Montenegro

Montenegro is a small country nestled amid harsh mountains, deep river canyons and by the beautiful coast of the Adriatic. Whichever way you enter Montenegro — with the exception of the capital, Podgorica — you will be struck by its beauty. The coast, which borders Croatia in the north, is just as stunning as that of its better-known neighbor. The Bay of Kotor is dotted with gems: the walled town of Kotor could be Dubrovnik’s smaller sister; the tiny town of Perast is a perfect slice of the Mediterranean. Farther down is Budva, Montenegro’s busiest summer destination, with its fortified old town and sprawl of beaches. Heading south, ...

Montenegro is a small country nestled amid harsh mountains, deep river canyons and by the beautiful coast of the Adriatic. Whichever way you enter Montenegro — with the exception of the capital, Podgorica — you will be struck by its beauty. The coast, which borders Croatia in the north, is just as stunning as that of its better-known neighbor. The Bay of Kotor is dotted with gems: the walled town of Kotor could be Dubrovnik’s smaller sister; the tiny town of Perast is a perfect slice of the Mediterranean. Farther down is Budva, Montenegro’s busiest summer destination, with its fortified old town and sprawl of beaches. Heading south, the Adriatic coast is dotted with tiny seaside towns such as Petrovac or the curious and exclusive holiday island of Sveti Stefan; stretches of sand lead all the way to Ulcinj, where the country comes to a spectacular end with a 7.5-mile-long beach. Inland is Cetinje, the old capital that crowns the country at 2,625 feet above sea-level, with its elegant buildings and old embassies. There is skiing and trekking in the heights of the mighty Durmitor and Žabljak and rafting on the foamy whirls in the spectacular lows of the Tara river canyon.

About the Expert

Vesna Maric has contributed to Lonely Planet guides since 2004, including titles such as Croatia, Cyprus, Sicily, and Sardinia, as well as sections on Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia for Western Balkans and Eastern Europe.