1. Tag München und Dubrovnik: Dauer 1 1/4 Std.
After two and a half months abstinence from travel, it finally started again today. After some morning stress because of our idea to travel only with hand luggage, we set off for our week-long trip to the Balkans.
After a good hour's flight, we landed relaxed in King´s Landing - uh Dubrovnik. The approach to Dubrovnik is really spectacular. It's best to sit on the left side of the plane.
Vom Flughafen aus haben wir den Shuttlebus zum Hafen (30 Minuten, 40 Kuna pro Person) von Dubrovnik genommen, wo uns Branko, unser Vermieter, schon mit seinem kleinen Auto erwartete. Alternativ könnt Ihr hier einen zuverlässigen Privattransfer* buchen.
After a warm welcome with cold drinks, fruits and cookies in the Apartment Rooms Vjera, we enjoyed the wonderful view of the UNESCO World Heritage Site - the old town of Dubrovnik..
Our accommodation is really perfectly located. Only a few stairs separated us from the charming old town. Grocery stores and a bakery are also nearby.
First of all we wanted to feel salt water on our skin again and so we went to Banje Beach. This is the city beach of Dubrovnik. If you leave the sandy / pebble beach behind and continue walking out of town along the water, you will find great rocks on which you can lie well. There are few people there and can jump into the crystal clear, turquoise water.
In the evening we had a good time in the Dalmatino restaurant. We couldn't really make up our mind, so we simply took everything we wanted as a starter size: black seafood risotto, octopus salad, grilled calamari, and mussels buzzara.
To sink in, we treated ourselves to a few drinks in the Buza Cliff-Side Bar, which is located in the cliffs outside the mighty city walls. Normal price level.
When we went back to the apartment at night, we were caught by our landlord Branko, his wife and their neighbors and drank great Croatian white wine with them on their terrace. On this occasion, the older rulers explained the long history of the city of Dubrovnik.
DAY 2: DUBROVNIK
The next day I went to the bakery early to enjoy a breakfast with a great view on our terrace.
So we were early in the morning on the city walls of the old town. From up here you have a great view over the roofs of Dubrovnik. If you are really early, so before the cruise tourists invade the city, you can take great photos over the red tiled roofs and take a relaxing 1.5-2 hour walk.
Auch einige Drehorte der Serie „Game of Thrones“ erkennt man immer wieder. Es werden auch spezielle GoT-Touren angeboten. Das werdet ihr noch öfter in unserem Reisebericht Montenegro lesen. Schaut Euch mal diese Tour auf den Stadtmauern für Frühaufsteher* .
Am Nachmittag setzten wir mit der Fähre zur Insel Lokrum über, um der drückenden Hitze der Stadt und den tausenden Kreuzfahrern zu entkommen. Die Schiffe nach Lokrum fahren alle 30 Minuten. Im Hafen lasst ihr die schreienden Tagestouranbieter einfach links liegen und geht bis zur Kaimauer durch, wo ein alter Mann an einem kleinen Schreibtisch sitzt und Tickets für die offiziellen Boote verkauft. Nach 15 Minuten Bootsfahrt ist man in einer anderen – viel ruhigeren Welt. Das Wasser an der Westküste von Lokrum ist etwas schöner als das an der Ostküste. Einige sehr schön gelegene Kloster und Ruinen, welche auch Drehorte für Game of Thrones waren, geben sensationelle Fotomotive ab. Richtig sportlich wird es, wenn ihr die Strecke von Dubrovnik nach Lokrum mit dem Kajak* zurücklegt. Schaut euch diese Tour an.
The botanical garden on the island has been badly hit by the harsh winter, so it is really not worth a visit at the moment.
After a few hours of swimming and hiking on the island, we made our way back to the mainland. After dinner, we treated ourselves - as every evening - to an ice cream in PEPPINO´s. Really recommended due to the exciting varieties.
DAY 3: DUBROVNIK AND KOTOR
Heute ist unser dritter und letzter Tag in Dubrovnik und so nutzten wir unsere letzten Stunden in Kroatien, um das mächtige Fort Lovrijenac zu besuchen. Das ist die Festung auf der Landzunge neben der Altstadt. Der Eintritt ist im Preis des City Walls-Ticket inbegriffen. Auch hier erkennt man einige Drehorte von Game of Thrones wieder. Es mag jetzt wohl der Eindruck entstehen, dass wir Dubrovnik nur wegen der Serie besucht haben. Nein, natürlich nicht, aber man kommt einfach nicht drum rum. Hier findet Ihr eine gute Tour zu allen Schauplätzen der Serie Game of Thrones*.
As a conclusion to Dubrovnik you can say that it is a breathtaking city if you enjoy the old town early in the morning and late in the evening and in between, when the crusaders populate the city, take a trip to the surrounding islands.
We now had a good two days in Dubrovnik and got a first impression, but you can certainly spend a week here and visit the Elaphite Islands or take a trip to the hinterland.
Around noon we took the shuttle bus back to the airport and picked up the rental car from Active Car, which brings us to the main part of our travel report Montenegro.
