Top 5 Places in Montenegro
Montenegro’s top 5 places include Kotor, Budva, Tivat, Žabljak, and Cetinje, each offering unique coastal beauty, vibrant culture, or mountain serenity for unforgettable travel experiences.
Kotor: A Dramatic Coastal Gem
Kotor has dropped an anchor between the gray mountains and the sea, veiling its life behind high, wide ramparts. Its bulwarks seem like eternally growing rock tendrils along the hill, up to the old fortress overlooking the town. This dramatic town blends the present with a maze of medieval churches, cathedrals, Venetian palaces, and pillars. Indeed, Kotor thrives on contrasts—old squares with modern cafes, serenades and live music, echoing footsteps in narrow cobblestone alleys, and lazy cats under balconies with wrought iron railings decorated with petunias.
Budva: The Vibrant Metropolis of Tourism
Once a small, quiet coastal town, Budva is now a metropolis of Montenegrin tourism. It becomes one of the loudest and most packed towns at the Montenegrin coast during summer. Its life began on a headland two and a half millennia ago, pouring out of ramparts toward luxurious yachts, new buildings, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs with amazing fun. Budva even has its own Hawaii—an island opposite the city with beautiful beaches, ice-cold refreshments, and seafood specialties. Moreover, evenings on the promenade overwhelm with loud music from cafes, children’s laughter from amusement parks, the sea’s scent mixed with barbeque aromas, and disco light beams strolling through the sky, making Budva a big light show.
Tivat: Glamour with Historical Traces
No, this is not Monaco—all these loafing super yachts in a posh marina, the high-class promenade, ritzy apartment blocks, polished restaurants, and shops are in Tivat, Montenegro. Once a modest, ordinary town, Tivat underwent major marina remodeling, becoming a place where the world’s jet-set resides and rests in summertime. Although much of Tivat is modern and glamorous, you can find historical traces here. Consequently, Renaissance Summer House Buca in the city centre, Ostrvo Cvijeca with sacred monuments, Gornja Lastva (the old nucleus), the magnificent Plavi Horizonti beach, and the island Sv. Nikola offer glimpses of the past. The spirit of old times lives through unique events like the Bocarska Olympiad and Summer Fests.
Žabljak: A Mountain Retreat
Žabljak is the city at the highest altitude in the Balkans, located at 1456 m in the centre of the enormous Durmitor mountain and Durmitor National Park. It represents a good destination for winter tourism, but for many tourists, this unique city is the best choice for a summer holiday. In its vicinity lies Europe’s deepest canyon, the magnificent Tara River canyon. This little city in northern Montenegro is surrounded by numerous lakes and mountain tops. For its natural beauties emerging at each step, Žabljak attracts a large number of visitors during summer.
Cetinje: A Cultural Treasure
Situated in the fields of Cetinje at the base of Lovcen mountain, Cetinje is a treasure of Montenegrin cultural and historical heritage. It scents with 18th and 19th-century architecture emerging from the rich greenery of this small city. As the capital of Montenegro and Crnogorsko-primorska Mitropolija, during King Nikola’s reign, many embassies were built, giving it today’s specific looks. Two of the most representative buildings are the Monasteries of Cetinje and Biljarda. The Cetinje Monastery, built in 1701, was destroyed several times by Turks but rebuilt by the people. It houses relics of Saint Petar of Cetinje, an illustrious patron of Montenegrin history, representing the spiritual and political seat of the Montenegrin people.