Driving a convertible had never appealed to me. I’m more inclined to cast disparaging glances at those who ‘go topless’ in their otherwise mundane family cars. I smile at the thought of how much extra they’ve paid just to be able to enjoy the wind messing up their hair on the two or three hot days that make up the British summer.

So it was something of a surprise when I found myself handing over €50 in cash to take ownership, for a day at least, of a Peugeot convertible. We were staying in the coastal town of Kotor in Montenegro and wanted to get out and see more of the country. The usually painful bureaucracy of car hire was nowhere to be seen at this local business and when the owner offered us a fancy car for only €10 more than the basic rate we took one look at the cloudless blue sky and accepted. “Top down?” “Yes please”, we said, wishing to make the most of our extravagance.

It was after a few moments, as we were negotiating the hairpin bends that lead  out of town, that I realised the speedometer was unconscious. Knocking firmly on the dashboard did not revive it so I figured I would need to be extra careful not to get carried away and potentially land up in a Montenegrin police cell.

Meanwhile our planned route took us into the hills to the north of the capital Podgorica (as uninspiring a capital as you’re likely to find anywhere). As we climbed we noted the growing presence of clouds above the approaching chain of mountains. By mid-afternoon we felt the first raindrops and needed to get our roof on. It was at this point that we realised we had no idea how to do this.

There was a button with a roof symbol on it – but pressing it achieved nothing. We fiddled, poked, pulled and cursed, but all to no avail. Eventually, with the rain now falling heavily, I pulled into a mechanic’s yard and asked for help. He waved his arms telling us to get off his property and threw in a few choice Slavic curses into the bargain. In desperation I then stopped at a petrol station and asked the man on duty to call the rental office so that they could help me out.

Stinking of booze, he waved me away, took the keys and proceeded to press all the buttons we’d just been hammering unsuccessfully. His friend soon joined him, so drunk he was barely able to stand, and took his place in the driver’s seat. I protested but my concerns were waved away as both men played around, driving the car around the forecourt and revving the engine to maximum power.

As I was giving up hope of ever seeing the car again (thankfully, this being a cowboy rental operation, he didn’t have my credit card details, so I only stood to lose a €200 deposit), the two drunks managed to pull up the roof on our now soaking wet car; just at the moment when the rain stopped and the sun began to reappear.

“Top down?” they asked as they pulled up triumphantly at the centre of the forecourt. It was the second time we’d been asked that question, but this time the answer was a very firm No. Our convertible experience had turned into a damp squib; in future I’ll play it safe and take the boring car with a normal roof.

Topless in Montenegro: a convertible calamity is a post from: 501 Places

Sveti Stefan jutting out of the Adriatic coastline

Montenegro is one of those places that rarely makes the news. Even in the Yugoslav war it remained largely unaffected, siding firmly with the Serbs before quietly voting for independence in 2006 for the first time in almost a century. The James Bond film ‘Casino Royale’ was supposed to be set here; although it is widely accepted that the film makers never actually set foot in the country, working instead under the assumption that the Czech Republic is in fact the same thing. But the one thing that everyone seems to agree about this tiny country? It is widely regarded as having some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery, and after a few days pottering around Montenegro I can fully agree with this.

Kotor

Kotor from the bay

Kotor was one of my favourite spots on our Balkan journey. It is a near perfect walled city, far smaller than Dubrovnik but with a fraction of the visitors. It is one of those places where a map is not required, as you will hit the city wall within 2 minutes walk of any spot in town. Full of narrow alleys, old churches and enticing bakeries, Kotor is a tourist’s delight.

Kotor old town

When you have enough of wandering the lanes and passageways and eating copious amounts of pizza and ice-cream, there is an excellent climb up to the fortifications (you can’t miss them on the nearby hillside). From here the views of the compact city are superb.

Kotor from above - a quick climb up to the fortress is recommended

Kotor is a great place to indulge in some top seafood. There are several fish restaurants that carry an excellent reputation and the one we tried offered a large selection from the daily catch. It’s not cheap (we paid €55 for two) but for that quality in the UK we would expect to pay more; and the setting was a big step up from an English high street!

Cetinje

Government House, now the History Museum - Cetinje

The capital of Montenegro in its previous independent life (before 1918) Cetinje is now a pleasant city in the hills that makes a good stop for those travelling inland from the coastal resorts. The old government and embassy buildings are now preserved as museums and the whole of Cetinje has become the centre of Montengrin cultural heritage, in preference to the bland modern capital Podgorica (which does, to our surprise, have a Marks and Spencers on the outskirts of the city).

Old French Embassy, Cetinje

Cetinje can be reached by a long slow winding highway from the coast at Budva, or alternatively by one of the most spectacular roads I have ever driven from Kotor. Consisting of dozens of hairpin bends, the road snakes its way up the mountain from Kotor and each turn offers a more breathtaking view than the last. This drive alone is worth hiring a car for.

View of Bay of Kotor from the breathtaking drive up to Cetinje

Ostrog Monastery

If you’ve come as far as Cetinje you may as well go to Ostrog. Or so we thought, looking at the relatively small distance on the map. Nothing is as close as it looks on a map of Montenegro, and nowhere is this more true than Ostrog. It’s only 8km from the main road, but that final approach to this highly significant religious site is a windy, steep and at many points dangerous ascent to this old site, built into the side of the mountain.

Ostrog Monastery

There isn’t actually too much to see up here if you’re a tourist and not a pilgrim (aside from a relic that is allegedly part of the cross of Jesus), but the real marvel is that the monastery was constructed in the first place, in this most inhospitable spot. It’s only when we returned to the main road and saw the white speck on the mountainside that is Ostrog that we realised just how isolated this site really is.

One of the world’s best drives?

The Lonely Planet listed the drive from Kotor to Cetinje as one of the world’s best, but in fact in our case Montenegro saved the best till last. I would give this accolade to the sensational scenery that greets you on every corner as you travel from Niksic to the Bosnian border and on to Sarajevo. The stretch around 30km either side of the border is worthy of every superlative I could think up. I was too busy admiring it to take any pictures from the bus, so you’ll have to just go and see it for yourself.

Montenegro: home to Europe’s most spectacular scenery? is a post from: 501 Places