Lake Skadar by car from Budva, via Rijeka Crnojevica and Pavlova Strana

Lipa Cave lies in the limestone landscape between Cetinje Polje and Dobrska Uvala. Its network of passages formed at different levels: water left the higher passages and found lower routes through the rock. The underground chambers seen today are therefore part of a much larger system than the section covered by the visitor tour.

In the developed part of the cave, broad passages and chambers alternate with cave formations. The shapes on the ceiling, floor and walls grow through the gradual deposition of calcite from water. Lighting brings out their outlines, making it possible to distinguish the spaces hollowed out by water from the deposits that later grew inside them. The standard guided tour follows the main passage through Njegos Hall to the Grad viewpoint.

Researchers took an interest in Lipa Cave as early as the 19th century. In 1841, Petar II Petrovic Njegos expressed a wish for it to be explored, and its first more detailed plan was drawn in the early 20th century.

Rijeka Crnojevica takes its name from the dynasty that built a capital on nearby Obod. The riverside town developed later and became an important trading port in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its landing connected this part of the hinterland with the transport of people and goods across the lake.

Danilo's Bridge is the principal historic structure on this walk along the riverbank. Prince Danilo built it in 1853 in memory of his father, Stanko Petrovic. Beside the bridge, he built Mostina, a house that survives today. The stone crossing linked the town with Rijecki Grad and formed part of the old caravan route to Virpazar.

The sweeping bend photographed from Pavlova Strana is further downstream, so the walk through town and the stop at the viewpoint are two separate visits.

Obod, also known as Rijecki Grad, stands on a hill above the upper course of the River Crnojevica. Ivan Crnojevic began building it around 1475, when the Ottoman advance threatened his previous capital, Zabljak Crnojevica. From this hill, he could control the approach to Lovcen from the lake.

Within the fortress, Ivan built a palace and the Church of Saint Nicholas. Obod served as the capital for approximately seven years, and the church was the seat of the Metropolitanate of Zeta. Today, the visit takes in the historic site around the restored church, with remains of older monastery buildings. The former palace and fortress have not survived as complete buildings that visitors can walk through.

After destruction in the late 17th century, the Church of Saint Nicholas was rebuilt in 1743. It was restored several more times, and the restored church was consecrated in 2000. Large stone blocks and a bell gable distinguish its entrance. Inside is the iconostasis made by the Djinovski brothers in 1887. The building therefore reflects several periods of construction rather than an untouched church from Ivan Crnojevic's time.

The remains of old monastery residences near the church retain traces of the Crnojevic period and were later adapted for use as a school. Obod Monastery is now a convent, and its nuns paint icons.

From Pavlova Strana, the River Crnojevica can be seen sweeping around a green hill in a horseshoe-shaped bend. The water almost reverses direction before continuing towards the more open lake area. This panorama shows the river's approach to Lake Skadar. The hill in the middle is not an island completely surrounded by water.

Unlike the walk through town, this view shows how the entire bend fits into the hilly lake landscape. Vegetation and water levels change through the year, so the greenery beside the river will not look like the summer photographs every day.