At five in the morning on a Friday, I found myself cruising along empty roads toward Basel for an early flight to Podgorica. By 10:45 AM, I had touched down in Montenegro, ready to explore.
My trusty steed for the weekend was a 120 CHF Dacia Sandero rental. Despite a frustrating pickup experience with AVIS—who tried to slap me with an extra 70-euro fee for an early morning return and handed over a car that was dirty inside and out—the Sandero turned out to be the perfect vehicle. Over the weekend, I drove 800 kilometers over mountain passes and rough roads, and only had to fill the tank once!
Here’s how a whirlwind three-day road trip through Montenegro unfolded.
Sweeping River Bends and Coastline Cruising
Within an hour of leaving the airport, I was staring down at Pavlova Strana. The landscape here suddenly opens up to reveal a massive, breathtaking horseshoe bend in the Crnojevica river, carving its way through lush green mountains toward Lake Skadar. The roads leading up to the viewpoint were exceptionally narrow, and with temperatures already pushing an intense 37°C, I was incredibly grateful for the quiet low-season traffic.
From the lake, I navigated toward the Adriatic coast. I was genuinely impressed by the infrastructure; even on forgotten, winding routes, the asphalt was in great condition. Reaching the coastal town of Petrovac, finding a parking spot required a solid thirty minutes of patience. But a walk along the beautiful beach to admire the tiny church of Sveta Nedjelja—perched precariously on a rocky islet in the crystal-clear water—made it worth the effort. The only downside? A stop at a local bakery yielded the worst chocolate croissant I’ve ever eaten, filled with some tragically cheap imitation of Nutella.
A Surprise Visit and Budget Luxury in Budva
I continued on to a viewpoint overlooking Sveti Stefan. What started as a fortified 15th-century fishing village to fend off pirates is now an ultra-exclusive luxury island resort. While soaking in the view of terracotta roofs against the deep blue Adriatic, my phone rang. It was a good friend of mine! She and her boyfriend were traveling in neighboring Bosnia and offered to drive south to Montenegro just to meet up with me. I enthusiastically agreed and we made plans to meet in Kotor later that evening.
Next on the itinerary was Budva, one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast. The contrast here is wild: a 2,500-year-old town with medieval Venetian walls, completely surrounded by massive, ultra-modern glass and steel high-rises. Wanting to get out on the water, I took advantage of low-season pricing and rented a private boat with a driver. For just forty euros, I spent an hour and a half cruising around the nearby island—a ridiculous luxury for a backpacker budget!
The Sweaty Stone Labyrinth of Kotor
Arriving in Kotor, I dodged a five-euro-per-hour parking tourist trap and found a spot for just ninety cents an hour before checking into the Old Town Youth Hostel. By the time I arrived, the heat trapped within the stone labyrinth of the city was intense. Kotor is a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site shaped by centuries of Venetian rule, and you can feel the history echoing through every narrow alley.
That evening, my friend and her boyfriend finally arrived, and we had a great dinner catching up.
The next morning, we met up at 6:30 AM to tackle the hike up the San Giovanni fortress. The fortifications zigzag aggressively up the steep mountain behind the town. Even at dawn, the heat was absolutely crazy. We took it slow, eventually reaching the top to admire views of the Bay of Kotor that look exactly like a steep Norwegian fjord bathed in Mediterranean sunshine. The kicker? When we reached the bottom at 8:45 AM, the local staff had just arrived to set up their booth, and we were forced to pay a 15-euro entrance fee on our way out. You live and you learn!
Up Into the Clouds: Serpentines and Hitchhikers
Saying goodbye to my friends, I hopped back into the Sandero and hit the famous Kotor Serpentines. This stretch of road is pure madness, offering more incredible views of the bay with every hairpin switchback. Along the way, I picked up two Russian hitchhikers, and together we drove into Lovcen National Park.
While they decided to skip the 10-euro entry fee, I climbed the hundreds of steps to the Njegos Mausoleum at the peak of Mount Lovcen. Standing at the highest mausoleum in the world, with a 360-degree view of jagged mountain peaks stretching out as far as the eye could see, was an absolute highlight of the trip.
The Wild Heart of the Dinaric Alps
With the hitchhikers still in tow, I drove deeper into the national park, dropping them off at a crossroad before pushing on toward Piva Lake. The scenery here is unreal. The piercing turquoise water of the artificial reservoir flows through a deep canyon, framed by countless unlit, rough-hewn tunnels and narrow cliffside roads.
I took the spectacular Sedlo Pass to drive the Durmitor Ring. Rolling green pastures abruptly turned into jagged gray stone peaks. I arrived in Zabljak only to find my hostel overbooked, but the owner kindly set me up in a nearby house. I still walked back to the hostel to hang out, spending the evening trading travel stories with a Swiss guy and two German girls.
Conquering Bobotov Kuk
Sunday morning started at 7:00 AM at the trailhead for Bobotov Kuk, the highest peak in the Durmitor mountain range. The five-hour hike was significantly harder than I anticipated. Due to the altitude, large fields of deep, melting snow made the steep trails incredibly wet and slippery.
Along the way, I caught up with a Hungarian hiker who was visibly terrified by the steep drops. We eventually shared the summit with just a handful of locals and German hikers, taking in the panoramic views of ancient glacial scars. When I started my descent, the Hungarian guy asked to tag along. I happily guided him safely down the slippery paths until we reached a small alpine lake where his relieved family was waiting.
Canyons, Heatwaves, and Office Bound
Back in the car, I drove to the massive Durdevica Tara bridge—spanning the deepest river gorge in Europe—before driving south through the dramatic Moraca canyon. I hopped on the country’s brand-new toll highway (which was completely empty and cost a mere €3.50) and arrived back in Podgorica by 6:00 PM.
Returning the car to AVIS was surprisingly painless, and I spent my final night in a rented room near the airport. Podgorica was suffocatingly hot, hovering around 39°C even after the sun went down. My hosts were incredibly hospitable, chatting with me into the evening and generously driving me to the airport at 4:30 AM the next morning.
By 8:00 AM on Monday, I was back in Switzerland. In a funny twist of poor planning, the only clothes I had easily accessible were my dusty hiking pants. Without time to go home and change, I headed directly from the airport to the office, bringing a little piece of the wild Montenegrin mountains straight into my workday.
