When we decided to visit Croatia, many of the travel guides we consulted said, if you’re going to be that close, you should make a day trip from Dubrovnik to Montenegro.
The border crossing can take some time since Montenegro is not yet a part of the European Union, but we were fortunate to find it less crowded. The first glimpse of the black mountains, which give the country its name, made us glad we chose to take the advice.
Our first stop was the village of Perast - home to Our Lady of the Rocks church, built on top of a man-made island that locals created over centuries. The town also boasts a yummy almond cake and coffee with a waterside view.
On the day we visited, Perast was also home to a classic dog-cat face off as we sampled the almond cake at Bistro Šijavoga.
We moved on to Kotor, which is known for its bay, but might also be thought of as a city of churches. Two of the most prominent are St. Tryphon Cathedral and St. Nicholas’ Church.
What people don’t know about Kotor is that the city offers a stellar brick-oven pizza takeout option called Pizzeria Pronto and - wait for it - a cat museum. As it turns out, the people of Kotor are grateful for the role that cats played in stemming the plague during the Middle Ages. So, they are esteemed enough to be the focus of boutiques and statues as well.
We returned to our hotel in Dubrovnik for a very Croatian meal of seafood salad and quintessential black risotto (made with squid ink).
What a day in two wonderful countries: Croatia and its neighbor, Montenegro.
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