Montenegro

Montenegro packs a fjord-like bay, a rugged Adriatic coast and some of Europe's wildest mountains into a country smaller than Connecticut. Venetian Kotor and Perast face the water; inland the road climbs past Cetinje and Lovćen to Durmitor's glacial lakes and the Tara canyon. Lake Skadar, shared with Albania, is the Balkans' largest lake and a haven for pelicans and wine villages.

Capital

Podgorica

Population

620K

Area

13,812 km²

Currency

Euro (EUR)

Language

Montenegrin

Time zone

CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2)

• 
  01

  Bay of Kotor

  Venetian walled towns beneath sheer limestone in a fjord-like bay

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  02

  Budva Riviera

  Walled old town, island villages and the busiest beaches

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  03

  Bar & Ulcinj Coast

  Olive groves, a ruined hill town and long southern sands

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  04

  Cetinje & Lovćen

  Old royal capital under the black mountain of Njegoš

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  05

  Lake Skadar

  The Balkans' largest lake — island monasteries, pelicans and wine villages

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  06

  Podgorica & Central Montenegro

  Capital, Roman Doclea and the cliff-hung Ostrog monastery

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  07

  Durmitor & Tara

  Glacial lakes, high peaks and Europe's deepest canyon

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  08

  Bjelasica & Kolašin

  Primeval forest, mountain resorts and Morača valley monasteries

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  09

  Prokletije

  The Accursed Mountains — alpine lakes and remote highland towns

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• 

  Historic Site

  Ada Bojana

  Ada Bojana is an island in the Ulcinj Municipality in Montenegro. The name Ada means "river island" in Montenegrin.

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  Bridge

  Bar Aqueduct

  The Bar Aqueduct is a stone aqueduct located on the northern side of Stari Bar Fortress, 4 km north of the town of Bar in Montenegro. The Bar Aqueduct is the only remaining aqueduct in Montenegro, and one of the largest and best preserved aqueducts from the three remaining ones in the former Yugoslavia, which include t

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  Historic Site

  Čanj

  Čanj is a small tourist settlement and town, located in the Bar Municipality in the southern Montenegrin littoral region. In Čanj there is a complex of hotels and cottages.

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  Church

  Church-Mosque of Ulcinj

  The Church-Mosque of Ulcinj, also called Imperial Mosque, Halil Skura Mosque, Kalaja Mosque or Church of St. Maria is a former church and mosque located in Ulcinj, Montenegro.

• Ladies Beach, Ulcinj

  Beach

  Ladies Beach, Ulcinj

  Ladies Beach is a beach in Ulcinj, Montenegro. The waters by the beach contain high levels of sulphur, resulting in a deep green color.

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  Lake

  Lake Šas

  Lake Šas is a lake located north-east of Ulcinj, near the village of Šas, in Montenegro. It is bordered geographically by Briska Gora (Mali i Brisë) to the southwest, Fraskanjelsko Polje (Këneta e Fraskanjellit) to the east, Ambulsko Brdo (Mali i Amullit) and Šasko Brdo (Mali i Shasit) to the northeast and the Brisko P

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  Beach

  Mala Plaža

  Mala Plaža also called City Beach is a beach in Ulcinj Municipality, Montenegro. It is located between Ulcinj Castle and Jadran Peninsula.

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  Monastery

  Ratac Abbey

  Ratac or Ratac Abbey was a fortified monastic complex on the coast of the peninsula between Bar and Sutomore in modern-day Montenegro. Ratac Abbey was under jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bar, though relations between Ratac abbots and Bar archbishops were not always good.

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  Historic Site

  Rumija

  Rumija is a mountain in southern Montenegro, situated between the Adriatic and Lake Skadar. The highest point is Rumija, which is 1,594 m (5,230 ft) high.

• Kotor

  Walled UNESCO old town under a zigzag fortress climb.

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• Podgorica

  Low-key capital with Roman Doclea on its edge.

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• Budva

  Medieval citadel town and the busiest beaches.

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• Cetinje

  Old royal capital of museums and embassies.

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• Herceg Novi

  Stairway town of fortresses at the bay's mouth.

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• Ulcinj

  Southern port of minarets and a 12 km beach.

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• Durmitor

  UNESCO massif of 18 glacial lakes and the Tara canyon.

• Lake Skadar

  Wetland of island monasteries, lilies and Dalmatian pelicans.

• Biogradska Gora

  One of Europe's last primeval forests around a lake.

• Lovćen

  Black mountain crowned by Njegoš's mausoleum.

• Prokletije

  The Accursed Mountains on the Albanian border.

• Velika plaža, Ulcinj

  Twelve kilometres of fine grey sand and kite wind.

• Sveti Stefan

  Pink-pebble beaches either side of the island hotel.

• Jaz

  Long bay west of Budva backed by hills.

• Mogren

  Twin coves reached by a cliff path from Budva old town.

• Ada Bojana

  River-island sands where the Bojana meets the sea.

• Bobotov Kuk

  2,523 m — Durmitor's classic summit day hike.

• Tara River Canyon

  1,300 m deep, Europe's deepest gorge, rafted in summer.

• Lovćen

  461 steps to the mausoleum and a view of the whole coast.

• Bjelasica

  Rounded green massif above Kolašin's ski slopes.

• Komovi

  Sharp limestone peaks between Kolašin and Andrijevica.

• Njeguški pršut

  Smoked, air-dried ham from the village under Lovćen.

• Kačamak

  Mountain polenta beaten with potato, cheese and kajmak.

• Crni rižot

  Coastal squid-ink risotto, a Venetian inheritance.

• Skadar carp

  Lake carp smoked or stewed with dried plums.

• Vranac

  The dark, robust red wine of the Podgorica plain.

• Priganice

  Fried dough puffs served with honey or cheese.

• 01

  Montenegro uses the euro despite not being an EU member.

• 02

  The Kotor–Cetinje serpentine road is spectacular but slow; allow a full afternoon.

• 03

  Coastal prices double in July and August; May, June and September are ideal.

• 04

  Durmitor's Black Lake and Tara rafting run roughly May to October.

• 05

  Register your stay (usually done by your host) — border officers may ask for the slip.