Flash visit to Kotor, Montenegro

Montenegro in 6 Words: Learn, Move, Taste, Explore, Laugh, Dare

It hit me on the way to the airport: in just a few hours, I’d be landing in Montenegro… and I knew nothing about the country. No idea where to go once my flight landed in Podgorica, the capital. No guidebook, flaky internet, and absolutely no plan. I felt a little careless—okay, incredibly stupid.

I nervously texted my friends, updating them on the situation. Judging by their replies, some thought I was headed to outer space. But hey, there you have it: even seasoned travellers get jittery sometimes.

I landed in Podgorica and made a snap decision: skip the capital. Despite the patchy internet, I’d managed to dig up a few articles, and none of them spoke highly of Podgorica. As much as I would have wanted to find out for myself if Podgorica really is a hole, I had only four days in Montenegro, and I wanted to use them wisely.

From the airport, I hopped into a taxi to the bus station and immediately boarded a bus to Kotor. People spoke a little English, were helpful, the sun was out, and the ride was smooth. Easy! I smiled to myself the whole ride—had I been traveling in “difficult” countries for so long that I forgot travel could be this… chill?

As we approached Kotor, the bay views took my breath away. I pulled out my glasses (aka my binoculars) and glued myself to the window. Pro tip: if you ever take this ride, sit on the left side (driver’s side).

I arrived in Kotor after sunset and found my way to a charming hostel where I was welcomed with a warm smile and a shot of rakia. Once settled, I threw together a little “game plan” to make the most of my time in Montenegro.

LEARN- Visit the old town of Kotor 

The fortified city of Kotor is small enough to explore in a couple of hours, with well-preserved churches, cobblestone squares, and quaint museums that whisper its long, layered history. I took my time, wandering the narrow alleyways and soaking it all in—with plenty of coffee breaks to read up on the city’s past.

Since it was low season, the usual herds of cruise-ship tourists were absent. The old town was so pristine and charming, it felt like a movie set. High Disneyland factor.

I also learned why Kotor is obsessed with cats. They’re everywhere—lounging in alleys, posing on windowsills, ruling over souvenir shops. After bumping into a cat museum and a souvenir shop that sells cat-shaped everything, I just had to know; what’s the deal with these cats?

Legend has it that during the Middle Ages, Kotor had a terrible rat problem (cue plague panic), so the townsfolk brought in cats to solve it. The cats stuck around, the rats didn’t, and ever since, the locals have treated them like furry royalty.

MOVE- Wake up early to get crisp morning view from the fortress

Towering above the bay lies an abandoned fortress. The fortress itself isn’t much to look at, but the view? Oh my. It took me about 30–45 minutes to hike up, with plenty of photo breaks. I was humming the Game of Thrones theme the whole way up—I could have sworn I was on set!

My favourite moment was simply sitting on a ridge just below the top, catching my breath, enveloped in silence, with the view of the bay stretching out below.

TASTE- Visit a market and buy some local produce

I wasn’t exactly blown away by Kotor’s market located just outside the old town walls—but it gave me a chance to nibble on local specialties like smoked ham, brined olives, and cheese made from boiled milk. I left the market with a full stomach and a makeshift picnic for the next day.

EXPLORE- Take a trip to somewhere amazing 

Armed with market goodies, I caught a bus to Sveti Stefan, a postcard-perfect islet known as one of Montenegro’s most stunning sights. I was skeptical—it sounded like one of those overrated tourist spots.

But when the bus dropped me by the side of the road and I made my way down to the pebbled beach… gasp. It was absolutely gorgeous. The beach was completely empty—perks of low season! I swam, sunbathed, picnicked, and soaked it all in.

The islet itself is a private luxury resort (rooms start at €950 a night!), so non-guests aren’t allowed in. But honestly? The view from the beach was good enough for me.

LAUGH- Make some friends

Staying at the most popular hostel in town  made making friends easy. There were travellers from all over the world, most of whom were on a long jaunt through Europe or the Balkans. I was solo, so I happily joined a group for a pub crawl—even if I felt like the “grandma” of the bunch. Another night, we gathered under the stars, sipping beer and chatting the night away, with the lights of the city twinkling below us.

