Podgorica

Podgorica (Montenegrin: Подгорица) is the capital of Montenegro. While not a typical European eye candy, the city is definitely worth visiting, owing to its interesting mix of old and new, its café culture and nightlife, and its laid back Mediterranean atmosphere.

Understand
Besides being the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica is also the country's largest city, having a population of some 186,000 people (2011). The city is in central Montenegro, in the scarce Montenegrin lowlands between the Dinaric Alps and Lake Scutari.

The Podgorica area has been continuously inhabited since the Illyrian and Roman eras, with settlement on the site of today's Podgorica being firmly established during Ottoman Empire rule. Podgorica was reincorporated in Montenegro in 1878, when the city started to take a more European shape. Nazi and Allied bombings during World War II destroyed much of the historical Ottoman and Montenegro-era Podgorica architecture, and the city was reborn as the capital of Montenegro in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The city was then rebuilt and expanded in a manner typical of Eastern bloc countries, so it is mostly a modern planned city, and by no means a principal sightseeing destination.

Montenegro's coastal cities (Bar, Budva and Tivat) and its mountain resorts are within one hour's drive from the city and Tivat one hour and 45 minutes, so it is an excellent starting point for day trips to anywhere in Montenegro.

By plane


Getting there and away:
 * By bus – Supposedly there is a minibus, which usually waits in front of the terminal.
 * By taxi – Taxis can be found in abundance in front of the terminal but cost a hefty flat rate of €12–15 to the city centre, which the drivers often interpret as "per person". As with all taxis in Montenegro, you should haggle out a price in advance. From the city centre (Republic Place) to the airport, a metered taxi costs €5–6.
 * Since there is no bus service from Podgorica airport to the coast, as soon as you exit the terminal, you will be surrounded by guys asking if you want a taxi. At this point, they are competing to see how much they can squeeze you for. Montenegro is most definitely not a cheap country, but still, keep your wits about you. Hotels in Kotor will offer airport transfer for €70-80—probably half is more realistic. So, don't listen to guys quoting €120 or more for the drive to the coast. If you say "forget that", and take a taxi to the centre, they may try to bargain when you are in the car—at least here it is one-to-one.


 * By train – There are no buses or means of public transportation. The only other alternative is to turn left as you leave the terminal, trod alongside the dusty road for about 1 km until you get to a bridge, to the left of which is the totally dilapidated Aerodrom train station. Trains run roughly every hour in each direction (Bar = ca. 1 hour, Podgorica = 8 minutes). If you just hop on for Podgorica, the conductor usually won't bother you, but even if he asks you for a ticket, you can buy the ticket from him for €1.20. Train schedule can be found here.

A taxi from Tivat Airport, a coastal city, takes 1 hr 45 min to Podgorica, and has a fixed price of €30 as of June 2018.

By train


One day train ("Tara") and one night train ("Lovcen") take nine hours from Belgrade via Rakovica (for Belgrade suburban lines), Bijelo Polje and Prijepolje, and continue from Podgorica to Bar; they're chronically an hour late. The day train is still cancelled (by 2022). In Belgrade for some years these trains departed from Topcider, the dreary motorail terminal in the southern burbs, but they now run from Centar station.

By car
Due to its location in central Montenegro, Podgorica is the hub of all main roads in the country. Road from the northern Montenegro and Serbia requires additional caution during the winter.

On foot
Podgorica is a medium-sized city. If your accommodation is near the city centre, or the "Preko Morače" district - all points of interest could be visited on foot.

By bus
Buses are not very frequent, and maps of the lines could be hard to locate. Ticket price is between €0.80 per single ride, and can be purchased on board, usually directly from the driver.

By taxi
There are over 20 taxi companies that usually operate new air-conditioned European sedans. Taxi stands are virtually everywhere in the city, but they could also be reached by calling the dispatcher.

The fare is about €0.40/km, and usually no start fare is charged. Considering the size of Podgorica, no drive within the city should cost more than €3 or €4.

