If you’re staying a few days in Dubrovnik, a great day trip to do would be to Montenegro or Bosnia & Herzegovina. Both trips can easily be purchased online or when you stroll on the streets of Dubrovnik old town. I got my tickets from my hostel for Montenegro and for Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina) I got it online through Adriatic-explore.com. The Mostar one was better run in my opinion. Pick up and drop off are from your hotel or hostel. They cost between 300-400 Kunas in summer 2017.
First up, Montenegro. It’s a good side trip because you get to see 2 towns, Budva and Kotor. Montenegro is blessed with the sea, the mountains and a lot of history. You also get to see the church, Our Lady of the Rock. that’s artificially built on an island. I shan’t tell you the wonders of this church, you should go there to explore it yourself. You can also swim if you want to in the many beaches as Montenegro is mainly coastal. If you love clubbing, Make the trip yourself and stay for a few nights. Budva and Porto Montenegro is a hangout for the rich and famous and also, fantastic concerts. Madonna, Rolling Stones have all been invited by the country to hold concerts there so now you know! The best part is, it’s cheaper than Croatia by quite a bit and you get fantastic seafood. It’s also rather unexplored and exotic still.
The beautiful sea of Montenegro with many small boats
The water is so clear and inviting!
Our Lady of the rock. It’s a very revered church. And inside, there are many cute items all with a story. Must see!
Kotor is a historical town and you should climb up the many many steps up to the Church of our Lady of Remedy/good health at the top. You can climb further up to the summit if you wish but there are no more monuments, just the view! Remember to fill your water bottle with water from the fountain before you head up the climb as It is very very hot. I visited the cat museum and fell in love with the many cats of the town. You will also love wandering the streets of Kotor. The cathedral and the Russian church is also a beautiful place to visit.
The very old Kotor. Love the watch tower and the square.
Your hike up the church of our Lady of Remedy and beyond. I did this in flip flops. So I didn’t go all the way to the summit.
Besides a good cardio workout, you get this view!
The cathedral
Love the old buildings in Kotor
Was very crowded when I was there as a cruise ship just docked that morning
Budva old town was a much smaller town and it’s by the sea so you can swim there to ease of the heat. It’s also near the marina where I was lucky enough to see the international sailing week boats. Eat fabulous seafood in the many restaurants. Eat the mussels or oysters as it’s cultivated there.
Budva was way smaller than Kotor. But no suet of old buildings and structures
Budva’s cathedral
Retail therapy
My guide also joked to say that if you can buy yourself out of anything here. Also, the rich Russians and Europeans love this place because it’s warm, their private jet can stop by the nearby airport and they’re at the sea in minutes to the private boats and they can sail away. It’s also cheaper to dock here than the neighboring ports. So if you own a boat, please make a note to be here or you may already know about it 😂
Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina was a delight to visit because it was the perfect blend of 2 cultures, the moorish and the Catholics. It was however the second hottest place in Europe, the first being Seville. So if you come in summer, remember to dress right and hydrate. The beautiful Mostar is full of history. As you remember, Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Mostar being in the south part that they call Herzegovina is the unofficial capital of the south. It was just about 15 years ago that the war happened in Bosnia and thus you can still see remains of the war that happened in the buildings, streets and roads. It is sad to know the history but it’s also wonderful to see how this country managed to struggle and come so far and now have a beautiful city that is safe to visit.
The river that separates.
Souvenirs everywhere!
The star of Mostar is the bridge. People jump off it as a sport and the professional divers collect tips to jump. It is also the most dangerous river due to the undercurrents and caves below. So it’s not for everyone. The last day of July Is when the completion for the best diver is decided. So make a note if you happen to be here next year to go to the bridge and see 10-30 men jump off. You should also try stepping into the water. It is ICY cold! But only swim if you’re a very strong swimmer as the currents are strong. The bridge is a Unesco protected monument so I hope nothing happens to it again. (It was destroyed in the last war)
The war town building
The ablution area for the mosque. The tower climb is a good place to see the panorama of the city. I didn’t do it as I was too too hot
Walking around the town was beautiful as you can clearly see how the buildings differ from one side to the other. One side very moorish and the other side Catholic. The ice cream is also the cheapest I saw, only 50 euro cents per scoop! I love the coconut. Great for cooling you down on a hot day. You will also see many beautiful hand made souvenirs that you don’t see elsewhere so if you love memorabilia, get them here. Food is also good and eat the meats, they’re better than the seafood.
The day tour also brings you to the Kravica waterfall and it’s a small one but people love it as they can cool themselves down in the hot summer.
Kravica waterfalls. You hike down the valley for this
There you go, if you did the 2 trips like me, you would have down 3 countries in 1 trip. I would have loved to stay in Mostar for the night if I went on my own though as it really seemed like a very nice place.
Never stop wandering!
XOXO
Stella
Ps: you can see more photos if you follow me on Instagram! @4toegraphs
Stella Goes West 