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Montenegro: Land of the Black Mountains
Although only the size of Connecticut, the breakaway republic of Montenegro has it all for tourism – beaches and mountains, lakes and canyons. Thankfully, most of the tourists haven't caught on yet.
There's a saying in Montenegro: "To be able to understand the Land of the Black Mountains, you must have stood on Mt. Lovcen." The summit of the mountain ridge, one of Montenegro's most visible landmarks, is the resting place of Petar Petrovic Njegos (1813–1851). As secular ruler, church leader and the country's most important poet he shaped the country more than anyone else.
My wife, Sanja, is from Montenegro and she wanted to return there with me on my Honda Africa Twin. So we scheduled two weeks in May, perhaps the best month for the trip: a lot of sunshine and few tourists. We start out in Budva, the famous seaside resort. From there, the road leads up to the mountaintop at 1660 meters altitude, a very comfortable cruise.
Hemmed in by mountains, the Montenegrin shore is only a narrow strip. So, after leaving Budva we immediately climb the formidable ridge that forms the mountainous barrier along the coast. We also get our first lesson in Montenegrin driving behavior. They're maniacs we endeavor to avoid by proceeding carefully. After a while, we reach Cetinje, Montenegro's capital in the nineteenth century. Today it's a sleepy place, one of the reasons we decide to move on. The next 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the mountain top are a real pleasure: left, right, left, right, one bend after another on a road that is in very good condition....
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