Montenegro, My Two Trips and a Thousand Images

Montenegro is a small country with a vast presence. I’ve been twice — once for work, once with a group of travellers — and both times it managed to surprise me with how much it holds within its borders. Mountains that fall straight into the sea. Towns that seem carved from stone and time. Roads that twist through landscapes so dramatic you forget to breathe.

My first trip was structured, professional, all about site visits and timing. I saw the beauty, but from the surface. The second trip — with a small group — was slower, more human. We had time to wander, to laugh over long dinners, to watch the sun dip into the Adriatic in silence. That’s when I truly felt Montenegro: when it stopped being a destination and started being a feeling.

People talk about Kotor like it’s a secret, even though it’s well-known. But it feels intimate, especially in the early morning or off-season. Then there’s Perast, like a watercolor left in the sun, and Lake Skadar, where you feel like you’ve fallen off the map. Montenegro doesn’t rush. And it doesn’t need to shout.

When I create itineraries for Montenegro, I build in that space. The stillness. The chance to take the long road, even if it means getting a little lost. Montenegro rewards the traveler who slows down, who looks twice, who doesn’t demand to be entertained but waits to be invited in.