Three hours of switchbacks above Kotor, sunset over the bay and the mountains that gave the whole country its name.
From Kotor we continue into the Lovćen mountains. Setting off straight after lunch was bold – about three hours of climbing in the sun await us. After half an hour we stop counting the hairpin bends, but the effort is rewarded by views that change at every turn.
How “Montenegro” got its name
Lovćen is small in area, but you will find limestone rocks, forests and alpine meadows here. Bears and wolves live here, and you may spot an eagle or a falcon in the sky. After rain the surrounding rocks turn black, which is why the area is considered the “Black Mountain” that gave the whole country its name.
Views that never get old
There is a hotel and a small restaurant on the pass. We have a beer on the terrace and watch the sunset over the bay. The highest peak is Štirovnik (1,749 m); on the second highest, Jezerski Vrh (1,660 m), stands the mausoleum of the prince-bishop and poet Petar II Petrović-Njegoš.
On clear days you can see as far as the Prokletije mountains in Albania and even the coast of Italy. It is also worth stopping in the village of Njeguši, known for its local pršut ham.