DARE- Say yes to something unexpected

After my day in Sveti Stefan, I stood by the roadside hoping a bus would come by and take me back to Kotor. There was no schedule, I just waited around, flagging down every passing bus, asking if they were headed towards Kotor.

Fifteen minutes and three rejections later, an elderly man saw my slightly worried face and gestured for me to hop into his car. He didn’t speak a word of English, but with hand gestures and a few shared smiles, I understood he wanted to give me a lift to Kotor.

I hesitated—then YOLO! I made my way into the passenger seat.

We didn’t speak each other’s language, but somehow, we “chatted,” listened to music, and even stopped at a scenic lookout so I could take photos. That ride became one of my favourite Montenegrin moments. Proof that the best travel memories are often the unplanned ones.

If you can weave these six magic words into your travels—Learn, Move, Taste, Explore, Laugh, Dare—I believe your trip is already a success, no matter how long you stay.

Have you been enchanted by a place after a short visit? Where was it? 

The post “Flash visit to Kotor, Montenegro” first appeared on Travel Cake. 

Legend has it that during the Middle Ages, Kotor had a terrible rat problem (cue plague panic), so the townsfolk brought in cats to solve it. The cats stuck around, the rats didn’t, and ever since, the locals have treated them like furry royalty.

Aside from a quick history lesson, I also learned why there is such a large cat population in Kotor. They are everywhere, inside and out.  After bumping into a cat museum and a souvenir shop that sells cat-shaped everything, I just had to know; what’s the deal with these cats?

Apparently the city had a serious rat problem during the Middle Ages. Because the rats were bearer of disease such as the plague, they brought in a bunch of cats to deal with the problem. Till this day, the people of the old town appreciate the help of the cats and treat them well in return. At least so goes the legend…

MOVE- Wake up early to get crisp morning view from the fortress

Overlooking the bay of Kotor lies an abandoned fortress which in itself is not specifically beautiful but the view… It took me about 30-45 minutes to reach the top taking lots of photo breaks on the way. I was humming the ‘Game of Thrones’ theme the entire way up. I could have sworn I was on set! But my favourite part was simply sitting on a ridge just below the fortress, catching my breath and enjoying the silence accompanied by a spectacular view.

TASTE- Visit a market and buy some local produce

Though I wasn’t overwhelmed by Kotor’s produce market located right outside it’s walls, it was an opportunity to taste some of the region’s specialities such as smoked dried ham, home made olives, cheese made from boiled milk… I left the market with a full stomach.

EXPLORE- Take a trip to somewhere amazing 

Armed with some of the produce I had bought at the market, I took a bus to Sveti Stefan, a small islet reputed as one of the most stunning sights in Montenegro. I tend not to give too much importance to statements like these, so I was expecting it to be overrated. I was dropped off the bus by the side of the road somewhere near Sveti Stefan. I found my way down to the pebbled beach. Gasp… Gorgeous! The fact that I had the beach all to myself made the place even more impressive! Gotta love low season! The island itself is an expensive hotel (cheapest room starts at €950 a night), so you can’t enter the island unless you’re a guest. The beach was good enough for me though! I swam, pick nicked and let the sun caress my skin. Pure bliss.

LAUGH- Make some friends

Staying at the most popular hostel in town made this task quite easy. There were travellers from all over the world, most of whom were on a long jaunt through Europe or the Balkans. Because I was traveling solo, I didn’t mind joining the group on a pub crawl, even though I was the “grandmother” of the gang. Another night was spent chatting the night away with travellers while drinking beer under the starlit sky with views over the city.

DARE- Say yes to something unexpected

After my day in Sveti Stefan, I waited on the side of the road for a bus to take me back to Kotor. There was no schedule, I just waited around, flagging down every passing bus asking if they were headed towards Kotor. After 15 minutes of waiting and the third rejection, I started wondering if I was indeed on the right track. An elderly man must have seen my slightly worried face and gestured me to enter his car. He spoke no English but used his hands to communicate that he wanted to give me a ride to Kotor. I doubted for a few seconds but then… YOLO, I stepped into the car. We didn’t speak each other’s language, but somehow we managed to talk, laugh and listen to music together. He stopped the car at one of the panorama points so I could take pictures. Had I not followed my intuition and accepted the invitation, I would have never experienced this fun Montenegrin encounter. These are the unexpected meetings that make travel so beautiful.

