Things to do in Autumn in Montenegro

With the arrival of autumn in Montenegro, the scorching summer heat subsides, making room for plesantly mild Mediterranean temperatures that characterize the months of September, October, and November. The Adriatic Sea is usually warm enough for swimming until mid-October, but autumn also emerges as the perfect time of the year to explore Montenegro’s charming (coastal) towns, celebrate the wine harvest, or simply enjoying the scenic outdoors.

Relax at the Beach

Montenegro’s sizzling Riviera remains comfortably warm throughout September and well into early October, presenting the ideal opportunity to luxuriate on one its pristine beaches and swim in those world famous crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic – without the summer crowds and more reasonably priced accommodation and other services.

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Budva is overrun by tourists in the peak of summer, but a visit during springtime in highly recommended. The diverse beaches of the Budva Riviera stretch for miles, offering plenty of amenities within easy reach of Budva’s main attractions. With less congested roads, fall is a wonderful season to also explore other, less popular, beaches along Montenegro’s coast.

Sip Montenegrin Wines at a Vineyard

Autumn in Montenegro marks the arrival of the annual wine harvesting season, when it’s all about wandering the still lush and vibrant vineyards and savoring exquisite wines directly from the barrels, offering a genuine glimpse into Montenegro’s rich winemaking traditions. Witness the diligent grape sorting process followed by the vinification stage.

With dozens of family-run wineries across Montenegro, there’s certainly no shortage of charming local vineyards for you to visit, with many offering customised wine-tasting tours. Crmnica, lying roughly between Podgorica and the coastal town of Bar, is arguably Montenegro’s most revered wine-growing region, followed by Podgorica proper, particularly known for producing full-bodiesd, fruity reds of the Vranac varierty that burst with flavor.

Attend a Local Festival

From comforting brown-red chestnuts to zesty olives and fresh grapes, autumn in Montenegro is bursting with delicious seasonal produce. During this time of the year, many rural towns and villages celebrate the harvest season with local festivals to appreaciate and show gratitude for the food they have collected.

The Grape Festival in Virpazar is a local wine and food market with a rich cultural program, kicking off the festival season every September. The annual Olive Festival in Bar (held outside the Old Town) is a celebration of the olive fruit and presents an opportunity to sample locally produced cold pressed olive oils.

For as long as anyone can remember, fibre-and-vitamin-rich chestnuts were a staple of Montenegrin autumn and winter cuisine. That is why every November chestnut festivals are held all over Montenegro, most notably in Ostros, a small hamlet south of Lake Skadar and close to the Albanian border, and in Stoliv, a coastal town between Tivat and Kotor.

Expect to find countless stalls offering local (sweet and savory!) delicacies made from this tasty fruit like roasted chestnuts, cakes, jams, and pancakes. Throughout September and Early October, come Montenegrin seaside resorts are still buzzing with off-season vacationers; make sure not to miss the Squid Festival (Montenegrin: Lignjada) in Petrovac that is usually orgainzed in the first October week.

Hit the Trails

Rolling alpine meadows alternating with craggy, Dolomite-like panoramas and the high-towering coastal mountains, Montenegro is the land of the Dinaric Alps and the Accursed Mountains, and just stepping outside the major towns, an abundance of stunning nature is waiting to be discovered.

While early fall may still be a little too hot for some to hike Montenegro’s picturesque coastal trails such as the Ladder of Kotor, the Mount Rumija hike, and one of the Orjen trails, towards mid-autumn, conditions can be perfect to explore the dense network of available hiking trails and conquer those peaks with breathtaking views.

September (and parts of October) is generally considered a favorable time to enjoy wonderful forest walks and hike in the Durmitor and Prokletije National Parks, offering reasonably mild temperatures and minimal rainfall.

Take a Boat Trip

With the majority of tourists already left, taking a boat trip in the off-peak season often means that you might have the beautiful Adriatic all to yourself, plus there is that very special autumn shine that the sea has in September and October. Home to World Heritage Sites, Kotor and Perast is where most rides start.

Panoramic bay cruises and boat tours to Our Lady of the Rocks, an artificial island off the coast of Perast, are always recommended. It’s easy to forget that Montenegro also has Sveti Nikola Island (also referred to as Hawaii do to its lush vegetation), an uninhabited island that can be visitied on a day trip from Budva.

Visit a National Park for Fall Foilage

Autumn in Montenegro sees all of its five national parks turn vibrant shades of orange, yellow, and red. Made up of a glacial lake, centuries-old primeval forests laced with hiking trails, Biogradska Gora’s unique ecosystem of trees, endemic plants, and wildlife includes a record-breaking 59,7-meter-tall European silver fir.

Only an hour’s drive away from the coastal towns of Budva and Kotor, the Lovcen National Park is not only popular with mountain bikers and hikers, but also an excellent spot to go leaf peeping and admire the colorful fall foilage. Not far from there, you’ll find the small town of Cetinje, which used to be Montenegro’s capital up until the mid-20th century.

Here you can witness large linden, chestnut, and wallnut trees carpeted with a caleidoscaope of vivid colors, and all the same, be close to to all of Cetinje’s landmarks. Separating the inner from the outer Bay of Kotor, the Vrmac Ridge is another great spot that delivers fairytale autumn hikes through picturesque forests such as the ‘Franz Joseph Stairs’ leading up to Fort Vrmac from Kotor’s neighborhood of Muo.

Embark on a Panoramic Train Journey

Discover the allure of Montenegro’s stunning autumn landscapes along the Bar-Belgrade Railway, widely celebrated as the Balkan’s most scenic train ride. You don’t have to do the entire journey though because already the section from Bar to Kolasin brims with panoramic vistas and unparalleled natural beauty.

Starting at the Adriatic coast, the regular and extremely affordable passenger train traverses the Crmnica wine-growing region before continuing through Lake Skadar to Montenegro’s capital city Podgorica. The real highlight is the section from there towards Kolasin, boasting almost uninterrupted vistas of charming mountainscapes and, most notably, the bright autumn landscape of the majestic Moraca River Canyon.

Take a Ride on the Kotor Cable Car

As the high-season holidaymakers dwindle, those visiting in fall enjoy discounted tickets for the panoramic Kotor Cable Car, which offers an unforgettable thrilling ride up Mount Lovcen and unbeatable views of the Bay of Kotor below. Passengers are whisked up to the middle ‘Kuk’ station – 1.316 meters (4.317 feet) above sea level – in just over 11 minutes, while plans are already in the making for an extension by another section.

The mostfascinating part of the journey is the final stretch, and at the top, visitors can enjoy Montenegrin cuisine with a 360-degree views over Kotor’s truly stunning scenery. For those wanting to add a small dose of adrenaline to the adventure, the alpine coaster atop offers a fun-filled ride (up to 40 km/h) for the whole family.

Try Canyoning or Coasteering

With its jagged Adriatic coastline dotted with stunning sea caves, Montenegro is a genuine haven for adventure-seeking travellers who want to include some adrenaline-filled activities like coasteering into their itinerary. The long idyllic stretch from Rose on the Lustica Peninsula to Cape Veslo is probably the most popular coasteering spots in Montenegro.

The 1,700-meter-long Nevidio canyon south of Zabljak is considered by many adventurers a special highlight: full of ultra-narrow twisting passages, 20-meter abseils from the gorge’s rocky crags, and jumps from six to ten meters that end in crystal-clear natural pools. Other notable canyons along Montenegro’s coast are Canyon Medjurec, Canyon Skurda (Kotor), and the Rikavac Canyon in Bar.