14617

Montenegro: Riding from Slovenia to Montenegro, Day 5

I gave myself a present of a free week and decided to use it for cycling. My goal was to cycle from my home country to Montenegro.

Since I arrived to my destination country yesterday, today I just needed to continue to Budva. It could've been an easy ride, but I decided to make a detour over Lovćen and Cetinje. Cycling uphill from sea level to 1600 meters a.m.s.l. wasn't easy, but it was wort it because of the views and the way back to the valley. In Budva it was all over and the rehabilitation could begin.

Previous days of the bike trip: Day 4, Day 3, Day 2 and Day 1.

Our room in Kotor

 

The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Some have called it the southern-most fjord in Europe, but it is a ria, a submerged river canyon. Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive landscape.

View to Kotor and Bay of Kotor, also known simply as Boka

"Metliška črnina" doing the most challenging part of the road, a 8.3km stretch with 16 hairpin turns called Kotor Serpentine. It’s one of the most famous hairpinned roads in the world.

 

On the way up I visited a cave, used by smugglers, and then continued on a brand new road towards the peak.

Deep inside Lovćen National Park

Štirovnik, 1749 m,  the highest peak in the park

Too fast on the corner, uphill off course

View form Jezerski vrh, 1657 m, to Štirovnik

Flag of Montenegro, a red banner with broader golden edges all around the red field with the coat of arms of Montenegro in its center.

On top of Jezerski vrh with my bike. We both did a great job.

 

The biggest and most important monument of Lovćen national park is Petar Petrović Njegoš's Mausoleum constructed in 1971. The location for his burial place and the mausoleum at the summit of Jezerski vrh was chosen by Njegoš himself as his last wish.

Leaving Lovćen park was a poem

Blue Palace or Plavi Dvorac was built as the heir's palace in Cetinje, the Royal Capital of Montenegro. Today it is the residence of President of Montenegro.

Nada and Angie catch up just outside of Cetinje

Montenegro adventure coming to an end

New T-shirts

Enjoying the sunset in Budva

 

Official end of 5 days cycling

From Slovenia to Montenegro, day 3 - 245 km

5 days of cycling

GeoCaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Siebasiach's Figure Eight Geocoin", TB735HE, "Gallotia Mystery", TB7372G, "Sanban s1", TB42DJW and "Julia ud Zweeenes 100000 Caches", TB35GHN):
- After 25 curves, GC7CT8N
- SMUGGLERS HOARD, GC109GG
- Petar II. Petrović-Njegoš, GC563X9
- Mausoleum of Njegoš, GC3WAGE
- Cetinje Manastir, GC563PR