Croatia, Montenegro – two victims of overtourism? (page 6 of 11)

I went to your profile to check out the Thailand travel journal, and when I clicked on it, it brought me back here again. All week I’ve had bugs like this—it doesn’t make me want to keep using VF.🙁

I had the same thing happen, and multiple times. For me, it was Montagnard’s latest journal that kept coming up whenever I clicked on any discussion

I just opened a discussion

on this topic. 🙂

A quick breakfast on the terrace of our studio, and we leave the slightly too lively Kotor via the serpentine road.

The serpentine road?

Yes, that narrow road that winds up behind the city in multiple hairpin turns, offering stunning panoramas of the Bay of Kotor at every bend!



(A little taste of Norway, right? With a few extra degrees...)



If your usual driver thinks they’re a rally-car champ, take the keys from them...

One last hairpin turn, and we leave the sea behind us.

Temporarily!

Indeed, we soon turn toward the arrival of Kotor’s cable car, built to lighten the wallets of thrill-seeking travelers even more...

A full-blown tourist complex is taking shape there: a bar, a restaurant, a souvenir shop, summer sledding, quad-bike tours...



You can see it’s not quite finished—the parking is still free.

Still, you’ve got to admit it wouldn’t be too bad sipping a drink with that view at your feet...





Since the cable car’s upper station is located within Lovćen National Park, we had to pay an entrance fee.

No Montenegrin national park is free, by the way, and if you visit several, it might be worth getting a pass.

We continue exploring the natural park by climbing to the Njegoš Mausoleum, built at the summit of Jezerski Vrh at 1,660 meters to house the remains of Prince-Bishop Petar II Petrović Njegoš, Montenegro’s great poet.

No worries—a road makes the effort much easier!

Still, there are 461 steps left to climb before reaching the monument and, most importantly, a 360-degree view.







The neighboring silhouette of Mount Lovćen reminds me of something.



Does Puy de Dôme have a twin?

This mountain spot would be perfect for a picnic, but the cool wind makes us look for a more sheltered place.

At the starting point of the planned hike, perhaps?

After devouring lunch, we lace up our shoes and set off to follow the wolf trail.

This 10-kilometer loop trail is fairly easy, yet we’ll only cross paths with a few other hikers.

It still has plenty of charm, though, with its rural atmosphere and sea views.













Beyond the coastline, Montenegro seems to fly under most travelers’ radar.

All the better!

And it’s not like we’ll be bothered by overtourism in the middle of nowhere—where we’ll be spending the next three nights...

We’ve actually booked accommodation in the countryside, 14 kilometers from Cetinje, the former capital of the Kingdom of Montenegro, now home to 15,000 people...

The access road is narrow and winding, and there are probably more wild boars than residents per square kilometer for miles around.



The house is pretty nice, but its air conditioning isn’t exactly cut out for summer temperatures.

It’s hot—really hot!

We’ll take a dip in the small adjoining pool before preparing dinner.

Bon appétit !

No Montenegrin national park is free, and if you visit several, it can quickly pay off to get a pass.

FYI: Durmitor National Park, a UNESCO site since 1980, is free. I explored this park in May 2025.

There are ticket booths at certain strategic points in Durmitor National Park, and you have to pay for your ticket. Either in May the collectors were nowhere to be found, or you didn’t explore the same spots we did. 😉

That said, the pass isn’t expensive at all: 13.50 € for a whole year.

Check it out here.

Unlike other countries, the price is the same for locals and foreigners.

At Lovćen, it’s impossible to sneak around by car. The staff are on the access roads.

At Durmitor, the net is a bit looser.

No shady business—you get a nice ticket in exchange for your euros! !

I don’t remember paying to enter Lovćen Park a few years back. Is this recent?

The winding road ended in a very wide dirt track—that was 7 or 8 years ago.

Is Petar II Petrović Njegoš’s tomb still free to visit? Not sure if you’ve been there?

I don’t post much, but I’m reading your story closely! !

I don’t know when the park payment system was introduced. For Lovćen, there’s a booth on each side of the road.

The winding road is quite busy. It’s an excursion sold by local agencies (quad bikes).

I only saw tarmac.

The tomb is paid entry. I talk about it in my latest post.

I get the impression that development efforts have been made in the country’s most tourist-heavy areas, and that a new source of income was needed to fund them.

I don’t mind the user-pays principle in the end, especially since the rates are really affordable with the annual pass.

When the money collected is used for its intended purpose: preventing a place from being wrecked by too many visitors or hikers.

In Iceland and other countries, it’s the locals who pay through their taxes. Over time, that can lead to resentment toward tourists and hikers...

Hi there, In Durmitor, there are only 2 or 3 paid entrances (the most touristy ones), which you can easily avoid. It’s possible to go almost everywhere without running into any tolls. We hiked up Poutras (the view from the top is stunning), and even though we parked in a lot with other cars, we didn’t pay anything or see any guards checking hikers. Soon, everything will be paid access because of the rise in tourism across all the former Yugoslav countries and the many developments in natural spaces! !

The accommodation package includes breakfast, which is already waiting for us under the arbor.

Today, we’re served doughnuts, smoked ham, and local cheese.

Delicious!



We then head toward the coast via a narrow mountain road that’s a little—okay, a lot—extremely bumpy (it’s the one passing through Boguti)...

The Scirocco barely squeezes through at times, and we’re so relieved when we finally reach the main road!

