CONTENTS: Welcome to Montenegro! 2 The Charms of the Adriatic coast 4 Over the Plains and Highlands 8 The High Mountains 14 Overview of the Camps 19 National Parks 46 About Montenegro 47 IMPRINT Montenego Camping Guide Published by National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro www.montenegro.travel Wild Beauty Director Zeljka Radak Kukavicic Production AMC Communications www.amc.co.me Editor Velibor Zolak Art Director Strategic Partners: Svetlana Lalovic Translation Djordje Vujnovic Editing Paul Turner Prepared by AMC Communications Photos by Radoje Jovanovic, Lead Photographer AMC Communications, NTO Montenegro, Campsites 2020 CIP - Kaталогизација у публикацији Национална библиотека Црне Горе, Цетиње ISBN 978-9940-20-021-3 COBISS.CG-ID 40302864 1 Welcome to Montenegro! A country small in size but great in challenges. A country with 620,000 citizens and two million guests. A hidden corner of the planet that the world has just started to discover! 2 MONTENEGRO Lake Bukumirsko Sveti Stefan ontenegro is extraordinary, different and unique. This pearl of the Mediterranean is to be found only two hours away by plane from most major European centres. Situated on Mthe coast of the old continent, washed by the Adriatic Sea, this small country has been creating its history for centuries under the influence of the Illyrians, Greeks, Romans, Venetians, Austro-Hungarians, and others. This is where Montenegro’s specific quality comes from: the clash of civilizations, the heritage of different cultures, all leading to inter-ethnical and religious toleran- ce and respect. What makes this country unique, however, is primarily its extraordinary and wild beauty. In an area of only 13,800 square kilometres, city of museums, or impressed by Mount Lovcen, many great contrasts are intertwined: deep ca- the eternal resting place of the great poet Njegos, nyons, as exciting as the one of the Colorado Ri- you can be soothed by the soft summer breeze, ver, crystal clear seas, unexplored mountain crags, cheered up by a kind word from your hosts, but rapid untamed rivers, and quiet lakes. In the span remember – Montenegro remains wild, untamed of a single day, you can enjoy all the benefits of and ready to be discovered by you. the sandy beaches, go down the rapids of the Ri- That is Montenegro: wild and mysterious, ver Tara on a wooden raft, see Italy from the top while its people are kind and open, and always of Mount Lovcen, go skiing on Mount Bjelasica, excellent hosts. You can get acquainted with fish on Lake Skadar, and surf in Ulcinj. You can be Montenegro from the air, or by sea, road, horse- enchanted by the beauty of the Bay of Kotor, ins- back, a bicycle or a jeep. To all of you who have pired by the city of Kotor – a UNESCO world he- decided to get to know Montenegro from the ritage site, spiritually rejuvenated by Cetinje, the roads, we dedicate this guide. 3 The SouthSüden MONTENEGRO Tivat, Porto Montenegro Eleonora’s falcon (Falco eleonorae) is THE CHARMS OF rare and endangered Mediterranean bird. Its nests can still be found on the reefs of small Montenegrin islands. During the summer, it can often THE ADRIATIC be seen in Buljarica, hunting for food. It spends winters in Madagascar. COAST he range of natural beauties along the Montenegrin coast is almost incredible. They ran- ge from romantic sandy beaches in the city of sunshine, the southernmost Montenegrin T city of Ulcinj, the sandy and pebbly beaches of Bar, the city of wine and olives, the trendy beaches of the Budva Riviera, and finally to the rocky shores, mini-beaches and jetties in the dramatic landscapes of the only fjord in the Mediterranean! 4 Süden MONTENEGRO Perast Herceg Novi The Bay of Kotor, one of the most beautiful bays in the world, praised in poems and descri- bed by many, has been carved some 28 kilometres deep into the fierce Montenegrin mountains. When he first saw the Bay of Kotor and its towns, like gems scattered all over the green shores, a famous poet, travel writer and diplomat cried: “And I wonder how the sun can ever set, when it will not find such a great beauty anywhere else in the world!” Many authors, artists and great minds, such as Lord Byron, George Bernard Shaw, Marguerite Yourcenar, called it the “bride of the Adriatic”, “a coastal fairy”, “the most beautiful fjord in the world”, “the Mediterranean mouth of beauty”, but all of them would admit: nobody has ever succeeded in fully describing the natural beauties that enchant everyone who comes here. This oasis of Mediterranean vegetation – agaves, palm trees, mimosas, oleanders, kiwis, po- megranates, medicinal herbs, still welcomes people amid the dramatic beauty of the bay, featu- ring the peace and quiet of the islets of