This guide covers everything a traveler needs to know about the Lovćen National Park: prices, how to get there, and what to see. Expect travel tips, hacks, and my personal verdict on whether this destination is worth your time.

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stirovnik lovcen
This is Štirovnik, the highest peak of Mount Lovćen and part of the national park. See those telecommunications towers? Remember the name, I’ll be talking about this peak in more detail later.

General Information about Lovćen National Park

Lovćen National Park is one of Montenegro’s five national parks. Unlike the others, it is the closest to the country’s popular coastal resorts. From both Kotor and Budva, it’s only about 30 km to the park.

The park is named after Mount Lovćen, where it is located. Although not the tallest mountain in Montenegro, Lovćen is unique due to its proximity to the coast, making it a highly accessible spot for stunning panoramic views and scenic observation decks.

  • For more on mountains of Montenegro, and where to find the most beautiful peaks, check out our guide.
  • Montenegro’s tallest peak is Bobotov Kuk (2,522 meters) in Durmitor National Park. You can find more information about that stunning destination and how to get there via this article.
  • Mount Lovćen itself has two notable peaks:
    • Štirovnik (1,749 meters)
    • Jezerki Vrh (1,657 meters)
  • Here are the coordinates for the entry gate to Lovćen National Park: 42.40077418595076, 18.827585322352782

Entrance Fees for Lovćen National Park

The pricing structure is worth a separate discussion.

  • Park Entry: €3 per person at the entrance gate (coordinates listed above). The road from the gate to the peak is about 3 km uphill.
    • Parking: €1 per hour near the gate for cars, though parking at the mountain summit is free. However, the summit parking area is very small, and spaces often fill up quickly, leading visitors to park along the roadside below the peak.
  • Mausoleum Entry and Jezerki Vrh Observation Deck: €8 per person.
price Lovcen park
The mausoleum entrance fee used to be 5 euros, but it’s now 8 euros, with students and schoolchildren paying half.
Is it worth it? My personal opinion is no. I’ll explain why further below.

Good to know:

Montenegro has a tendency to charge entrance fees for virtually every attraction—whether it’s part of an ancient wall or “the oldest olive tree in the region.” A ticket booth is usually in place, collecting €1-2 from every visitor. In neighboring Albania or Serbia, most similar attractions are free of charge.

How to Get to Lovćen National Park

There aren’t many options for getting to the park:

  1. By Car
  2. By Taxi
  3. As Part of a Tour
  4. Via Cable Car
There’s no public transport directly to Lovćen National Park. The only option is to take a bus to Cetinje and then hire a taxi for around €30-40. At that price, renting a car for the day is usually a better and more flexible option.

Public transport in Montenegro is both present and absent. You can technically reach almost any town by bus, even small ones, though often with transfers. However, if your destination is a beautiful natural spot like the Tara River or the Grebaje Valley, having your own vehicle is essential.

Driving from Kotor or Budva to Lovćen is straightforward and scenic. Both routes wind through a mountain serpentine with good asphalt and numerous observation points. One route offers stunning views of the Bay of Kotor, while the other overlooks Budva and Bečići. Without stops, the drive takes about 40 minutes, but you’ll want to factor in an hour or more to enjoy the views.

Lovcen from Budva
View of Budva
Lovcen from Kotor
View of the Bay of Kotor

There are also both group and private tours available to the national park.

Additionally, check out our article on the best tours and excursions in Montenegro.

Kotor-Lovćen Cable Car

In mid-2023, a cable car opened, providing a route to the summit without navigating the winding serpentine road with its 20+ hairpin turns. Here’s the essential info:

  • Official Website: https://kotorcablecar.com/
  • Lower Station Coordinates (Dub): 42.396055, 18.748005 (not in Kotor itself but on the Budva-Tivat road). Easily accessible by car (with a large 300-car parking lot), Blue Line buses from Tivat or Kotor, or by taxi..
  • Route Details:
    • Elevation Gain: 1,316 meters
    • Route Length: 3,900 meters
    • Travel Time: 11 minutes one way
  • Round-Trip Ticket Prices:
    • Adults: €23
    • Children (2-12 years): €12
    • There are occasional discounts on holidays, and children may ride for free on certain occasions.
  • Operating Season: April 1 – October 31
    • First ride up: 9:00-9:30 AM
    • Last ride up: 6:30 PM; last ride down: 7:00 PM
    • In summer, the cable car operates until 10:00 PM. Check the official website for the exact schedule.
  • Parking: €1 per hour
  • Tickets can be purchased online or at the ticket office at the lower station.
  • If you take the cable car to the mountain, there’s no additional fee for entering the park.
Kotor Lovcen cable car
This is an excellent way to reach Mount Lovćen while enjoying stunning views of the bay.

What to See in Lovćen National Park: Paid Attractions

Here’s where it gets interesting. Let’s break it down step by step.

