the perfect place in Montenegro. With so many beautiful places to see in every one of them, it would be understandable if the choice between them seemed impossible.
The good news is: there’s no reason not to see them all!