Here, I’ll cover everything travelers need to know about Lovćen National Park: prices, how to get there, what to see. I’ll share tips, tricks, and my personal opinion on whether it’s worth the visit.
Table of contents:
- Lovcen National Park: general information
- How to get to Lovcen park
- What to see in Lovcen park
- Travel tips and personal opinion about visiting Lovcen Park
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Lovcen National Park: general information
Lovćen National Park is one of five national parks in Montenegro. Unlike the others, it is the closest to the popular coastal resorts. The park is only about 30 km from both Kotor and Budva.
The park shares its name with the mountain it’s situated on. Although Lovćen Mountain isn’t the highest in Montenegro (it doesn’t even make the top 30), it’s unique because it’s the only mountain of its height with amazing panoramic views and observation decks just a 30-minute drive from the coast.
- For more on mountains of Montenegro, and where to find the most beautiful peaks, check out our guide.
- The highest peak in Montenegro is Bobotov Kuk (2522m) in the Durmitor National Park. More information on how to get there can be found in the linked article.
- Lovćen Mountain has two main peaks:
- Štirovnik (1749m)
- Jezerski vrh (1657m)
- Here are the coordinates of the park entrance gate in Lovćen National Park, Montenegro: 42.40077418595076, 18.827585322352782
Entrance Fees
Let’s talk about the fees and pricing.
- You’ll pay 3 euros per person to enter the park at the gate. The coordinates were mentioned a few lines above. It’s another 3 km uphill from there to the peak.
- Parking near the entrance gate costs 1 euro per hour for cars if you plan to explore the area on foot. Parking at the mountain’s peak is free but very limited, often forcing visitors to park along the road below.
- Entering the mausoleum and the observation deck at Jezerski vrh (50m from the mausoleum) costs an additional 8 euros per person.
Good to know:
In Montenegro, it’s common to charge tourists for entry to almost any attraction. Whether it’s part of an ancient wall or the “oldest” olive tree in the region, there’s usually a ticket booth charging 1-2 euros. In neighboring Albania or Serbia, most attractions are free, but in Montenegro, you pay for entry almost everywhere.
Until 2017, the entry fee to Lovćen National Park was collected in one of the villages on the mountain slope. The local residents successfully challenged this in court, and entry was free for all of 2018. However, in 2019, a gate was installed 3 km from the Njegoš Mausoleum, and the 3-euro fee was reinstated.
How to Get to Lovćen National Park
There are a few options to get to Lovćen National Park:
- By car
- Taxi
- As part of a guided tour
- Cable car
Public transportation in Montenegro is limited. Buses can get you to almost any town, even smaller ones, though sometimes with transfers. However, if you want to visit a significant natural attraction like the Tara River or Grebaje Valley, you’ll need a car.
- For more details on public transport in Montenegro in Montenegro, check out our guide.
Driving from Kotor or Budva is straightforward. Both roads pass through mountain serpentine with good asphalt and plenty of viewpoints. One road offers stunning views of the entire Bay of Kotor, and the other overlooks Budva and Bečići. The drive takes about 40 minutes without stops, but you’ll likely want to stop to enjoy the views, so plan for an hour to an hour and a half.
There are also group and individual tours to Lovćen National Park. For a comprehensive list of tours to Lovcen in and around the park, follow the link.
Additionally, check out our article on the best tours and excursions in Montenegro.
The Kotor-Lovcen Cable Car
In mid-2023, a cable car opened that can take you to the top of the mountain, bypassing the challenging serpentine with over 20 turns. Here are the main details:
- Official Website: https://kotorcablecar.com/
- Coordinates of the lower station Dub: 42.396055, 18.748005. It’s not in Kotor itself but on the Budva-Tivat road. It’s easily accessible by car (there’s a large parking lot for 300 cars), by Blue Line bus from Tivat or Kotor, or by taxi.
- Route specifications:
- Elevation gain: 1316 meters
- Route length: 3900 meters
- Travel time: 11 minutes one way
- Round-trip fares:
- Adults: 23 euros.
- Children aged 2-12: 12 euros.
- There are sometimes discounts on holidays or free rides for children.
- Operating Hours:
- April 1 – October 31. The first ride up is at 9-9:30 AM, with the last ride up at 6:30 PM and the last ride down at 7 PM. In summer, it operates until 10 PM. Check the exact schedule on the official website linked above.
- Parking fee: 1 euro per hour
- Tickets can be purchased on the website or at the lower station’s ticket office.
- If you take the cable car, you don’t need to pay separately for park entry.
