Montenegro - Hidden beauty between water and stone

 When you say Montenegro, most people think of summer, Budva, Herceg Novi, Kotor, and other famous places, but if you thought that the best thing that Montenegro has to offer is only the coast, think again!

Skadar Lake- Paw traveller

Looking for places where nature is simply nature, fascinating and beautiful on its own, we tend to fantasize about faraway exotic destinations, imagine the vast Argentinean pastures, the rugged landscapes, or the layered mountains of Winnikunka, and often forget that beautiful and unique places can be found much closer than it seems to us.

If you know how to enjoy life, you will find beauty in all the places you stay long enough, no matter how small and often completely uninteresting at first glance.

One evening, completely unplanned, we also found such an ordinary but beautiful place that we decided to travel for one week. The choice fell entirely by chance on Gornji Sustaš, a small village at the foot of Rumija. 

We found accommodation in this village in the Holiday Home Vulezić at the very exit from the village where the hunting ground begins and the road turns towards the village of Velembusi.

Gornji Sustaš- Paw traveller

Enough urban and yet enough surrounded by beautiful nature, the village of Sustaš is located very close to the town Old Bar, which is an interesting combination of the Mediterranean and the Orient, but also the new city of Bar, where you will find a long and beautifully landscaped promenade, a castle with a palace garden, a beach and a handful of cafes and restaurants. ... so, there is something for everyone.

Sustaš is also located a little more than half an hour's drive from Velika plaža, which spreads its fine sand for kilometers along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and a little less to Lake Skadar, which captivates with its beauty and untouched nature.

Holiday Home Vulezic- Paw traveller

In this place, true nature lovers can enjoy long walks through endless olive groves, and they can also enjoy the clean air, beautiful views of the Adriatic Sea, and breathtaking sunsets. Hiking trails also pass nearby, so whoever wants little hiking and climbing during vacation can complete the day by climbing the Rumija mountain.

And when you explore all the roads and remote paths in the hinterland of Bar, visit the springs and possibly visit the small waterfall in the village of Turčini that forms an eye in which you can bathe in the summer months... and may the spirit of adventure not leave you yet. Plan the perfect trip!

Visit Virpazar, a small fishing village in the central part of Crmnica, nestled at the point where the rivers Orahovštica and Crmnica meet and flow into Lake Skadar.

Crmnica is a fertile region with an extremely favorable climate for growing vines, so the wines from this area are rightly considered to be of the highest quality. 

Besides visiting one of the wineries, you can also spend a nice day here if you rent a kayak and go on the lake or, if you are not very skilled in this sport, take a tour boat and then sit down in one of the nice restaurants.

Virpazar- Paw traveller

For the rest of the day, continue to Rijeka Crnojevića, a small town on the river of the same name with a center where there are old buildings and a promenade with several restaurants. Although this place has an extremely rich historical heritage, it is rarely talked about nowadays.

The name of this small town is associated with Ivan Crnojević, the ruler of Zeta, who in the 15th century built a fortress and a monastery dedicated to Saint Nicholas on the hill of Obod and transferred the center of the state and church from Žabljak, and that was a time when the history of this place actually begins.

Although almost forgotten nowadays, Rijeka Crnojevića was very important in the past. The first pharmacy in Montenegro was opened here, the first workshop for the manufacture of weapons, and during the 19th and early 20th centuries it was the leading trade center and the largest Montenegrin port.

There was also a fish factory "Ribarstvo" in this place, which sold its products to the markets of Italy and America, mother-of-pearl was also made from fish scales in the "Marica" factory, and the market days in Rijeka Crnojevića were something to talk about. 

Rijeka Crnojevića- Paw traveller

In Rijeka Crnojevića, the remains of historical buildings from the time of Ivan Crnojević have been preserved, such as the remains of the Obod printing house, where the first book in the Cyrillic script "Oktoih prvoglasnik" was printed. The printing and decoration were in charge of seven monks headed by Hieromonk Makarije, the first printer from the territory of southern Slavs.

Rijeka Crnojevića is dominated by Danilov's Bridge, which was built by Prince Danilo in 1853 in memory of his father Stanko Petrović. And on the bank of the river itself has been preserved a one-story house built by him, known as "Mostina", which today presents a restaurant. If you decide to stay here, be sure to try crap, eel, or the unusual and authentic cold-smoked dry "ukljeva" with an exceptional taste.

From Rijeka Crnojevića, you can also go on a recreational walk to the Obod cave along a path of about two kilometers that starts right behind the building where the "Obod" hotel used to be. The building is ruined and it is clear that the hotel has seen much better days in the past but even now so dilapidated it gives a rustic charm to the town.

Bar- Paw traveller

And in the evening, when you return to Sustaš tired as a hell, you are guaranteed an invigorating sleep, but also the next morning you will wake up with the song of roosters, the bells of cattle walking on the surrounding slopes, and the breeze coming from the sea carrying with it iodine in the air mixed with the smell of warm pines and wild herbs.

It's time for a new adventure!

Read about the beauty of an ordinary, completely unknown place in Srem HERE.

Follow Paw traveller on Instagram as well!