While in Dubrovnik, I took a guided day trip to Montenegro with a small group. Research and a friend told me that if I could make it there, then it was something I definitely had to do. When it was time to head back to Dubrovnik, I was actually sad to leave, the parts of Montenegro we were able to visit that day were so incredibly beautiful.
We started out with a gorgeous drive along the coast of Croatia and stopped for an panoramic view of Dubrovnik and the surrounding islands. From there, we headed towards the Croatia/Montenegro border with a quick stop in Herceg Novi for pictures. From there, we drove alone the edge of the Gulf of Kotor, which has four bays, "the fjords" of the Mediterranean. Everyone in the car was "oohing" and "awing" at the views - it was amazing!
Our first stop was in Perast, which I believe is the earliest settlement in the bay, where we had coffee at a little cafe on on the water and I watched some tuna jumping amid the little fishing boats. The perfect thing to do here was just sit and look; the surrounding landscape, with mountains surrounding the bay and the vivid color and calmness of the water was an amazing combination.
After that, we continued driving along the cost and made our way to Kotor, a UNESCO world heritage site that is located on the coast of one of the "Most Beautiful Bays in the World." The walls protecting the old city are considered a masterpiece, are skillfully built into the hills and cliffs, and are 20 meters and 15 meters wide in some places. A guide led us through the old city to give us history of the old town and view some of the most important buildings. We had some free I'm after and I chose to walk up the city walls to towards the chapel and fort built above the city. Here, I was able to get the most impressive views of the entire city and the beautiful bays and mountains surrounding it. Kotor is so secluded in its location and is extremely unique, making wish for more time to sit and appreciate the beauty I was surrounded by. It was so peaceful.
Budva was our final stop in Montenegro, where we enjoyed a nice meal at the marina, with nice views of the boats and mountains surrounding the area. Budva has a great mix of old town and modern architecture, with a nice promenade along the water and tons of cafes and shops mixed through the old town. A beach was available too and I found it extremely unique because it had the old city walls and rocky cliffs on one side and a brand new resort building on the other. In between were really cute beach cafes.
Some extra pictures from the drive along the coast:
No comments:
Post a Comment