Day 4: Podgorica and Lake Skadar

The next day, we wanted to visit Podgorica, the little-known capital. Unfortunately, the weather was not as good as in the previous days. Still, we set off. By mistake, we ended up taking the route through the mountains, which was quite unpleasant given the approaching thunderstorm.

Nevertheless, after about two hours we reached “Europe’s most boring capital.” Did it deserve this title?

I had looked up sights on the internet previously but had not found very much.

So we first drove to the oldest part of the city, which was not spectacular but still pleasant to look at. There, we also visited a rather beautiful mosque.

We also liked a fairly pretty park with an equestrian monument and an old stone bridge—the Osmanagic Bridge.

The Orthodox cathedral was definitely the highlight. Its white façade stands out immediately.

But the interior is even more impressive, and I recommend every visitor to see it.

We then drove on to the center. Around a central square, there were numerous cafés and shops, including another Hard Rock Café.

In fact, I have never seen so many Hard Rock Cafés in one country as in Montenegro. So, naturally, my son added more T-shirts and fridge magnets to his collection.

Just as we had parked, it began to rain heavily again.

So we found a spot in a nice café where we ordered coffee and cake and watched the surroundings in the rain, which was actually quite romantic.

Afterward, we walked to the pedestrian zone, but it had begun to rain again, making it seem rather deserted. In better weather, it’s surely a charming area.

My conclusion: I always say that if you want to get to know a country, you should also see the capital. Podgorica is certainly not the most exciting city I’ve ever visited, but it does have potential. I wouldn’t be surprised if it spruced itself up even more in the coming years to attract more tourism. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on its development.

Currently, though, the lack of tourists is exactly what makes it interesting—you get a good impression of the real everyday life of the people living here.

When the rain finally eased, we decided to continue our journey. Scooters and rain are not the best combination.

Since the weather was improving steadily, we decided—as originally planned—to head to Lake Skadar after all.

Virpazar, a small village on the lake’s shore from which boat tours can be booked, was not far away.

When we arrived, the sun was once again shining, and we found a booth selling tickets for a tour.

We were almost alone on the boat, as hardly anyone had booked a tour due to the weather—lucky for us!

The ride across the seemingly endless lake was wonderful.

In the distance, we could see the Albanian coastline, which immediately brought back memories of our dream vacation there a year ago.

The tour took us through reed belts and past a ruin. Behind it rose jagged mountains.

The landscape looked like something straight out of a fairytale book.

Along the way, we also saw many rare birds, and our boatman knew all their names in several languages. His expertise and love of the landscape made the experience even more unique and special.

After more than an hour, we docked at a beach. There was a restaurant there as well, but unfortunately, it was closed. Presumably, the owners assumed no boats would come due to the weather—too bad!

Still, we stayed on the beach for a while and had the opportunity to swim in the lake. It was wonderful!

We spent a lovely time in and by the water.

The sun now showed itself from its best side again.

On the way back, we passed through a patch of water lilies, where the boatman took wonderful photos of us.

After about two hours, the tour came to an end. It was one of the best boat trips I have ever taken, and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

Finally, it was time to head back. The return journey was quite pleasant thanks to the nice weather. This time, we took the correct route through the relatively new tunnel, which significantly shortened the drive.

We ended the day at the wonderful restaurant where we had had lunch on our first day. The food was delicious once again. Tired and happy, we fell into bed.