Conde Nast Traveler: An insider's guide to Montenegro, Europe's up-and-coming summer hotspot

cn



If I could go back in time, instead of landing in Montenegro 10 years ago on a rainy winter's night on a plane from Moscow, I would choose to arrive under a summer sun. I'd recline on the deck of a classic sailing yacht, a glass of Champagne in hand, to experience the perfect combination of awe and self-satisfaction as the boat breaches the narrow strait that marks the entrance to the majestic Bay of Kotor. Here the sky and sea are the same clear blue as the cupola of an island church ahead of me, and limestone mountains rise like ancient walls on every side, just a narrow fringe of terracotta-roofed village houses, small beaches, merchants' palaces and the bobbing masts of moored boats dividing them from the clear, calm water in which they cast their rippling reflections.

I spent much of the last 10 years living in a Montenegrin village. While for me what makes the country special is the wild beaches, hidden paths, and locals endlessly inviting me to join them for moonshine far too early in the day, I also love the world of superyachts, trendy boutiques and beach clubs just 20 minutes away.

There is a slower approach to life here, and beyond its breath-taking landscapes and a rich cultural heritage that combines Orthodox, Catholic, Italian and Ottoman influences, Montenegro offers a sublime synthesis of modern comfort and rural charm not yet rubbed overly smooth by the passage of a surfeit of tourists, making it somewhere you should put near the top of your list of places to visit for a summer holiday this year.

To help you plan, here are some of the best places to visit in Montenegro.


Kotor and the bay

Presiding over one of the world's most perfect natural deep-water harbours – at the end of an inland bay that gives any Norwegian fjord a run for its money – Kotor's cobbled streets, Venetian Republic palazzi, ancient town walls and eponymous fortress are unmissable. Beyond the walls, a string of white stone villages made up of sailors' and fishermen's cottages and the imposing homes of their captains. The beautiful churches where they prayed for a safe return before each voyage hug the shore of the bay.

Things to do in Kotor

troll around the walled old town and take a break under a stately poplar tree planted after the great earthquake of 1667 in quiet Cinema Square before heading up a narrow alley of 16th-century houses. Make your way up the 1,350-odd steps to the top of the fortress that looms 280 metres above the town, before taking a slow drive along the coast to the village of Stoliv with its extravagant Italianate Church of the Mother of God. Make time for lunch at waterside Mademoiselle on your way.


Where to stay in Kotor

In a renovated 17th-century building in Kotor old town, the small boutique Hotel Hippocampus has smart rooms in an excellent location. A mile or two around the bay in the picturesque coastal village of Prčanj, Palazzo Sbutega (pictured) is an exquisitely restored seafront home with a serene stone-flagged courtyard with a swimming pool. Five metres from the front door is a private pontoon on the seafront for lounging and swimming. Rent one of the five guest rooms or take over the whole house if you're travelling in a group.



Perast

Montenegro is a nation of sailors and highlanders, and Perast, which commands the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, is its maritime soul. Peter the Great sent his nobles here to learn to sail when he founded the Russian navy and, at the town's height, the waters around Perast bristled with the masts of nearly four hundred warships and merchant's vessels. The splendour of the tiny town reflects this bygone prowess, and an astonishing sixteen churches jostle for space with the grand baroque stone palaces of merchant princes, bishops and admirals and the towers built to protect them. 


Read more: Conde Nast traveler

Photos: Conde Nast Traveler



...

According to Conde Nast Traveler magazine, Durmitor is among the 7 most beautiful places for hiking in Europe - Blog

The prestigious British travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller, in its online edition, published a list of the TOP 7 most beautiful places for hiking in Europe, among which is Durmitor National Park.Among the most beautiful places for hiking located
...

National Geographic: How to plan an epic road trip through Montenegro, the jewel of the Balkans - Blog

How to plan an epic road trip through Montenegro, the jewel of the Balkans Montenegro — literally, 'black mountain' — is in fact a place of thick green forests, ice-blue lakes and white-capped peaks. A journey through the Balkan beauty reveals the we
...

What to see in Kotor - Blog

Kotor, Italian Cattaro, walled town, seaport, and resort at the south end of Kotor Bay, one of four bays of the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), on the Adriatic coastline of Montenegro. The town, situated about 30 miles (50 km) south of Nikšić, lies at
×
Stay Informed

When you subscribe to the blog, we will send you an e-mail when there are new updates on the site so you wouldn't miss them.

The olive tree from Bar has turned 2,247 years old...
The party in the snow delighted the visitors of th...
 

Comments

No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Already Registered? Login Here
Wednesday, 04 December 2024

About us

We are Montenegro guide service. We will try to be excellent hosts and guides in answering everything you are interested in while you are on vacation in Montenegro.

Info & Contact

Dast Web Solutions SIA

Āraišu iela 27-6,

Riga LV-1039

travelwebtrends@gmail.com

info@dastweb.me

Guides

Local informatios

News and Events

Transport informations

Places and stories

Restaurants and bars

Services

Accommodation

Air Tickets

Rent a car

Rent a Yacht

Excursions