Montenegro: beautiful and not beautiful

We had two weeks to explore this country, which was new to us. We visited Kotor, Bar, Budvar, Herceg Novi, and many, many small villages.

We are deliberately writing our reports only after the end of our two-week trip to let the overall impression sink in.

In my short report, I will briefly address the things that stood out to us, both positive and negative. Kerstin will certainly share a few stories in her report.

We were impressed by what

• Even on the approach to landing, the landscape is indescribably beautiful and at times breathtaking, with steeply rising mountains. It seems there's only either a down or an up here. A gentle hill simply doesn't exist.

• The water, whether in the open sea or in the bays, is always crystal clear and invites you to swim alongside the numerous fish.

  
  

• Our accommodation in Strp was a true paradise, created by Mladen, our host at "Stella del Mare." Not only did the apartment offer everything one could wish for with its stunning sea view, but it also had a small, cozy private beach with a terrace, sunbeds, umbrellas, and even a kayak that we were allowed to use.

• Leaving aside the negative aspects, which I will address later, the arrival and departure of cruise ships through the narrow passages of the Bay of Kotor is a unique experience. This visual spectacle can be observed at least twice a day.

• The food, of all kinds, which we tried in numerous variations, was always very good.

  
  

• The new cable car up Lovćen near Kotor, at an altitude of approximately 1750 meters – starting, of course, at almost sea level – is a truly memorable experience if you're lucky enough to find it not too crowded (best to go at the beginning of the week). You can also rent a mountain bike there and enjoy the stunning views over the Bay of Kotor as you ride down the winding mountain trails.

We noticed the following negative aspects

• The strikingly aggressive, pushy, reckless, and honking drivers

  
  

• It seems every car ahead reeks of exhaust fumes. Apparently, emissions testing and particulate filters are still foreign concepts here.

  
  

• In this context, you also see the cruise ships every day, which, like everywhere else in the world, not only overrun the otherwise tranquil coastal town of Kotor with thousands of passengers, but also blacken the air with their enormous smokestacks for almost the entire day while they are ashore. This is particularly noticeable in Kotor, which lies in a beautiful valley surrounded by high mountains. Eventually, a veritable blanket of smog hangs over the bay.

• In addition, there are apparently all the privately owned smokehouses, which usually belch their plumes of smoke into the valley for about half a day, obscuring the otherwise beautiful scenery with a haze of smoke.

  
  

• Like so many other places in the world, there's neither recycling nor a deposit system here. For us Germans, that's practically unimaginable.

  
  

• Sidewalks and bike paths are nowhere to be found. I don't even want to think about our planned bike tour along the Adriatic coast. We felt deeply sorry for many of the cyclists we encountered, squeezed into the gutters on roads dominated by car convoys and stinking exhaust fumes.

• During our cable car tour up Lovćen, we also discovered the brand-new mountain coaster, which usually guarantees a spectacular ride through the mountains. This one was a flop: a huge queue at the ticket office, an hour's wait before even getting on. I would describe the ride as short, slow, and boring. It's more like a children's carousel at a funfair.

A few neutral impressions

Overall, the country, especially the old houses both in the countryside and in the city, appears very dilapidated and in dire need of renovation. It seems to be common practice to dump trash, debris, and old cars just about anywhere, even in front of one's own house if necessary.

We frequently saw both small private properties and larger investment projects left to rot, covered in moss, in their unfinished state.

Without a car, tourists who want to see anything of the countryside are completely stranded. The schedules of the few buses that operate here are incomprehensible and not available online anyway. Two-wheelers are out of the question due to the driving conditions described above.

We can't use the "Big Mac Index" due to a lack of outlets. Therefore, we've consulted our own "Cappuccino Index," which should be around €2. The best cappuccino we had, including a glass of water, was for €1.50 in a small bar in Risan.

We highly recommend the "Montenegro-Car" car rental at Tivat Airport. The process was very straightforward, and they offered a slightly older compact car at a great price.

As in Dubai and Cyprus, we noticed that card payments are taken for granted here, even for very small amounts, unlike in Germany.

The summary

A week here, with its beautiful scenery, stunning sea, and delicious food, is definitely recommended. The locals become a bit friendlier if you greet them with "Dobar Dan" (Good morning).

Unfortunately, our experience at the airport just now reflects the exact opposite. At check-in, passport control, and security, it was made painfully clear that we were foreigners. Not a pleasant end to our trip.