I'm a little late posting about our trip last weekend, but I have to share... Montenegro is beautiful and so underrated!!
Ryan and I rented a car and drove to Kotor, Montenegro. Kotor is a small coastal town a few hour's drive from Dubrovnik. It's an Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is full of so much history and culture!
We started our trip with an Airbnb walking tour. I know I've mentioned this before, but these tours are our favorite way to learn about new places. Oftentimes, they end up being private tours without the private prices (especially in the off-season!)
We met Petra, our tour guide, outside the city gates and she walked us through the little stone streets and explained much of the history about her home.
Here is a bit of what we learned:
Kotor was ruled by many empires over the years. First, the Illyrians inhabited the city, then the Romans came and stayed for a while. In the middle ages, the Serbs & Hungarians dominated. Then, the Venetians took control and ruled for four centuries, which provided Kotor with much of the culture and architecture they have today. They celebrate Venetian heritage from extravagant Carnival festivals and how they say goodbye - "Ciao!". Then, Hapsburg, Napleon, WWI & II, and eventually Yugoslavia broke up and Kotor becoming the city we know today in Montenegro!
Like many of the Balkan cities we have visited, there is a strong population of cats in Kotor. The locals love their cats so much that they made them a symbol of the city. Most of them are very well fed (chubby, even!) and they hang around, taking naps and wandering around the old stone streets.
The Montenegrins are a proud people. Petra mentioned she was the most proud of religious tolerance in her country and city. They have many Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox who come together to celebrate St. Tryphon and other religious holidays throughout the year.
Did you know, in Montenegro, you can swim in the ocean/hang out on the beach and drive 2 hours and ski on the slopes all in the same day - how cool is that?!
After our tour, Ryan and I explored on our own and had a lovely dinner outside in the Old Town.
The next day, we hiked a mountain above the city walls of Kotor. We drove up switchbacks in our little Euro rental car. The views were insane, but so were the tipsy-turvey turns. We both felt a bit funky after that ride, but nothing a little glass of red wine couldn't fix! We grabbed some prosciutto and vino at RESTAURANT “NEVJESTA JADRANA” before hiking.
The next day we arrived back in Dubrovnik in the morning so we could get ourselves ready for the week ahead!
Let me know if you have any questions about Montenegro! I highly recommend staying in Kotor if you are looking for a well rounded and inexpensive vacation.
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