Lonely PlanetSep 18
12 of the Best Places to Visit in Montenegro
At the heart of the Balkans, Montenegro is a small country with big scenery. From Cetinje to the scenic Bay of Kotor, here are the best places to visit.
19 things in this story
- Bay of KotorSightSeries of interlocking inlets enclosed by rocky mountains, breathtaking vistas
- Stari Grad (Old Town)NeighborhoodUNESCO-listed, uncover secrets of historic wonder, churches, palaces
- St Tryphon’s CathedralSightImposing towers within Kotor's Old Town
- St Luke’s ChurchPlace of worship12th-century frescoes in Kotor's Old Town
- St Claire’s Franciscan ChurchSightVenetian baroque architecture in Kotor's Old Town
- Mt LovćenSightAccessible on foot, via winding drive, or by cable car
- RoseNeighborhoodPretty stand of stone houses at peninsula tip, pause for lunch
- Luštica PeninsulaNeighborhood
- Elsewhere
- Sveti StefanSightBudva, MontenegroFortified island village, part of luxurious Aman Sveti Stefan resort
- Tara River CanyonSightDurmitor National Park, MontenegroRafting expedition from April to October for scenic drift with rapids
- Black LakeSightDurmitor National Park, Montenegro3.6km hike around largest of 18 glacial lakes, known as 'mountain eyes'
- Aman Sveti Stefan resortHotelBudva, MontenegroLuxurious resort on Sveti Stefan island, atmospheric lanes off-limits
- MiločerSightBudva, MontenegroKing's Beach, now open to all
- St John the Baptist’s ChurchSightBudva, MontenegroChurch with belltower in Budva's old town
- CitadelaSightBudva, MontenegroFort in Budva offering waterfront views and maritime exhibits
- Podmaine MonasterySightBudva, MontenegroFresco-filled monastery linked by trail to Podostrog Monastery
- Podostrog MonasterySightBudva, MontenegroHistoric monastery, once a residence for Montenegro’s prince-bishops
- Sveti NikolaSightBudva, MontenegroIsland with beach-edged, greenery-capped rock, out in the bay
- Lake SkadarHotelVirpazar, MontenegroLargest lake in Balkan Peninsula, best experienced by boat or kayak