Traffic picks up, the Adriatic’s blue stretches across the horizon, and we arrive in the outskirts of Budva.

The small medieval town from just a few years ago has turned into a sprawling tourist hub expanding along the beaches.

Once again, we have to pay to park, but at least there’s space without driving in circles!

We now follow the coastline toward the historic center’s ramparts.

It’s packed like a summer holiday, and every inch of sand is taken up by sun loungers.



Honestly, it’s not appealing at all...

We finally take refuge behind the walls, and the crowd thins out a bit.

It’s really charming but also heavily altered by overtourism...









We continue our stroll to the path leading to Mogren Beach, but the chaotic vibe of the area makes us turn back quickly.





My partner wanted to see Budva—mission accomplished, let’s get out of here! !

Already crowds in June, I can only imagine in July-August! 🏴‍☠️

We’re finally getting to the last days of June!

Yeah, the beaches in Montenegro are packed.

And there are tons of sunbeds too...

It’s better to go off-season just for the scenery’s sake.

Still, we’ll drink the cup to the dregs as we continue toward what Montenegro has to offer at its worst in summer: the Montenegrin Riviera all the way to Sveti Stefan.

The parking lot by the beach is outrageously expensive, so we retreat a bit farther away.

In the photos, it’s easy to see why the ultra-wealthy wanted to privatize the place.





But the reality is less glorious...

The beachside Montenegro really let us down. I’d even say it was the low point of this trip.

It’s probably charming in January, but not in July!

We head uphill for lunch.

Finally, some peace and quiet!



The road now hugs the coastline, and traffic conditions are smooth.

We make a quick stop at the Reževići Monastery and then at Buljarica Beach before turning back to find the absolute tranquility of the hinterland.





We choose a different route on the way back and take the wine road.

This time, the road is in good condition, and the scenery is stunning!





That said, don’t expect to go faster than 40 kilometers per hour...

Now I’ll let you enjoy the little pool, the lounge chairs...



See you tomorrow! !

The neighboring silhouette of Mount Lovćen doesn’t fail to remind me of something.



Could the Puy de Dôme have a twin?

I thought exactly the same thing when I saw the photo ;)

It’s even more striking from down below. ;)

A cheese-stuffed pastry, a few slices of cheese, and some smoked ham fill our stomachs by nine in the morning.

A cup of coffee to speed up digestion?

A hike seems like a better idea, right?

Let’s go for the hike!

First, we drive to Rijeka Crnojevića, then take the stunning scenic road leading to Lake Skadar from the village.



There’s no one in the village, no one on the road—we’ve left the beachgoers, cruise passengers, and tour buses behind.





A certain idea of happiness...

Soon, we reach the hamlet of Komarno, the starting point for our planned hike—the Zaboj viewpoint.

Parking is no problem since there’s not a soul around.

No parking meters or ticket collectors either! A sign we’re far, *very* far from overtourism...

The trailhead isn’t easy to find without GPS—you have to walk past a few ruined houses.

Then the path winds through the woods, dense with snakes, spiders, and tortoises.



After a few sweaty climbs, the forest clears, and we get to admire the landscapes that make the effort worthwhile...



You have to climb a bit for the best views, but it’s nothing a reasonably fit hiker can’t handle!





We didn’t see any more people on the way back than on the way up. Surprising, given how beautiful the place is! !

A few efforts (but not too many, hehe 😏) to get some great views, I agree! 😎

We won’t run into more people on the way back than on the way there. Surprising given how beautiful the place is!

I had the same thought at Vikos Gorge in mainland Greece (during peak tourist season that year): it’s surprising... but that’s a good thing!

After a few kilometers in the Scirocco, the lake finally reveals itself completely—this lake shared by Montenegro and Albania, the same lake where we stopped last year on the Albanian side.

Then we encounter what we hadn’t missed since this morning: crowds of tourists!

So we won’t even stop in the village of Virpazar, settling for a few viewpoints before turning back.







Back in Rijeka Crnojevića, we struggle to find an open restaurant and are starving by the time we’re finally served the local specialty—a beautiful trout that I devour in one bite!

Full, we decide not to skip the most photographed spot in the area, a meander that reminds me of the one in Queuille.

I must admit, this one is way more spectacular!







You can rent a boat to explore the river and spot some birds.



Instead, we choose to end this excellent day on an urban note by heading to Cetinje.

Well, let’s just say it wasn’t worth it...

At least we got some groceries done.

Hey, Agnès, why is the police blocking the road?

No idea! Let’s take that way!

The detour was supposed to bring us back up the same road, but it’s blocked too...

The officer on duty doesn’t speak English, and even less French. Just a few words to tell us we’ll have to wait 90 minutes...

My search engine was more helpful!

Following several shootings involving the mafia, protests are regularly held around the city demanding the resignation of the ministers in charge of the country’s security.

90 minutes later, the officer waves us through. They’re punctual in Montenegro!

I’m not sure if there are that many people traveling solo and renting a car.

It seems to me that most people either book an all-inclusive resort or a flight-only deal plus accommodation without any means of transport.

Both groups are pretty dependent on organized excursions that only go to a few places,

or on public transport that only goes where there are cities—so not out in the middle of nowhere! !

And there we go, I’ve just caught up on my backlog 😊 Such beautiful landscapes that really make you want to visit, but off-season 😅 I’m just like you—beaches packed with umbrellas and towels side by side really don’t appeal to me 😒, but these gorgeous landscapes under a cloudy sky (so more in autumn) should be perfect for me 😍