Das Büro von Active Car liegt etwa 300 m außerhalb des Flughafens, nicht bei den anderen Autovermietungen, sondern auf der anderen Straßenseite stadtauswärts. Active Car können wir uneingeschränkt empfehlen. Kompetente deutschsprachige Abwicklung, niemand versucht einem unnötige Zusatzversicherungen aufzudrängen. Nach 5 Minuten hatten wir unseren Seat Ibiza, mit dem wir äußert zufrieden waren. Den passenden Mietwagen für eure Reise* findet ihr auf jeden Fall hier. Bitte beachtet, dass ihr einen Mietwagen bucht, bei dem der Grenzübertritt erlaubt ist, wenn nötig.
So we headed south towards Montenegro, where we stood at the EU's external border for two hours. But you're on vacation and a woman would never think of being grumpy because a man chose the slower track. (-;
The route to Kotor along the fjord is really picturesque and so we arrived relaxed in our apartment Jelka after 3.5 hours (including 2 hours traffic jam at the border), where we were warmly welcomed by the young landlord Jelka and her father.
After we had moved into our room, we strolled the 15 minutes along the beach promenade to the old town, where we chose the Konoba Kantun as the place for our dinner. Really happy, because of the best grilled squid of the whole trip with homemade bread, we got an ice cream - like every evening - and walked back to the accommodation.
The apartment itself is relatively noisy, but the sensational hospitality of the landlords makes up for it all. Every time the landlord saw us, we “had to” taste beer, juice, wine or cheese with him and often chatted for a long time. The nicest man we've ever met.
Alternativ findet ihr hier ein Apartment mit richtig guter Preis-Leistung und super Bewertung*.
DAY 4: TRAVEL REPORT MONTENEGRO: KOTOR / ST. JOHN FORTRESS, BLUE GROTTO, OUR LADY OF THE ROCKS, PRISON ISLAND
On the second day in Montenegro we were up early and made our way to the old town, where the steep climb to the St. John Fortress begins in the northeast corner.
With a few breaks to admire the magnificent view of Kotor and the bay, it took us about 45 minutes to get to the top. Take a look at the photos. The view is really amazing. If you tackle the climb early in the morning, the trail is still in the shade and you won't see that many other hikers.
At 12 o'clock we had an appointment with Montenegro Submarine for the speed boat tour.
Highly recommended and perfectly organized. After dropping a family off at Robinson Beach, we had the speedboat to ourselves. We took the boat to a former Soviet submarine hiding place that was hewn out of the rock. Very exciting and part of the history of the Cold War.
From the boat we marveled at the prison island of Manula before we reached the highlight of the trip - the Blue Grotto. A sea cave open on two sides in the rock, the water of which shines in all shades of blue, so that you have to check again and again whether blue lamps are not helpful. But no, the colors are an interplay of sunlight, underground and water depth.
On the way back we stopped at a tiny island in front of Perast with the Our Lady of the Rocks church. All in all a great day, thanks to our skipper Vasilije, whom we can warmly recommend to you in our travel report Montenegro.
Hier haben euch eine Tour zu den genannten Sehenswürdigkeiten rund um Kotor* rausgesucht. Wirklich empfehlenswert und top bewertet.
In the evening we had good seafood again in the Dekaderon restaurant. The prices in Kotor correspond approximately to those in Germany. A main course - fish or meat - and two beers cost around € 20 on average.
DAY 5: TRAVEL REPORT MONTENEGRO: SVETI STEFAN, KAMENOVO BEACH AND KOTOR
Today we took a trip to Sveti Stefan, an idyllic hotel island. Unfortunately, you have to say that you can only go to the island if you are a guest in the hotel. The beach on the opposite mainland is not inviting and the loungers are very expensive. So Sveti Stefan is really nice to look at from the street above, but you can save yourself the way through the narrow streets and the few euros for the parking lot down by the sea.
We actually wanted to have a look at Budva, but we were fed up with the city as we drove through. The main street goes right along the crowded beach. There is a lot of traffic and people drive like crazy.
Wir sind also weiter zum Kamenovo Beach. Der Parkplatz kostet 5 €, es soll aber auch einen kostenlosen geben. Von dort geht man Treppen bis zum Meer runter, wo wir uns dann links gehalten haben. Ihr wisst ja bestimmt mittlerweile, dass wir auf Felsenstrand stehen und keine Sand- oder Kieselstrände mögen – zumindest nicht am Mittelmeer. Also links sind Felsen und wenig Leute, rechts sind Kieselsteine und viele Leute. Am Strand gibt es auch noch die nette Beach-Bar El Capitano. Gutes Essen, normale Preise und tolle Location.
Overall, it was a pretty stressful day.
Abends haben wir uns dann wieder Meeresfrüchte und Balkan-Weißwein im Café del Mar gegönnt. Das Restaurant liegt direkt an der Promenade und ist echt zu empfehlen und vergleichsweise auch günstig. Mit das beste Restaurant unseres Reisebericht Montenegro.
