13 Fun things to do in Montenegro

Montenegro finds its origin in 2006, when it became independent from Serbia. The country has fantastic nature, beautiful old towns, and good beaches. This is a country that has much to offer, even though it is a fairly small country. Here are the things to do in Montenegro:

See the fantastic Black Lake

Black Lake is a fantastic lake in Durmitor National Park. The lake consists of 2 lakes connected to each other by water, so there is one lake. The scenery is outstanding, and this is one of the most beautiful places in former Yugoslavia. Have a walk around the lake (and go also to other places here), have a swim, and may be take a boat on the lake. There is a restaurant where you can eat after a good hike.

Price: €3 (for Durmitor, including black lake)

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: Go to Žabljak, which is the village to work from for the Durmitor National Park. This village is reachable throughout the country and from Serbia as well.

How much time needed: Half a day

Go for a zipline next to the Tara Bridge

Tara Bridge is close to Durmitor National Park, where you can walk over or take a zipline. I would recommend doing both. First, walk on the bridge and enjoy the views, which are fantastic, with a river and beautiful mountains. Go back to the beginning with a zipline. The zipline is fantastic to do, and you can see the bridge in a unique way. It goes fast, but it is great to experience.

Price: €20

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: This is a 20 minutes drive from Žabljak. You can arrange transport in the village.

How much time needed: 1 hour

Visit the "boring" capital Podgorica

Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro, which is stated as the most boring capital in Europe. Although it is not the most thrilling capital, you can have a good time for a day. Things to do here:

See the clock tower
Visit Stara Varoš - the oldest part of town
See the beautiful Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (See picture above)

Walk over the Old Bridge and its surroundings and have a swim in the river
Admire the Millennium Bridge
Be humble at the Partisan Fighter Monument (see picture above)

Tourist occurrence: Low

How to get here: Podgorica is easily reached throughout the world wit its airport. Besides there is international public transport from countries in the area.

How much time needed: One full day

Arrange a boat ride in Virpazar for Lake Skadar

Virpazar is a nice village, but it is mostly the gateway to Lake Skadar. This lake is on the border between Albania and Montenegro and is a fantastic place for birding. There are many herons, egrets, and many more birds. There are even pelicans in the lake! The scenery is also outstanding, and doing a boat tour is absolutely a must. You can go for 2, 4, or 6-hour tours, and I recommend doing 6 hours. You will swim twice and have lunch in a cute village. Besides, there is a very cute winery in Virpazar worth visiting called Mašanović, which has a lot of local wines. Book in advance to have a great tasting, although we had a small tasting without reservation.

Tourist occurrence: High

How to get here: Virpazar is a 30 minute train ride from Podgorica.

How much time needed: One day and night to have both the winery, a stroll in very small town and Lake Skadar.

Have a rest on the beach in Bar

To be honest, Bar was not my favorite place to visit in Montenegro, but it is a place with a nice, large beach. Have a swim and relax for a bit. There are some fish to see, so you can bring your snorkeling gear. You can visit the Church of St. Jovan Vladimir, which is beautiful and the highlight of the city.

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: It is a one hour by train from Podgorica and Budva is around 1 hour and 10 minutes by bus.

How much time needed: 4 hours, depending on how much beach time you want. I think there are better places to have a swim and relax, so don't stay to long here.

Wander the old town of Budva

Budva is partly a touristic, relaxing town and partly a very scenic old town. There are very cute alleys and beautiful buildings. It is very cool to wander around and see its beauty. Stay in the old town, and you won't be disappointed. There are also options to swim just behind the high city walls of the old town.

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: Over an hour bus ride from Bar and a 2.5 hour bus ride from Podgorica.

How much time needed: 1 day and night is perfect.

Feel the relaxed vibe of Cetinje

Cetinje is the relaxed former capital of Montenegro, and now it is a relaxed city. You can stroll around without many other tourists, and that is great. There are several good bars, terraces, and restaurants to have a lovely time. It is also a good base to go to Lovćen National Park (although only reached by taxi). You can visit the Monastery of St. Peter.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: The city is 40 minutes by bus and 30 minutes by taxi from Podgorica and the same amount from Budva.

