Inspecting the vertical we built late at night and made a few hundred QSOs with.
located directly at the coast!
Visit 4O3A company
Meet with Andy UA3AB / 4O7AB for a coffee and cycling talk.
Ignoring all tips and taking the busy narrow road to the mountaintop to get view over Kotor bay.
Attending HST High Speed Telegraphy Championship Opening ceremony in Herceg Novi.
Joining Ranko for dinner in his favourite fish restaurant.
Driving from Herceg Novi to Kotor is one of the most scenic routes on the Adriatic coast. We left Herceg Novi under a bright blue sky and crossed the narrow entrance of the Bay of Kotor by ferry. From the deck we saw two large cruise ships anchored in the deep blue water, their white hulls contrasting with the green mountains surrounding the bay.
After the short crossing, we continued along the narrow coastal road, winding between cliffs and sea. Each turn revealed new views of the calm bay and the anchored ships. Soon we turned onto the steep serpentine road leading to the viewpoint high above Kotor. The ascent was sharp and twisting, but every curve offered a wider panorama. At the top, the entire bay stretched out below—its calm waters framed by rugged peaks, the old town of Kotor nestled at the end, and the two cruise ships glinting in the sunlight.
Kotor’s old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a perfectly preserved medieval enclave. Stone walls climb the hillside, and narrow alleys open into small squares lined with Venetian-era buildings. The Bay of Kotor, though often called a fjord, is actually a submerged river canyon surrounded by steep limestone mountains.
The Port of Kotor welcomes about 500 cruise ships per year, bringing over 700,000 passengers to this small town. For Montenegro, tourism is essential: in 2024, around 2.6 million visitors arrived, accounting for 15.6 million overnight stays.
Montenegro itself is small but diverse, covering about 13,800 km² with a population of roughly 630,000 to 640,000 people. Despite its size, the country offers a remarkable mix of mountains, coast, and medieval towns, making it one of the most beautiful destinations in the Balkans.
Back on the lookout point, the contrast between sea, sky, and stone was striking—the bay below shimmered in shades of blue, framed by sunlit peaks. From above, the two cruise ships seemed tiny, a reminder of how many travelers come here each year to admire the same view.
The drive from Herceg Novi via the ferry to Kotor is more than just a route; it’s an unforgettable experience combining dramatic landscapes, historic heritage, and the lively rhythm of modern tourism. Be alerted that the serpentine road is very very narrow but has a lot of busses and trucks! don’t be too scared, but it’s not an easy route!