Rijeka Crnojevića

A village on the river of the same name where it meets Skadar lake, about 25 km from Podgorica and half an hour below Cetinje. It sits at the bottom of a steep valley, and the road down to it descends in tight curves.

The meander above the village, where the river doubles back on itself in a near-complete loop between wooded hills. The viewpoint is on the old Cetinje road a couple of kilometres above the village, and it is the most photographed inland scene in Montenegro.

Danilo's bridge, a stone arch built in 1853 under Prince Danilo, still the centrepiece of the village. It carried the main road from Cetinje to the lake, and the old warehouses and quay along the water date from the same period.

It was the port of old Montenegro. Before roads, goods moved from Cetinje down to this quay and on across Skadar lake to Scutari, and in the 19th century Rijeka Crnojevica was a busy trading town with a customs house and a market.

Yes. Small boats run from the village into the lake through the reed channels, which is the best way to see the birdlife — herons, cormorants and, with luck, Dalmatian pelicans. Trips run from spring through autumn.

Yes, and it is short. Come for the viewpoint, walk the quay, eat fish by the water and continue to Cetinje or Virpazar. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light on the meander.