Apartmani 15

Tucked along Hercegovačka Street in Cetinje, Montenegro's historic royal capital, Apartmani 15 sits within walking distance of the city's cluster of 19th-century palace museums and foreign embassy villas — a dense concentration found nowhere else in the Balkans.

Guests rate the property 9.4 from 106 reviews, an unusually strong score for an unstarred apartment-style property. The residential format suits Cetinje's unhurried pace better than a hotel would; the town has no large chains, and staying here places guests inside the fabric of local streets rather than apart from them.

Cetinje is 35 minutes by road from Budva's coast and 45 from Podgorica airport, making it a practical base for exploring both the Adriatic shoreline and Mount Lovćen National Park above.