Black mountains - Montenegro

4-7. September 2016, days 22-25, 178 km

We mentioned Yugoslavia many times and how it fall apart, but Montenegro had a different way of leaving the Slavic Union: in 2006 they voted on the side of independence and created independent Montenegro again. There was no war, as Montenegro was earlier the only ally and supporter of Serbia during the war.

We were a little too happy at the border of Crna Gora - Black Mountains

This country has gorgeous mountains and amazing beaches which are as beautiful as the Croatian beaches. But the most stunning view is in the Bay of Kotor, one of the most beautiful bays in the world. When we were cycling there we were absolutely amazed by the view, which set a very high standard for the next bays on our trip.

Bay of Kotor

Cycling in Bay of Kotor

The bay is surrounded by enormous, incredible steep mountains, and at the southern tip is Kotor city, which used to be a strategically important fort for Montenegrians: it is impossible to attack it from land due to the mountains, and the bay can be defended easily.

Old town of Kotor with 2 Linh

Breathtaking view in Kotor

We reached 1000 km in Bay of Kotor! Yay!

This country has been getting very touristy due to the nice beaches, so as we learned, it was not a good idea to ask the locals for lodging. We stayed in hostel in Kotor’s old town and in campsite near Petrovac.

Peter is from Serbia, he is working in the campsite in the summer, on river ships in the winter. He let us stay in a caravan for free.

We love to discover beautiful remote places on our route, and this is one of them near Petrovac 

Morning caffeine

Cycling to the south, there are two roads to Podgorica, the capital: one is over the mountain, which is a very steep road, the other one is through a 13 km long tunnel. The first road we found way too hard, and some Serbien cyclist, who we met on the way told us, that the second road, the tunnel is forbidden for cyclist. Thus, we decided not to visit the capital.

Wonderful view from the countryside

The only time we could see the “real” Montenegro, which wasn’t created only for the tourists, was when we went far from the sea. The prices become lower, people become friendlier and we could camp at a family’s storage room. Their son was funny, as he learned to speak English from Youtube, and we were very close already to the Albanian border, where great adventures were waiting for us.

(To be continued…)

Péter