A first timer's guide to Montenegro
21.07.2023 - 08:20
/ roughguides.com
Fringed by the Adriatic on one side and rugged mountains on the other, Montenegro (the name means «Black Mountain») makes an ideal introduction to Eastern Europe. It's peaceful and safe and is a great destination for solo travellers. Our first timer's guide to Montenegro will help you get your bearings for a trip to this small yet beautiful place.
From stunning scenery and beautiful beaches to thrilling activities and sumptuous food, this bite-sized Balkan country which sits between Europe and Asia offers something for every taste. The beach-studded coastline of this country, which was once a member the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, is dotted with small fishing villages, ancient churches, and fortified towns, but the uncontested star of Montenegro’s striking seascape is its UNESCO-recognised Bay of Kotor.
Head inland along winding mountain roads and you’ll find remoter destinations such as the dense bear- and wolf- thronged forests of the Durmitor National Park, Biogradska Gora’s primeval forest or the Tara Canyon, Europe's Grand Canyon and a popular base for white-water rafting.
Despite adopting the Euro in 2002, Montenegro is still budget-friendly with plenty of great value accommodation options ranging from sobe, the clean simple rooms rented by private house owners, to luxury resorts where rooms, especially outside of the summer season, are surprisingly affordable.
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The Djurdjevica bridge over the river Tara in Montenegro © Miroslava Durcatova/Shutterstock
Food is great value, too and there's a host of traditional dishes to taste. Must tries include meltingly tender smoked prosciutto from the mountain village of Njegusi, the shellfish and prawn dish buzara and the local Vranac wines. If you’re on a tight budget look out for cevabdzinicas: grilled meat shops where you can fill up on beef and pork cevapi sausages for cheap.
Hire cars are relatively inexpensive, too and it’s best to have your own transport if you want to really explore. Although slower and less frequent, there are also buses that travel to most of the main sights, but for panoramic views you can’t beat the slow train which runs between Bar and Belgrade via Podgorica and Skadar lake.
The beautiful Bay of Kotor, known locally as Boka (which just means ‘the bay’) is a water wonderland dotted with ancient churches and medieval and Venetian-era settlements. The best way to explore is to take a boat trip with an outfit like Kotor Bay Tours. Stop offs en route include The Blue Cave, a grotto surrounded by brilliant turquoise waters and Our Lady of the Rocks, an artificial