Hotels near Lovcen National Park and Njegos Mausoleum

Lovcen National Park is the spiritual heart of Montenegro and the place every visitor with a spare day should add to their list of things to do in Kotor. The park covers 64 square kilometres of black-rock mountain ridges above the bay, topped by the Njegos Mausoleum on the second-highest peak (Jezerski Vrh, 1,657 m). The mausoleum holds the tomb of Petar II Petrovic-Njegos, the 19th-century prince-bishop, philosopher, and poet considered Montenegro's national father figure.

Reaching the tomb requires climbing 461 stone steps through a tunnel cut into the peak, with the final platform giving 360-degree views over the bay, the Adriatic, and on clear days as far as Albania. The drive up from Kotor on the Kotor Serpentine Road is itself an attraction - 25 hairpin switchbacks with viewpoints over the entire Bay of Kotor. Park entry is around 5 EUR; mausoleum entry 3 EUR.

Pro Tip: Drive up to Lovcen and return via Cetinje, the old royal capital, rather than the same serpentine. The loop adds 20 minutes but lets you see two of the four highlights of inland Montenegro in a single day without backtracking.