Taxi numbers and companies:
 * 19700 ALO Taxi
 * 19702 Royal Taxi
 * 19703 Boom Taxi
 * 19704 PG Taxi
 * 19705 Pink Taxi
 * 19706 DeLuxe Taxi
 * 19709 Orange Taxi
 * 19711 City Taxi
 * 19712 Exclusive Taxi
 * 19714 Red Line Taxi
 * 19723 Peugeot Taxi
 * 19800 Bel Taxi
 * 19708 Elite Taxi

The TeslaGo app also offers a taxi service similar to Uber with the whole fleet composed of Teslas. The app is available in English with price estimates.

Do
While in Podgorica, one can enjoy the diversity of Montenegro's capital cafes and restaurants, check out the nightlife, or take a walk at some of the favourite picnic locations of Podgorica citizens - Mareza, Skadar Lake, or Gorica hill. While strolling through Podgorica center, you might find the shopping area interesting, as there is a good number of boutiques.


 * Swimming in the Morača river is a pleasant way to cool off in the summer months! The other option would be newly built open-air public swimming pools.



Buy
The currency in Montenegro is the euro. ATMs are widespread in the city center and the new part of town. Upscale shops and restaurants will usually accept any major credit or debit cards.

Most of the premium clothing brands have their stores in new part of the city, chiefly Vectra-Maxim neighborhoods. The prices are on par with those in the region.

Open markets
Open markets on the outskirts of the city are a place to buy very cheap clothing, often of low quality.

Eat
Almost all fine restaurants in Podgorica are located either in the traditional city center, the new business district around the Roman Square, or along the Sv. Petra Cetinjskog boulevard that connects the two.

There are dozens of pizzerias through city, and most of the cafes serve pizza, pancakes, etc.

Most popular fast food in Podgorica is the regional hamburger variant pleskavica. You can eat great hamburgers, as well as anything made on the barbecue (roštilj) in places all across town, but best known and most visited are "Voda u kršu", "Gurman", "Calimero", "Kruna"... There are no international fast food chains such as McDonalds, Burger King or KFC in Podgorica.

Budget
All these are around the Independence Square:



Drink
Most loved amusement of Podgorica's residents is to sit in a cafe on a summer day and drink their espresso.

There are dozens of cafes in pedestrian Njegoševa street in city center, and many more scattered around the city center. Most of the new and trendy cafes are located around "Vectra" district in the new part of the city. Modern design and relaxed atmosphere of the cafes coupled with Podgorica's art of making espresso will make an interesting experience. Some of the well known cafes are:

Espresso costs €0.50–1.50. Coke and other soft drinks and juices will cost €1–2.50.

There is a number of clubs and bars to go out to in Podgorica. In the summer, there are many open-air bars and clubs. However, by law, open air bars must turn the music off at 01:00, when the crowds move to the clubs mostly in the basements in the city centre.

Depending on your taste, it may be important to know whether a club plays worldwide popular dance hits the entire night, or the playlist include folk music from ex-Yugoslav countries, which is often the case.

Sleep
The price of the accommodation varies, and is from €20 for a room in a motel on the outskirts of the city, up to over €100 in the premium hotels in the city centre.

Budget
On the every main intercity road on the outskirts of the city there are motels that are the cheapest accommodation in the city. They are easy to spot, as each one has illuminated and clearly visible "Motel" sign. Expect prices from €20.



Connect
Podgorica has 4G mobile Internet coverage from all three providers (Telenor, T-Mobile, Mtel). 5G has not rolled out in Montenegro.

Embassies

 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇦🇱 Albania

Go next

 * Bar – The capital of Montenegro Riviera just one hour away.
 * Sveti Stefan – A private resort island in front of Budva.
 * Budva – A resort city one hour away.
 * Bay of Kotor – One of the nicest fjords in Europe. The old part and the Castle of Kotor town, which is listed with UNESCO World heritage sites, are must sees.
 * Tivat – A coastal town 1 hr 45 min away in the Bay of Kotor.


 * Peć, Kosovo – A very nice city in northern Kosovo.
 * Sarajevo, Bosnia – The capital, and a cosmopolitan European city with a unique Eastern twist.