DAY 6: TRAVEL REPORT MONTENEGRO: LOVCEN NATIONAL PARK, NJEGOS MAUSOLEUM, SKADAR LAKE AND KOTOR
Today the Lovcen National Park including the Njegos Mausoleum was on the plan.
The road up to Mount Lovcen is really spectacular. In Kotor, a small side street goes towards the mountain and winds in countless serpentines up to just below the summit. The mountain road is really quite narrow and in the case of oncoming traffic you have to drive back to the next alternative, but we really enjoyed the ride up there. We stopped again and again to enjoy the sensational view of the Bay of Kotor, Tivat and the open sea.
Once at the top of the parking lot, you still have a few steps ahead and the view of the impressive mausoleum (€ 3) opens up.
Built from black and white marble, the tomb sits enthroned on the top of Mount Lovcen.
Die Aussicht von hier oben auf 1700m ist gigantisch. Man kann das kleine Land Montenegro bei gutem Wetter fast komplett überblicken. An ganz klaren Tagen sieht man angeblich sogar bis nach Italien.
Achtung, falls ihr den Mount Lovcen auch besuchen wollt, vertraut nicht blind euren Navis. Google Maps möchte auf der neueren Straße über Budva fahren, was ein riesiger Umweg ist und euch die tolle Aussicht der Serpentinenstraße kosten würde. Apple Karten und maps.me leiten euch richtig von Kotor aus. Hier oben ist es natürlich auch deutlich kühler als unten. Also eine gute Alternative für heiße Tage. Hier findet Ihr eine sehr gut bewertete Tour, die euch genau zu den genannten Orten* führt.
In the afternoon we drove towards the Albanian border and admired the wonderful loop of the Crnojevića river. Just look at the pictures. Reminiscent of the Rheinschleife or the Horseshoe Bend in the USA. It was scorching hot at 40 degrees, but the area is really great. From the small town of Rijeka Crnojevića you can also take boat tours to Lake Skadar.
Nearby is the small Kaff Karuc. The term “picturesque” was probably invented for this place, but see for yourself. Really awesome here and very few tourists. This day was an absolute highlight of our travel report Montenegro. All in all a really exciting trip with really great prospects. Pure nature. In the evening we were back in Kotor and ate relatively poorly in the Rendez Vouz restaurant in the old town. We had, among other things, a seafood salad with frozen shrimp and surimi - so imitation crab meat. And right by the sea.
DAY 7: TRAVEL REPORT MONTENEGRO: LUSTICA AND KOTOR
Today we have a really lazy bathing day on the Lustica peninsula. From Kotor it takes about 30 minutes to the Lustica peninsula and the beach in Mirišta.
The way there is again quite adventurous, but it is definitely worth it.
Here you can rent beach chairs right on the water for a small fee (€ 3.50) and park for free when you eat or drink in the local restaurant.
The water is crystal clear and you have everything you need. If you get there early, you almost have the beach to yourself.
At lunchtime we ate fish tartare and salad in the restaurant with a great view. Really tasty. You can really stand it all day here. A bay further on is said to be a great beach and the Ribarsko Selo restaurant - according to our skipper Vasilije, the best restaurant in the whole country.
Zurück in Kotor hat uns der liebenswerte Vermieter unseres Appartements mal wieder „erwischt“ und wir „mussten“ einen halben Laib Bergkäse essen und eine Flasche Wein mit ihm trinken.
Really crazy how great hospitality is written here.
In the evening we had a great fish platter in the Café del Mar.
DAY 8: TRAVEL REPORT MONTENEGRO: KOTOR AND DUBROVNIK
Our last day of vacation is coming again. After a final breakfast with the landlord, including croissant, juice and coffee, we set off for Croatia with a heavy heart.
Diesmal ohne lange Wartezeiten an der Grenze kamen wir am späten Vormittag am Pasjaca-Beach in der Nähe des Flughafens Dubrovnik an. Es gibt einen kostenlosen Parkplatz, von dem man einen schmalen Weg an den Klippen entlang zum Meer hinunter gelangt. Nachdem der Weg die letzte Biegung macht, öffnet sich der Blick auf den unglaublichsten Strand, den ich jemals im Mittelmeer gesehen habe. Nachtrag: Mittlerweile haben wir einen Strand am Mittelmeer gefunden, der sogar noch schöner ist. Lest gerne hier mehr dazu, wenn Ihr diesen Reisebericht fertig gelesen habt.
Deserted, water that sparkles in all shades of blue and is surrounded by high rock walls. To be honest, it's actually one of the most perfect beaches I've ever seen.
There is no infrastructure with toilets, loungers or a restaurant here. But maybe that's what makes the beach. Here we spent the day until the afternoon.
For dinner we drove to the small town of Cavtat near the airport.
For a day of departure, this day was really awesome.
Our conclusion
We felt very safe during the whole trip and, above all, ate very well.
Above all, the impressive mountains and rivers of Montenegro and the wonderful old town of Dubrovnik will be remembered.
Montenegro was more expensive than expected and the driving style is getting used to, but easy to master.
Croatia has a clear lead when it comes to swimming. Montenegro is naturally in a class of its own.
A really successful trip. We will think about it for many weeks.