Sveti Djordje, Gospa od Skrpjela, Gospa od Milosti, Sveti Marko, and many old towns and villages, where every step takes you further back into history. Herceg Novi, a real Mediterranean botanical garden, the city of carnivals, artists and authors, the gateway to the largest fjord of the Mediterranean, the Bay of Kotor. An adorable mix of Roman, Byzan- tine and Oriental influences, all combined into a Mediterranean-style city. Kotor, one of the best preserved medieval urban settlements in the Mediterranean, a city on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites, boasts countless palaces, churches and museums. The lifestyle of the nearby town of Perast reminds one of Venice. This is because of the links it used 5 The City of Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Bar, Old Town Ulcinj 65 to have with that famous city state. There are two islets, Gospa The oldest olive tree in od Skrpjela and Sveti Djordje off the coast of this small town, Europe is located near which is another World Heritage Site. the Old Town of Bar. This olive tree is over 2,000 Tivat, the youngest city in the Bay of Kotor, was developed years old. on the spacious plateau at the foot of Mount Vrmac. It was a hidden gem, the summer residence of rulers, noblemen and poets, a city with three islands and now the largest nautical centre in the Mediterranean – Porto Montenegro. The campers who like beach holidays always go more to the south – to Budva, Bar and Ulcinj because there are many bea- ches there, both sandy and pebbly, which are several kilomet- res long in that part of the coast. Budva, the oldest city of the eastern Adriatic and the largest summer resort in Montenegro. The city of theatres and festi- vals, the place with the most beautiful beaches and the most luxurious hotels. On the Budva Riviera, which stretches along only twenty-odd kilometres, you will find 17 beautiful sandy beaches, seven monasteries, more than 50 rural and urban temples, and hundreds of hotels, restaurants and bars! Bar - between the Adriatic Sea and Lake Skadar (National Park), at the foot of Mount Rumija, there is a city of long bea- ches, old olive trees and subtropical climate. A Royal City. Our first king, Mihailo Vojislavljevic, was crowned here in 1077, Budva, Old Town while King Nikola erected a palace in this city in the late 19th century, which he used as a coastal summer resi- dence. Ulcinj, the southernmost city on the Montenegrin coast. The old town walls rise directly from the sea, and the Old Town, with its cyclopean walls, towers and gates, transports you back to the distant past. The main attraction of this city of pirates, shipbuilders and conquerors is in its long sandy beaches. The longest beach in Montenegro, Velika plaza, which is 13 kilometres long, is located in Ulcinj. 7 CentreMittlere MONTENEGRO 1 2 The national parks in central Montenegro: 1. Lovcen Activities: 2. Lake Skadar Activities: Podgorica OVER THE PLAINS AND HIGHLANDS The Heart of Montenegro nly after leaving the boiling hot, vibrant and fascinating Adriatic coast in Montenegro, every camper, hitchhiker O carrying a small tent, or owner of a luxury mobile home, comes to their own type of territory and it reaffirms their cam- 8 Mittlere MONTENEGRO The Mausoleum of Njegos on Mount Lovcen per’s nature and essence: ‘Yes, it is beautiful on the coast, but I want more, I would like to travel and explore and feel other cor- ners of this unique country’. Half an hour from the bustle of Budva by car, and at the same distance from Bar, starts the central region of Montene- gro, which boasts the Old Royal Capital of Cetinje, the Capital City of Podgorica, Niksic, Danilovgrad, and the national parks The Cetinje Monastery of Lovcen and Lake Skadar. Cetinje, the former capital of the Kingdom of Montenegro is a museum city, in which you feel as if time has stood still. The Old Royal Capital is located at an altitude of a little less than 700 metres, around thirty kilometers from Podgorica and at the same distance from Budva. The archi- tecture of the late 19th century and the early 20th century is present in every part of the city, while the rich natural heritage of Montenegrin history is treasured in its seven museums. The National Park of Lovcen is only a twenty-minute drive away from the Old Royal Capital. 9 Lake Skadar Niksic, King Nikola’s Palace 105 There are several cities in the world that are located only an Lake Skadar is the area hour-drive away from the sea and the nearest ski centre. The mild, with favourable natural almost Mediterranean climate makes Podgorica, situated on six conditions, which makes it one of the richest bird rivers, in a plain full of vineyards, one of the warmest cities in Eu- habitats in Europe.