How much time needed: The city is very small, so in 2 hours you have seen most of it, but a relaxed day with nice vibes can take some more time.

Have a good view of Sveti Stefan

To be honest, we only passed this by bus from Bar to Budva, but it was stunning. The view is great and looks very cool. You cannot enter the island as it is a really fancy resort (so you can if you pay to stay here). There is a lovely beach to relax on.

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: It is 15 minutes by taxi from Budva or you can walk here (1.5 hours each way) from Budva.

How much time needed: 1 hour, depending on your beach time. The view is nice, but after a couple of minutes you have seen it.

Enjoy some hikes in Lovćen National Park

Lovćen National Park is a fantastic place to do a hike. There are multiple hikes in the park that differ in duration. The best way is often to head to Ivanova Korita and start from there. You can visit the small visitor centre and they will tell you where to start your hike. The scenery is fabulous, with nice forests and amazing views of the country.

Tourist occurrence: Very low

How to get here: From Cetinje it is 15 minutes by taxi. This is the only way to get here.

How much time needed: Depending on the hike. We were here for 4 hours, before heading to Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Mausoleum (see next sight).

See all of Montenegro at Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Mausoleum

Arrange a taxi from the visitor centre of Lovćen National Park at Ivanova Korita to head to Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Mausoleum. You have to buy a ticket separately to go up. At the top of the mountain, the mausoleum is cool to see, and afterwards, head next to the mausoleum for the best view of Montenegro. You can almost see the whole country from here. This is a sight not to miss in this beautiful country.

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: Take a taxi for 20 minutes from Ivanova Korita and let your taxi wait here and then head to Kotor for 40 minutes.

How much time needed: 1 hour.

Enjoy the ride to Kotor from Lovćen

From the Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Mausoleum, take a taxi (which waited for you) to Kotor and stop for some great views of Kotor Bay (see picture above) at the Serpentine road. The road is tricky, especially with buses, so I was glad not to drive myself. Have a good time before entering Kotor.

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: It is 40 minutes drive from Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Mausoleum to Kotor.

How much time needed: Although the ride is 40 minutes, with some stops, it will be around 1 hour.

See the beauty of Kotor

Walk through the beautiful city of Kotor and see its gorgeous buildings, lovely terraces, and nice squares. It is the most popular area of Montenegro, but for a reason. Walk a lot here, and especially on the east side (where fewer people are present), it is lovely. Also, walk up the hill to the Kotor Fortress. The hike is rough (especially in the summer heat), but the fortress is cool to visit, and the views are fantastic. This is the city not to miss when in Montenegro.

Tourist occurrence: Very high

How to get here: A taxi from Petar II Petrović-Njegoš Mausoleum is 40 minutes. If you come from Herceg Novi the bus ride is an hour. A bus ride from Podgorica is 2 hours. If you want to go to Bosnia or Croatia, you have to go through Dubrovnik and that is 2 hours from Kotor.

How much time needed: Around 2 days for the Kotor area, including Perast (see below) is sufficient.

See the different part of Kotor Bay in Perast

Perast is a more quiet place in Kotor Bay, giving a great view. You can swim more easily here than in Kotor, and there are some fantastic restaurants next to the water, which are recommended. Walk a bit through the town. You can also visit the Lady of the Rocks, which is an island close here. The swim, walk, and restaurant were perfect ways to enjoy this cute town.

Tourist occurrence: Medium

How to get here: A bus ride takes 20 minutes from Kotor.

How much time needed: Around 6 hours.

Things I have not done, but can be interesting

Ostroj Monastery - Real authentic monastery
Biogradska National Park - Beautiful national park.
See Lipa Cave

Final thought

Montenegro is a fantastic country to visit if you want to enjoy fabulous nature, old towns, and some beaches. The country is not to miss in former Yugoslavia. The scenery is just fantastic, with Durmitor National Park, Kotor Bay Area, and Lovćen National Park as the biggest highlights.