Very few car rental companies allow you to return your rental car in a different country and the few that do charge a fortune so we had to return our car in Croatia and catch a bus to Montenegro. The ride only took 2.5 hours and we arrived around 2pm in Kotor Bay. The small Old Town is located on a picturesque bay surrounded by some of the most beautiful mountains anywhere. We had a short walk to our apartment located steps from the old town wall. Once we checked in, we ate lunch and fell asleep. Besides from being in a great location our apartment had fast wifi, a bedroom, living room and a kitchen with a washing machine and was across the street from a small mall that had a grocery store and a gym inside. Originally, we had only planned on spending one night here but not only was the apartment perfect for us but it and everything else here was surprising inexpensive. The apartment was only $38 a night. We decided quickly to book 3 days here and take advantage of the gym and kitchen. After our nap we headed out for dinner and a hookah then got some work done in the room before crashing.
The next morning, we went for a jog, hit the gym and decided to climb the mountain behind our apartment. The mountain offers a lot of options. Halfway up there is a fortress with walls running along the lower half of the mountain and all the way up top there is a monastery. The monastery is a great look out point and can be reached by climbing this side or you can reach it by hiking up through a National Park on the other side of the mountain. Originally we were going to take a taxi to the national park and hike up that way for around $60. Then we found out that there is a trail behind an old hydro plant called the Ladder of Kotor. This trail is free and runs all the way up the mountain and then down the other side. There were a few other hikers on the lower half of the trail but half way up there’s a fork and the path to the right goes to the fortress then back into the old city. Not in the mood for more touristy forts we decided to keep climbing with the hopes of reaching the top of this huge mountain. Once above the fortress we didn’t see anymore hikers. It took us around 2 hours to reach the top and it was so worth it. The views from here were incredible. We not only got to see the fortress but we were actually higher than the monastery so we got to see it all. We both agreed that this hike ranks amongst our top 5. Once back down we showered and had dinner on the water. Most of the old towns we have visited are very touristy with not much else to offer. This old town has it’s history like the others but it is also very central to the locals. We watched a graduation ceremony in the Old Town last night and have noticed a lot more families here at the beaches. We are so glad we decided to stay here a little longer.
