Ulcinj and Kotor - Montenegro in fast motion

Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Ulcinj by car. First we went from Tirana to Shkoder by bus, and on site we organized a driver to take us to Ulcinj in Montenegro. This time we waited at the border for a long time, but we entered Montenegro without any problems. The first stop was the coastal city of Ulcinj. It is very hilly and our accommodation was located on the highest hill. But since we skipped breakfast, we walked towards the water first to look for something to eat. After having a pizza, we then looked down on the old town from a cliff. A really great view. However, due to our full stomachs and the heat, we did not feel like walking to the old town, so we ended the day by observing the sunset from the balcony. This morning we took the bus to Kotor at 7:15 am. After about three hours on the bus, during which we had a breathtaking view of the Montenegrin coast, we arrived in Kotor without any problems. We specifically chose accommodation a bit outside the town to avoid the big tourist crowds and to go swimming with fewer people. This plan worked out perfectly and we arrived at our accommodation about five kilometers outside Kotor in the early afternoon. Since we hadn't eaten breakfast again, we first had a portion of pasta. Then we put on our swimming shorts and enjoyed the crystal clear cold water in the Bay of Kotor. Here, there is not really a beach, but you jump directly into the water from stone slabs and leave it again via a ladder. So, we had to swim the whole time because we couldn't touch the ground with our feet. A different, but great experience. Around 5:00 pm, we took a taxi to the old town of Kotor. Our goal was to climb the fortress above the old town. In total, it was about 300 meters in altitude and 1350 stairs to conquer. On the way up, we needed regular breaks and admired the view of the Bay of Kotor. After about an hour, we reached the fortress and were amazed. Wow, what a great view. We then spent almost two hours at the fortress until the sun went down behind the mountains. After that, we walked back down and strolled through the old town in the evening light. While Ulcinj may not necessarily be worth a trip, Kotor definitely is. I especially liked the mix of water, old town, and the breathtaking view from the fortress. Unfortunately, Montenegro is no longer really cheap. The prices are very similar to Germany, and even though Montenegro is not in the EU, you can pay with euros here. Tomorrow, we will start our last leg of the Balkan tour. From Kotor, we will take the bus to Dubrovnik in Croatia again. We will spend two more days there before continuing to Zadar on Thursday and flying back to Germany on Friday.