If you can manage to incorporate the 6 magic words during your stay anywhere (learn, move, laugh, taste, explore, dare), I believe your trip is already successful, no matter the length of stay.

Have you been enchanted by a place after a short visit? Where was it? 

The post “Flash visit to Kotor, Montenegro” first appeared on Travel Cake. 

I even stumbled upon a cat museum and a store that sold only cat-shaped items.

Legend has it that during the Middle Ages, Kotor had a terrible rat problem (cue plague panic), so the townsfolk brought in cats to solve it. The cats stuck around, the rats didn’t, and ever since, the locals have treated them like furry royalty.

Aside from a quick history lesson, I also learned why there is such a large cat population in Kotor. They are everywhere, inside and out.

Apparently the city had a serious rat problem during the Middle Ages. Because the rats were bearer of disease such as the plague, they brought in a bunch of cats to deal with the problem. Till this day, the people of the old town appreciate the help of the cats and treat them well in return. At least so goes the legend…

MOVE- Wake up early to get crisp morning view from the fortress

Overlooking the bay of Kotor lies an abandoned fortress which in itself is not specifically beautiful but the view… It took me about 30-45 minutes to reach the top taking lots of photo breaks on the way. I was humming the ‘Game of Thrones’ theme the entire way up. I could have sworn I was on set! But my favourite part was simply sitting on a ridge just below the fortress, catching my breath and enjoying the silence accompanied by a spectacular view.

TASTE- Visit a market and buy some local produce

Though I wasn’t overwhelmed by Kotor’s produce market located right outside it’s walls, it was an opportunity to taste some of the region’s specialities such as smoked dried ham, home made olives, cheese made from boiled milk… I left the market with a full stomach.

EXPLORE- Take a trip to somewhere amazing 

Armed with some of the produce I had bought at the market, I took a bus to Sveti Stefan, a small islet reputed as one of the most stunning sights in Montenegro. I tend not to give too much importance to statements like these, so I was expecting it to be overrated. I was dropped off the bus by the side of the road somewhere near Sveti Stefan. I found my way down to the pebbled beach. Gasp… Gorgeous! The fact that I had the beach all to myself made the place even more impressive! Gotta love low season! The island itself is an expensive hotel (cheapest room starts at €950 a night), so you can’t enter the island unless you’re a guest. The beach was good enough for me though! I swam, pick nicked and let the sun caress my skin. Pure bliss.

LAUGH- Make some friends

Staying at the most popular hostel in town made this task quite easy. There were travellers from all over the world, most of whom were on a long jaunt through Europe or the Balkans. Because I was traveling solo, I didn’t mind joining the group on a pub crawl, even though I was the “grandmother” of the gang. Another night was spent chatting the night away with travellers while drinking beer under the starlit sky with views over the city.

DARE- Say yes to something unexpected

After my day in Sveti Stefan, I waited on the side of the road for a bus to take me back to Kotor. There was no schedule, I just waited around, flagging down every passing bus asking if they were headed towards Kotor. After 15 minutes of waiting and the third rejection, I started wondering if I was indeed on the right track. An elderly man must have seen my slightly worried face and gestured me to enter his car. He spoke no English but used his hands to communicate that he wanted to give me a ride to Kotor. I doubted for a few seconds but then… YOLO, I stepped into the car. We didn’t speak each other’s language, but somehow we managed to talk, laugh and listen to music together. He stopped the car at one of the panorama points so I could take pictures. Had I not followed my intuition and accepted the invitation, I would have never experienced this fun Montenegrin encounter. These are the unexpected meetings that make travel so beautiful.

If you can manage to incorporate the 6 magic words during your stay anywhere (learn, move, laugh, taste, explore, dare), I believe your trip is already successful, no matter the length of stay.

Have you been enchanted by a place after a short visit? Where was it? 

The post “Flash visit to Kotor, Montenegro” first appeared on Travel Cake.