Great Montenegro and Albania cycling tour

There is no better way to discover the highlights of Kotor Bay and its natural beauty than by bike. Your adventure starts. A circular route takes you to some of the most interesting places in the bay. See fishing villages, small islands with churches, old palaces, beaches and beautiful nature. Afterwards, the ride continues with an ascent up Mount Lovcen, a famous Austro-Hungarian Kotor serpentine road with gorgeous views of Kotor Bay. Consisting of 25 hairpins within its 25 km of cycling, this is a climb that provides scenic views of the bay throughout the duration of the climb. The road flattens out after 25 switchbacks, and you may wish to detour to Njeguši village to refuel if necessary. It is likely to be a challenging hill climb at the beginning of the trip, so if anyone needs assistance, an escorted minivan is available. From this halfway point, you will double back to finish the climb. The mausoleum of Petar II Petrović Njegoš, who was a ruler, poet, and philosopher of Montenegro, is situated at the very top of the climb on Jezerski vrh (Jezerski peak). As the world’s highest mausoleum, the mausoleum is one of the most impressive and mysterious destinations in Montenegro. The view of the Bay of Kotor, Skadar Lake, the high mountains in the northern part of Montenegro, and even Albania will amaze you. Afterwards, there is a 20 km scenic descent through the national park to Cetinje. This is the lovely old town which was the capital of Montenegro from the 15th century until 1918. Known as the ‘Museum Town of Montenegro’, this city is a worthwhile place to learn about the turbulent Montenegrin history and culture. In Cetinje, you will spend the night in a 3-star hotel.

Cycling 101 km ↑2140 m ↓1490 m

From Montenegro, you will cross into Albania today. The Ulcinj – Shkodra road leads to the Albanian border through a vast valley. Apart from its cross-border connectivity with Montenegro, Shkodra is the gateway to the Albanian Alps. As you enter Shkodra, you pass the ruins of the Rozafa fortress, which is the main attraction. This fortress dates back to the Illyrian period around the 4th century B.C. A steep climb up the castle rewards you with fabulous views over Lake Shkodra to Montenegro and even out to the Adriatic sea. As you ride above Lake Shkodra, you’ll pass vineyards, and villages, and, ever so often, you’ll see the lake and the dramatic Albanian Alps.

From Hani Hotit, you ascend a zigzag road to reach Rrapsh. Our next stop is Leqet e Hotit, a mountain pass at an altitude of 702 meters, where we descend to Tamare. As you descend the Albanian Stelvio (with its steep gradient averaging 7%) you will witness the beauty of the Cemi River flowing through this breathtaking gorge. It’s time to take pictures! It is difficult to think of a better place to enjoy the taste of the trout fish that grows in the Cem River than Tamare. On the way back, we will take a deep canyon road with epic views along the Montenegrin border. Additionally, we are virtually alone, with only a few adventure motorcyclists passing through from time to time. Arrival and overnight stay in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro.

Cycling 139 km ↑1730 m ↓1710 m

The Durmitor Ring cycling tour is one of the most popular cycling tours in Montenegro. The tour takes you on some of the most scenic routes in Durmitor National Park. A scenic loop around Mount Durmitor begins and ends at Žabljak. We will pass a small hamlet of Bosača on the way up, and on our left can be seen the Durmitor mountain range. In the next few kilometres, we will continue our ascent to the Štuoc Pass, the highest point along the Durmitor Ring with 1,952 meters of elevation. Then, we pass by the village of Mala Crna Gora (in translation: Little Montenegro), which is located on the edge of the Sušica Canyon. There’s another magnificent viewpoint 300 meters above the canyon we’ll stop at. Ascending a steep switchback road on the other side of the canyon, we reached Nedajno village. You may also see eagles on thermals circling above you while taking photos of the canyon. On half of the route, the small village of Trsa (1450 m) is an ideal location for lunch. Within a short distance, you reach the village of Pišče and the view stretches over the wide landscape to the horizon. Traditionally, sheep farming has been and continues to be an important part of the village’s economy. The village is particularly famous for its sheep’s cheese and kajmak. As the road climbs steeply uphill, the view opens over a sea of rocks until, finally, you reach the Todorov Do valley at an elevation of 1,800 meters. At the end of the valley, the peak of Prutaš (2,393 m) rises. This area is particularly notable for its rock formations. We then ride ahead to the “Saddle of the Gods” peak (2,227 metres). It rises from lush green meadows that are full of flocks of sheep during the summer months. Then we reach Sedlo pass, a 1,907-metre high pass crossed by the Panoramic road. From Sedlo, the road descends again. It passes the small picturesque lakes of the valley. The last part of the route leads along the main road from Šavnik to Žabljak and, once again, offers a magnificent view of the Durmitor Mountains. Overnight in a 3-star hotel in Žabljak.

Cycling 80 km ↑1930 m ↓1930 m

Following breakfast, transfer to Tivat Airport (TIV) (85 km, approximately 1:30 hours drive). This concludes the tour.

Thank you for joining us on this adventure! We hope you had a memorable time and hope it’s not your last visit to the country of warm hospitality, countless mountains and exceptional nature!