Montenegro – Travel Blog:

The Summit of Lovcen Mountain

I have long been an admirer of Pat McDonagh. Who is he, most international readers would say? He is the founder and owner of a fast-food chain called Supermacs, which operates mainly in Ireland, although they have some international outlets. Pat is the guy who took on the giants of McDonalds, Burger King and KFC and beat them at their own game. His burgers are better (and bigger), than McDonalds; his chicken is tastier than KFC, and he sells all his produce at considerably better value than the multi-nationals. I’m not a big fan of fast food but if I fancy something quick, I’ll always look for Supermacs. Pat opened up in South Africa some years ago and was doing well until McDonalds took him to court for the use of the name. Sadly, the court ruled in favour of the Americans; why, I cannot understand – after all, the man’s name is McDonagh.

And what has all this to do with Montenegro? Well, even Pat wouldn’t be able to equal a Montenegrin burger. I was there during the past two weeks and I enjoyed several. They are not so much a burger as a huge slab of fried minced meat and they are absolutely delicious. I use this by way of introduction to the food in Montenegro. In fact, the culture spreads throughout most of the Balkan countries. They have a particular method of cooking and stuffing meats and vegetables that has to be experienced. Their soups and stews and even their salads are delicious. Apart from that, the country has some outstanding beauty spots and is a treasure waiting to be discovered. Many people now visit Croatia and in particular, Dubrovnik. Unfortunately the increase in the level of tourists has led to an exponential increase in prices there. Even Croatians we met criticized it and advised us to stay away. One car park we used charged ten euro per hour. Of course it is a beautiful city but there are limits. I will write about Croatia on another day but if you are visiting that city, take a few days and go immediately south; the Montenegrin border is only twenty minutes away. You can reach it by car, train or boat. You will find it offers far greater value and even nicer scenery.

Travelling south towards Budva, be sure to turn left and travel around the huge inlet which encompasses Herceg Novi, Perast and Kotor. You could get a ferry directly to Budva and avoid the long drive but don’t; believe me, it’s worth it. The bay twists and turns upon itself almost giving the appearance of a Norwegian fjord. There are some outstanding views and wonderful old towns to explore. From Perast, you can take a boat out to the island of ‘Our Lady of the Rocks.’ The fortress of San Giovanni, in the hills above Kotor is an architectural wonder; unfortunately it was closed for renovations when we were there. But the highlight of this region is probably the Kotor Serpentine, a narrow road that rises above Kotor on seemingly endless switchback corners with each view back towards Kotor and out to sea becoming more beautiful the higher you become. When you eventually reach the top, take a long last look; then turn right towards Lovcen Mountain, in the national park. You can drive to within about 500 feet of the summit, but the rest of the way to the peak is stepped so it is relatively easy to reach the mausoleum at the top. Needless to say, the views from here are outstanding. Head back through Cetinje and you will reach Budva; this is a lively town with sandy beaches which is very much geared to summer tourism. We visited in the Autumn but the weather was still a very pleasant 22 degrees.

From Budva, we headed south to Albania but we rejoined Montenegro in the north and visited Dzablak in the Durmitor national park, where the Tara River Canyon, one of the deepest in the world, and the Black Lake are the highlights.

Sometimes when you visit a country, you get an inkling that the pace of life is more relaxed and slower but it can be an illusion. I have read travel blogs which describe ‘sleepy little villages.’ The reality is that they are not sleepy at all but appear deserted because its citizens are all hard at work. But Montenegro and indeed a lot of the Balkans do appear to live life at a slower pace. Everywhere we went, there were numerous cafes with people drinking coffee and smoking at all hours of the day. I learned subsequently that Montenegrins have a word for this – it is called ‘polako,’ which is their word for slowly but it forms the basis of an entire philosophy. Everything has to be discussed in great detail over coffee before any decision is taken. For us, it made for a pleasant atmosphere; the people were always attentive and welcoming, and as I said at the outset, if you want a holiday which offers everything Western Europe has, at about half the cost, Montenegro is the ideal destination.

Travelling south towards Budva, be sure to turn left and travel around the huge inlet which encompasses Herceg Novi, Perast and Kotor. You could get a ferry directly to Budva and avoid the long drive but don’t; believe me, it’s worth it. The bay twists and turns upon itself almost giving the appearance of a Norwegian fjord. There are some outstanding views and wonderful old towns to explore. From Perast, you can take a boat out to the island of ‘Our Lady of the Rocks.’ The fortress of San Giovanni, in the hills above Kotor is an architectural wonder; unfortunately it was closed for renovations when we were there. But the highlight of this region is probably the Kotor Serpentine, a narrow road that rises above Kotor on seemingly endless switchback corners with each view back towards Kotor and out to sea becoming more beautiful the higher you become. When you eventually reach the top, take a long last look; then turn right towards Lovcen Mountain, in the national park. You can drive to within about 500 feet of the summit, but the rest of the way to the peak is stepped so it is relatively easy to reach the mausoleum at the top. Needless to say, the views from here are outstanding. Head back through Cetinje and you will reach Budva; this is a lively town with sandy beaches which is very much geared to summer tourism. We visited in the Autumn but the weather was still a very pleasant 22 degrees. 

From Budva, we headed south to Albania but we rejoined Montenegro in the north and visited Dzablak in the Durmitor national park, where the Tara River Canyon, one of the deepest in the world, and the Black Lake are the highlights. 

Sometimes when you visit a country, you get an inkling that the pace of life is more relaxed and slower but it can be an illusion. I have read travel blogs which describe ‘sleepy little villages.’ The reality is that they are not sleepy at all but appear deserted because its citizens are all hard at work. But Montenegro and indeed a lot of the Balkans do appear to live life at a slower pace. Everywhere we went, there were numerous cafes with people drinking coffee and smoking at all hours of the day. I learned subsequently that Montenegrins have a word for this – it is called ‘polako,’ which is their word for slowly but it forms the basis of an entire philosophy. Everything has to be discussed in great detail over coffee before any decision is taken. For us, it made for a pleasant atmosphere; the people were always attentive and welcoming, and as I said at the outset, if you want a holiday which offers everything Western Europe has, at about half the cost, Montenegro is the ideal destination.