Lovćen National Park Tour

A full day on the black mountain that gave Montenegro its name.

Lovćen — "the Black Mountain" — is the symbolic heart of Montenegro. Its karst summit rises to 1,657 metres directly behind the coast, and on a clear day the view from the mausoleum of Prince-Bishop Njegoš at the top takes in more than half the country: the Bay of Kotor to the west, Skadar Lake to the south, Albania to the southeast and the Durmitor peaks on the northern horizon. This full-day private tour combines the drive of a lifetime, a serious cultural site and a taste of the old royal capital.

Morning — the switchback climb. After a hotel pickup on the bay, we begin the climb from Kotor on one of Europe's great mountain roads — twenty-five sharp hairpins carved into the limestone face above the town, gaining nearly a thousand metres in around forty minutes. Several photo pauses en route open onto the whole of the inner bay from steadily higher angles.

Mid-morning — Njeguši village. At the top of the pass we enter Njeguši, the ancestral village of the Petrović-Njegoš royal family and the home of Montenegro's two most famous specialities: Njeguši prosciutto (dry-cured in the mountain wind) and Njeguši cheese. A short visit to a family-run smokehouse includes a tasting of both, with rye bread, local honey and rakija — a genuinely memorable second breakfast.

Midday — Lovćen National Park and the Njegoš Mausoleum. We continue into Lovćen National Park and drive to the base of the mausoleum climb. A staircase of 461 stone steps (with several rest platforms) leads to the summit, where the black granite mausoleum of Prince-Bishop Petar II Petrović Njegoš — the country's greatest poet-ruler — sits under an enormous stone canopy. The panoramic terrace behind the mausoleum is one of the great views of the Balkans.

Lunch — Cetinje. We descend to the historic royal capital of Cetinje for a long lunch at a traditional konoba, followed by a short walking visit to the small palace of King Nikola, the Cetinje Monastery (repository of the relic of Saint Peter of Cetinje and, according to tradition, the right hand of Saint John the Baptist) and the pastel-fronted embassies of the old royal quarter.

Afternoon — return by a different route. For a full loop, we descend from Cetinje via Budva on a much gentler road, with a final coastal photo stop before the return to the bay.

Return. Guests are typically back at their hotel by early evening.

How it runs. Private, air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide; Lovćen National Park and mausoleum entrance fees; Njeguši tasting; comfort stops throughout. The mausoleum climb is 461 steps — moderate fitness and comfortable shoes recommended.