ARR155: Let's Twist Again (Montenegro)

DESTINATIONS

MONTENEGRO’S SERPENTINE ROAD

MONTENEGRO’S SERPENTINE ROAD

LET'S TWIST AGAIN

A crazy road down a mountain is a magnet for motorcyclists…

BY: RODERICK EIME

Y

ou’ve all seen those ridiculous hairpin roads in Europe, like the famous road from La Turbie to Monaco, where Princess Grace drove her Rover P6 over the edge into oblivion.

These tortuous thoroughfares, so beloved by daring Mini Cooper drivers and mad motorcyclists, are all over the mountainous midriff of Europe right down to the Mediterranean naval. But one such road, once hidden behind the communist curtain of the former Yugoslavia, is re-emerging as a riding ritual.

The Cetinje-Kotor Road, or just R-1 (Regional Road 1), is a 38km length of road between the town of Cetinje and the historic port of Kotor. The most challenging part of the road is the short 8.3km stretch with 16 hairpins dubbed Kotor Serpentine, while the whole length of the road itself has almost 30. Check it out on Google Maps: https://tinyurl.com/Kotor-Serpentine

The road was built in the late 19th century when Montenegro was just a fledgling nation and motor vehicles were the stuff of fantasy. The country was later subsumed into Yugoslavia in the early 20th century and is tucked into a cosy little geographic alcove surrounded

by Albania, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.

110 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

When the Serbs and Montenegrins stopped shooting at everyone in 1995, the region slowly began attracting tourists. Montenegro gave Serbia the cold shoulder in 2006 and went its own way, signalling an influx of foreign investment from mainly Russia and Saudi Arabia. The sheikh loves to tie up his squilliondollar superyacht in the nearby harbour while his many wives spend small fortunes at the designer shopping strip he built adjoining his five-star hotel.

When I visited last year on the ebb of the peak tourist season, cruise ships were still disgorging their sandalled hordes on the dock at Kotor to wander and rubberneck through the old town, a streetscape that would befit any episode of Game of Thrones. But then Dubrovnik (aka Kings Landing) is just around the corner.

Our little gang of novice yachties commandeered a minivan (and driver) and took it to the peak of the highest mountain, Lovcen, where the Mausoleum of Petar II Petrovic-Njegos, the great saviour of the Montenegrins, rests in peace. It’s a magnificent drive and it broke my heart that I wasn’t able to make the ascent on a Moto Guzzi. Probably a good idea though, as I may well have broken several of something else.

The ride is definitely not for the faint-hearted and it’s curtailed numerous overambitious egos over the years. Fortunately, the road has been widened in many places, from 4m to 6m, but that is of little consequence when you come face-to-face with a 50-seat tour bus.

Bewildered tourists in tiny hire cars and clearly out of their motoring depth are also frequently encountered.

Such stand-offs inevitably require one party to capitulate and reverse. Downhill traffic claims the right of way, but often the bigger you are, the more “way” you get.

Considering the width of the road, the very short straight sections, the often-absent safety barriers and the type of traffic you are likely to encounter, it must be stated that caution is paramount. A misjudge or snap avoidance could see you over the edge and down a very long way (think: opening scene from The Italian Job), leaving your colleagues with lots of unwelcome paperwork.

There are several viewpoints to stop for obligatory photos and it was here that we met many

DESTINATIONS

motorcyclists. Germans, Spanish and Austrians seemed to dominate our survey, riding everything from the predictable BMW GSs, Ducati Multistradas, Triumph Tigers and even some Japanese machines such as Yamaha Ténéré and Suzuki V-Stroms, all of which seemed perfectly capable.

As for dossing down en route, there is not much in the way of Hiltons or Marriotts, so “when in Rome” seek out a homestay or village inn where you can enjoy some local hospitality and home cooking. The prosciutto is to die for, even if the wine takes a bit of getting used to.

Several restaurants are strategically placed along the route for great views and tucker — or go all the way to Pete Petrovic’s for the lookout restaurant.

TIP: Avoid the summer (June through August) peak season; the traffic is crazy and it’s very hot.

For a crazy video, see Kotor Serpentine — R1 road (Cetinje-Kotor) on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/ Serpertine-R-ride ARR

AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 111