The bus ride from Budva to Cetinje, Montenegro was difficult as usual. The winding roads around the mountain wreaked havoc on my stomach and views looking out over the Adriatic sea were gorgeous but a bit scary for someone who is afraid of heights.
When the bus finally pulled into the station of Cetinje I couldn't wait to get out and get some fresh air. Almost immediately we were bombarded by taxi drivers offering myself and my nephew a ride to the mausoleum.
I had read online that a typical taxi ride was 20 Euros there and back, but all of the taxi drivers were offering us a price of 50 Euros. We declined their offer and said that we would try to hike instead.
Luckily, one of the taxi drivers followed us in his car and offered us a ride for 15 Euros, there and back, because hiking this monstrosity of a mountain would have been all but impossible. Thirty more minutes of driving along winding mountain roads got us to the top of Lovcen Mountain.
Once there, I felt like I was seriously going to have a panic attack. Lovcen Mausoleum is the highest altitude mausoleum in the world and I certainly felt it. The air was incredibly thin, and I found it very difficult to breathe at first.
At such great heights, my brain had difficulty adjusting too. Those tall mountains we had just been driven up by bus and taxi now looked like small hills. In all honesty, I wasn't sure I would be able to stay there for very long.
But we weren't done yet. Once we reached the base of the mausoleum we then had to climb another 467 stairs, through a white tunnel dug into the mountain in order to reach the actual mausoleum. Both I and my nephew were gasping for air as we took several breaks on the way to the top.
Once we exited the tunnel, we came to what felt like the edge of the entire world. I have never been so high up in my entire life. Slowly, my body and mind adjusted to the thin air and heights and I was able to appreciate the experience.
Lovcen Mausoleum is the final resting place of the Prince-Bishop, Petar Petrovic Njegos who was a poet and philosopher who became the country's spiritual and political leader after the death of his uncle Petar 1.
To my great surprise, I began to love being so high up. I actually wish that I had brought some picnic supplies so that we could have had lunch there. Unfortunately, I felt a little guilty having our taxi driver waiting for us, so we only spent about thirty minutes at the top.
Lovcen Mausoleum is a truly awe-inspiring landmark. I found it to be everything one could ask for in an adventure. Both a little difficult to get to and a little frightening once there, the mausoleum is a one-of-a-kind experience for tourists and travelers. If you are ver in Montenegro, I would highly recommend that you check it out for yourself.
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