We spent a fantastic whirlwind day in Montenegro on our recent cruise with mom. We visited an old family run olive oil mill, had lunch on the cliffs overlooking the Adriatic, wandered the old town of Budva, and drove along the coastline.
Of course, one of the first questions I had, and maybe you have, is “Where in the world is Montenegro?”. I knew it was part of the Balkans, but I honestly was not sure where on the Balkan Peninsula it was. Now I know (and so do you)!
The Montenegro coastline is simply stunning! The roads were a bit windy, so I was glad I wasn’t doing the driving, and could enjoy the gorgeous sea views on one side and the steep mountains and valleys on the other side.
Olive Oil mill
Our first stop was an old olive oil mill run by the same family for generations in a small village in the mountains. They still have the ancient equipment and explained how it all worked, although they use modern equipment now. Needless to say, the olive oil was delicious, and I had to buy some!
I will never look at (or taste) olive oil the same again. Its surprising how different olive oils taste from different climates–just like wines. I was comparing the taste of this olive oil to the one we had tasted in Italy a couple of days earlier.
Where to eat on your day in Montenegro
We stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Vista Vidikovac, which juts out on a cliff over the sea overlooking Budva.
The courtyard had the most interesting tree, I had to take a picture.
The view was so good, I had to take pictures of that too.
Budva
After eating as much as I possibly could, we drove down into Budva, and spent the afternoon exploring the old city. It is chock full of fun shops and places to grab a bite or a drink (although I was too full to take advantage of that). The streets are narrow and windy cobblestone paths. A guided walking tour here would be great.
There is an ancient fortress and church.
One of the things I thought was the best was walking through a small opening in the walls of the city right onto a pebbly beach. I could have stood there and looked out at the sea and the sky forever.
I’m so ready to go back and spend some serious time in Montenegro. You should too!!
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