Montenegrins have a lot of mountains to deal with and have tunneled their roads under many of them in order to more easily access the coast. We rented a car and drove through hundreds of tunnels – some several kilometers long. It is not surprising that the coast south of Dubrovnik continues to be spectacular, filled with ancient ports, walled cities, and hidden beaches. Kotor bay is especially stunning as is the view atop an ancient fortress close to the old city.
All is less than spectacular for the locals, who generally live on meager salaries and still hold a lot of resentment from the war. Like their Serbian brothers, they have strong feelings towards the loss of Kosovo. Times have never been as good as the days of Yugoslavia and Marshall Tito.
Lovcen national park was a clear favourite – a mausoleum built on a high peak with views across the entire country.
-steve-
I feel like I’ve overused the word ‘spectacular’ as we write about the Balkans, but it’s hard to find the right words to convey just how gorgeous these countries are. Montenegro did not disappoint. It was strikingly beautiful with dramatic, craggy mountains plunging into brooding waters.
“”Oh look, there’s another castle!”” we found ourselves saying around nearly every hairpin turn. For such a small country, it packs a big punch with historical sights as well.
I found myself deeply marveling how Montenegro has managed to overcome incredible civil engineering obstacles, building roads, tunnels, houses and bridges in the most complicated of settings.
-Amie