Although Montenegro has only regained its independence in 2006, its story goes back a ways. Thankfully with its compact size, it is easy to experience this historic land with as little as 3 days in Montenegro. 

Day 1 – Kotor

For my 3 days in Montenegro I based my self just outside the old town of Kotor. This walled city is quickly becoming a must visit stop for cruise ships and road trippers along the Adriatic coast. One could (and I did) spend an afternoon getting lost in its alleyways, having a beer in the Square, touring the churches, and shopping. Don’t miss climbing Kotor’s City walls for the incredible view of Kotor Bay and beyond.

Tour the Coast

Much of the country scenery and population lies along it’s 295 kilometers of shoreline. Naturally, spending one day of my 3 days in Montenegro seeing it made sense. Explore the ancient Roman mosaics in Risan before taking a short boat ride out to the Our Lady of the Rocks. This 15th century church is said to be built on a man-mad island consisting of rocks thrown into the sea over hundreds of years. Why?

Visit Perast

Back in the old town, after a well-deserved beer and pizza, we got a taxi and set off around the bay to visit Perast. Perast is a tiny village which faces the narrow channel from the bay of Kotor out to the Meditteranean. Despite its diminutive size, it boasts 16 churches (including the famous Lady of the Rocks church on a man-made island) and 17 formerly-grand but now crumbling palazzos.

DAY 2: BUDVA AND SVETI STEFAN

We’d originally planned to rent a car for our three day trip to Montenegro, but since you need an international driving permit and we were a bit short of funds anyway, we decided to just use local buses and taxis. One of the things we really wanted to do was go to Budva on the Mediterranean coast and then a little further down to the gorgeous pink beach and island at Sveti Stefan.