Merry Montenegro
When one mulls over festive getaway locations from which to ring in the big day, one might be forgiven for overlooking the diminutive Balkan nation of Montenegro. However, as the end of December neared, it is exactly where we found ourselves, in the Bay of Kotor to be precise, about ninety kilometres southeast of Dubrovnik. With the nation on the verge of joining the EU, possibly as soon as 2025 given wide public support, we decided that now would be a great time to see what it has to offer before the unavoidable price hikes, uncontrollable stag groups, and unpleasant rises in the overall quality of living undoubtedly come.
While Montenegro as a whole flies relatively low on the average tourist’s radar, especially in comparison to near neighbour Croatia, the town of Kotor certainly doesn’t. Clinging to the foothills of the colossal Montenegrin mountains and at the end of a bay-cum-fjord that wouldn’t look out of place in Northern Norway, Kotor is a magnet for tour groups, cruise ships, and Russian oligarchs attempting to hide boats bigger than the Mary Rose. Despite burgeoning visitor numbers that are increasing by the month, there are still many reasonably priced places to stay for a week or so with room enough for a large van and two bedraggled Welsh travellers, as we quickly found. Our very welcoming host, a native of the town, gave us a rundown of all the sights and activities on offer, and we were off.
Taking its quite ridiculously beautiful geographical location out of the equation for a moment, the central reason for the town’s blossoming tourism industry is, without question, its fabled Old Town. Far smaller than Dubrovnik, although walled and built in a similar fashion, it has a far more rugged and labyrinthine feel to it as though getting lost amongst its narrow alleyways and overhanging window ledges was a very real possibility. This we really loved. No glistening signposts guiding you to the nearest Michelin-starred eatery or countless shops selling fridge magnets or Game of Thrones tat, not yet at least.
One commonality it does share with its more famous neighbour, however, is its obsession with all things feline. So much so that the humble cat has taken on a symbolic meaning, borderline obsession, with cat shops and cat museums doing a roaring trade alongside the hundreds of cats that adorn every street corner. Widely considered to be the fattest cats this side of Wall Street, due to the number of treats plied on them by foreign visitors, they are still more than willing to jump onto your shoulders for a minute or two in an attempt to be transported to another part of town without having to use their exceedingly portly limbs.
If you successfully navigate the side streets of Kotor, no mean feat, you are treated to a grand opening onto a wide plaza lined with cafes, bars, and a Christmas tree of great girth and stature. It proved to be the perfect spot to watch the men’s football World Cup Final which we did in the largest bar in the square alongside pockets of raucous, and at times exceedingly nervous, Argentinian fans. We finished the evening with chants of Messi ringing in our ears and of Patagonian football songs in our hearts.
We spent our first week in Kotor living in extreme comfort, compared to what we were used to at least, working and resting in our small Montenegrin apartment while relishing our bi-daily saunters into the town. With Christmas a day away, Lowri began working on a festive vegan menu of epic proportions whilst I began planning the remainder of our Balkan road trip, with just three countries remaining before our return. It was such a stress-free and peaceful period that we decided to extend our stay a little beyond the big day and make the most of the calm. With Christmas Day, New Year, and visits to Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo just around the corner, we would be needing it. J
J