By paying €3 per person, you get access to parking and a viewpoint just 100 meters from the peak. There’s also a small restaurant available. From this viewpoint, you can enjoy scenic views of the surrounding area and even spot the Njegoš Mausoleum in the distance.

A Quick Historical Note:

The Njegoš dynasty was a ruling family in Montenegro. The most famous, influential, and beloved figure is Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, who reigned from 1830 to 1851. He is buried here in the mausoleum. Initially, there was a chapel in this spot, but it was demolished and replaced by the current mausoleum. On the slopes of Mount Lovćen lies the village of Njeguši, the ancestral home of the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty, which ruled Montenegro from 1696 to 1918.

If you want to visit the Mausoleum and reach the summit, you’ll need to climb 461 steps and pay an additional €8 per person. As a bonus, you’ll gain access to another viewpoint. The circular platform behind the mausoleum is shown in the photo below.

Lovcen National Park in Montenegro
The Njegoš Mausoleum itself is quite small.
Njegos mausoleum in Lovcen park
Inside, the ceiling is adorned with pure gold mosaics totaling 18 kg of gold.
Both viewpoints offer stunning vistas of the surrounding mountains and valleys. However, you won’t see the sea from here. Yes, the views are beautiful, but similar panoramas can be found all over Montenegro by simply driving 30 km inland.

In total, for two viewpoints and a modest mausoleum visit, you’ll spend €11 per person. Let’s move on to what Lovćen Park offers in terms of free attractions.

Free Attractions and Sights in Lovćen Park

  • The Peak of Mount Štirovnik: 42.39934698914173, 18.818457436167208
    • About 4 km before the summit, the road turns into a gravel path with large stones. A four-wheel-drive vehicle can handle it, or you can walk the rest of the way on foot.
  • The Ancestral Village of Njeguši. Coordinates: 42.4301495153288, 18.82622379507717. Located on the opposite slope and part of Lovćen Park.
    • This small village can be traversed in just a couple of minutes by car if you’re driving slowly. Its old stone buildings have a wonderfully authentic charm.
    • But the real highlight here is the homemade production of prosciutto and cheese, which every household in the village takes pride in. Along the 500-meter stretch of the village, there are four shops and around six taverns where you can taste and buy local prosciutto.
    • Signs advertising prosciutto are everywhere—stop wherever you like. It’s delicious everywhere. Prices range from €10 to €30 per kilogram.
  • Cetinje: Montenegro’s First Capital: Coordinates: 42.39362224105486, 18.913139283795125
  • A Stunning Viewpoint Over the Bay of Kotor from Horizont Bar. Coordinates: 42.40954992929877, 18.78627191626607
    • In fact, there are around 20 viewpoints along this road, spaced about every 300 meters. Each offers breathtaking scenery. You won’t miss them.
  • Viewpoint Over Budva: Coordinates: 42.30206210811985, 18.888356385058426

These are all free attractions. In comparison, Lovćen Park’s paid views seem a bit underwhelming.

Bar Horizon Kotor
Horizont Bar offers a view of Kotor and the bay. Enjoy a coffee or beer here.

Tips for Tourists and the Author’s Personal Opinion

There are plenty of glowing reviews about Lovćen Park online, calling it a must-see wonder. I personally disagree—it’s a bit overhyped.

Of course, the Njegoš Mausoleum is a significant part of Montenegro’s national history. It’s important to preserve and pass on to future generations. But is it particularly interesting for the average tourist? In my opinion, not really. I didn’t find anything extraordinary here, and it feels like they try to charge you at every possible turn.

If you’re planning a trip to Montenegro, here are some tips about visiting Lovćen Park:

  • If you’re staying exclusively along the coast and don’t plan to venture inland, then Lovćen Park is great for a one-day excursion, especially if you don’t have a car.
  • If you plan to explore the Prokletije Mountains or see the Đurđevića Tara Bridge in Durmitor National Park, both of which are 10 times more impressive than Lovćen, then you can easily skip this park without missing much.
  • Don’t forget that the peaks of Lovćen Park reach about 1,700 meters above sea level. It’s usually 10 to 15 degrees cooler here than on the coast, and it can get quite windy. Dress accordingly.
  • Here’s a fantastic circular route suggestion:
    • Kotor → Kotor Serpentine → Njeguši (prosciutto tasting) → Hike to Štirovnik Summit → Walk around Cetinje → Descend via the scenic road to Budva → Return to Kotor.
    • The whole route takes about a day and covers just 105 km. You can do the same starting from Budva. I would personally skip the actual Lovćen Park and Mausoleum, but that’s just my opinion.
from kotor to lovcen
This is the famous Kotor Serpentine, located on the slope of Mount Lovćen, with about a dozen viewpoints.

In conclusion: Lovćen National Park is undeniably a significant place on Montenegro’s map of attractions. It’s not just about mountains and nature but also the country’s history and delicious homemade prosciutto. Whether you decide to visit is up to you, but the viewpoints around Mount Lovćen overlooking Kotor and Budva will leave you speechless.

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