Retiring to Montenegro

How does Montenegro rate as a retirement destination? Ernst Stogmuller has been there and done that – read his four-part series to find out what he thinks...

Part One - The Recce: "Why Montenegro? There is the pleasant Mediterranean climate and the warm sea. It is shorts and tee-shirt for eight months in every year and - except for the north-facing shore of Kotor Bay, where there is no winter sun - one can enjoy lunch on the terrace at least twice a week even in January and February. Then there is the countryside and the unique fauna and flora in it. Even at the height of winter the hills are bright yellow with flowering mimosa trees." Some of the pluses of moving to Montenegro.
Part Two - Early Experiences: "I started my life in Montenegro in rented accommodation. The choice was limited because I required access for two large furniture vans and a trailer containing 120 cubic metres of personal belongings and I arrived with two dogs and three cats, which are not every landlord's favourite tenants. Anyway, I moved into the best accommodation the agency could muster, and it was atrocious." Ernst describes some of his early experiences in Montenegro - which don't quite match up to his recce findings...
Part Three - A Place Of Our Own: "Our situation as tenants made it imperative to acquire or own accommodation. Finished houses were out of the question, because every single one shown to us by the agents needed Semtex renovation; besides, few Montenegrin houses are finished with all of the construction work completed. Eventually, we found a plot where the owner had started building but ran out of funds, and we had a nice house built there." Ernst experiences the ups and downs of building a house in Montenegro.
Part Four - Closing Thoughts: "...my wife put out the word that she would fund the castration of two pets per month. In two years her offer has only been taken up for two animals, whilst there are cats and dogs breeding happily everywhere." Ernst shares a few closing thoughts on some of the less pleasant aspects of life in Montenegro.