I took a bus from Dubrovnik, Croatia, to Kotor, Montenegro. Although I was told when buying the ticket that the journey would take only two and a half hours, everyone had to get off the bus twice to go through border control, so it actually took four to five hours. A one-way ticket cost €30. Montenegro is not part of the Schengen Area, but holders of Schengen visas can enter without an additional visa.
When large cruise ships dock, the old town is crowded during the day, but the crowds thin out dramatically as soon as the sun sets. The old town is very pleasant and feels slightly less commercial than Dubrovnik, though it is still mostly filled with souvenir and ice cream shops. Wandering through the narrow alleys is great fun—it feels like walking through a maze.
The churches in the old town are Eastern Orthodox churches. Admission to the city walls seems rather arbitrary. I heard that it used to be free, but they began charging in recent years as visitor numbers increased. Admission is €15.
There are cats everywhere, and kindhearted people leave food out for them, just like in Istanbul. There is even a cat museum, which charges a nominal admission fee of €1.
I took a half-day speedboat tour to the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks, which sits on an artificial island. It costs €5 to go ashore, and the church feels like a museum. We also visited another small town, Perast, where the scenery was even more beautiful. The half-day tour cost €20, and I felt it was absolutely worth experiencing.
The people are warm and down-to-earth. For my final meal, I had pasta. Because Montenegro is close to Italy, its cuisine has been deeply influenced by Italian food. Although the décor felt rather cheesy, when I saw that the table was set with a fork and spoon, I knew the people there understood pasta, since the traditional way to eat it is to twirl it with a fork against a spoon. I did not expect the flavor to be even more impressive. After finishing my meal, I showered the owner with praise. I said I wanted to leave a review on Google Maps but could not find the restaurant. The owner generously gave me a serving of tiramisu and explained that the restaurant had opened only a few days earlier, so it had not yet appeared on the map—though it can be found there now.
Overall, I think Montenegro is well worth visiting. If you are going to Dubrovnik, you really should take the opportunity to visit Kotor as well. Of all the places I have traveled to, this is the second place after Switzerland where the scenery is as beautiful as a painting, and the prices are far more reasonable than in Dubrovnik.