What to See in Lovćen Park: Paid Attractions
Here’s the most interesting part. Let’s go through it step-by-step.
Paying 3 euros per person grants you access to parking and a viewing platform 100 meters from the peak. You’ll also have access to a small restaurant. From the viewing platform, you can see the surrounding area and even catch a glimpse of the Njegoš Mausoleum.
Historical Note:
The Njegoš family were rulers of Montenegro. The most famous and beloved ruler was Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, who ruled from 1830 to 1851. He is buried in the mausoleum here, which used to be a chapel before it was destroyed and replaced by the current mausoleum. On the slopes of Mount Lovćen is the village of Njeguši, the birthplace of the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty, who ruled Montenegro from 1696 to 1918.
- Coordinates of the viewing platform and restaurant: 42.398113, 18.839877.
To enter the Mausoleum and reach the summit, you’ll need to climb 461 steps and pay an additional 8 euros. This fee also grants access to another viewing platform. In the photo below, it’s the round one behind the Mausoleum.
In summary, you’ll pay 11 euros per person for two viewing platforms and a visit to a small mausoleum. Next, I’ll discuss what you can visit or see for free in Lovćen National Park.
Lovćen Park: Free Locations and Attractions
- Štirovnik Peak: Coordinates: 42.39934698914173, 18.818457436167208
- About 4 km from the peak, the road turns into a gravel path with large stones. A four-wheel-drive vehicle can easily handle it, or you can walk.
- The Ancestral Village of the Njegoš Dynasty, Njeguši: Coordinates: 42.4301495153288, 18.82622379507717. Located on the other side of the slope, it is part of Lovćen Park.
- The village is small and can be driven through in a couple of minutes if you go slowly. The old stone buildings are very authentic.
- The main attraction of Njeguši is its homemade prosciutto and cheese, made by every household. In the 500-meter stretch of the village, there are four shops and about six taverns where you can buy and taste the homemade prosciutto.
- There are signs everywhere for prosciutto sales, so stop wherever you find convenient. Everything is delicious. Prosciutto costs between 10 and 30 euros per kilogram.
- The First Capital of Montenegro, Cetinje: Coordinates: 42.39362224105486, 18.913139283795125
- Check out our comprehensive guide to Cetinje. Many tours to Lovćen Park also include a visit to Cetinje.
- Amazing Viewpoint of the Bay of Kotor from Horizont Bar: Coordinates: 42.40954992929877, 18.78627191626607
- There are about 20 viewpoints along this road, spaced every 300 meters or so, all offering spectacular views. You won’t miss them.
- Viewpoint Over Budva: Coordinates: 42.30206210811985, 18.888356385058426
These are all the free attractions. The paid Lovćen Park with its views pales in comparison to the free viewpoints mentioned above.
Travel tips and personal opinion about visiting the park
There are many reviews online about Lovćen Park, calling it a marvel. I don’t think so. The hype is exaggerated.
If you’re vacationing in Montenegro, here are a few tips for visiting Lovćen Park:
- If you plan to stay only on the coast and not venture inland, Lovćen Park is perfect for a day trip, especially if you don’t have a car.
- If you’re heading to the Prokletije mountains or want to see Đurđevića Tara Bridge in Durmitor Park, those places are much more impressive than Lovćen. You won’t miss much if you skip Lovćen Park.
- Remember, the peaks in Lovćen Park are around 1700 meters high. It’s 10-15 degrees cooler here than on the coast, and it can be very windy. Dress accordingly.
- Here’s a great circular route: Kotor – Kotor Serpentine – Njeguši Village for prosciutto tasting – hike to Štirovnik Peak – walk around Cetinje – descend through the scenic route to Budva and back to Kotor.
- This route takes a whole day and is only 105 km long. You can do the same from Budva. I’d skip the Lovćen Park and mausoleum, but that’s just my opinion.
In conclusion: Lovćen National Park is undoubtedly a significant spot on Montenegro’s map of attractions. It offers not just mountains and nature but also the country’s history and delicious homemade prosciutto. Whether to visit or not is up to you, but the viewpoints from various sides of Mount Lovćen overlooking Kotor and Budva are truly breathtaking.
Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Montenegro
- Aviasales – Cheap Flights and best deals.
- Car rental in Montenegro:
- DiscoverCars – a large international platform.
- LocalRent – works with local rental companies. Leader in car rental in Montenegro.
- Hotels and apartments all over the country:
- Tours, excursions and activities (including extreme ones):
- GetYourGuide – more than 430 tours
- Viator – 780+ excursions and activities throughout the country
- Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
- Internet and Calls:
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- Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel