Current Montenegro is one of the most common tourist destinations among European countries. The natural luxury of this delightful country, comfortable climate, many values of history and architecture, and low prices attract more and more tourists to the country of black mountains and white beaches.
Montenegro is famous for its natural treasures, among which are Shas and Skadar lakes of stunning azure-bluish color, a national park, inside which is the famous Black Lake and the colorful canyons of the Tara and Morac rivers, the Bay of Kotor.
Every corner of Montenegro is interesting in its own way, and all exotic places defy description, so this delightful country should definitely be visited. The country most likely acquired the name (Black Mountain) due to the impenetrable black forests, which in the Middle Ages covered Mount Lovcen and the rest of the alpine heights of ancient Montenegro.
Tourist country
Montenegro today is a very popular Eastern European country in terms of tourism. Mountainlandscapes, the cleanest Adriatic Sea, optimal temperature - that's why holidays here are so popular. Even when it is cloudy in most resorts, in Montenegro the weather always pleases vacationers with its mild Mediterranean climate. In summer, the air warms up to +40 °С, and the water temperature on the Montenegrin coast reaches +25 °С. What else do you need to have a great time? Meanwhile, the winter in the mountains is snowy and moderately cold, which favors the development of ski tourism.
The number of those who dream of spending their holidays in Montenegro, relaxing or improving their he alth is constantly growing, many people from all over Europe even dream of buying real estate here for this - after all, with wonderful natural conditions, housing prices here are lower than in most other countries.
Geographic location
Montenegro is located in the south of Europe, on the southwestern side of the Balkans. Its southern border passes with Albania, in the west - with Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the northern side its neighbors are Serbia and Croatia. The area of Montenegro is territorially conditionally divided into three regions: mountains in the northeastern part of the country, the coast of the Adriatic Sea, as well as the flat basin of Lake Skadar and the valley landscape around it. The length of the coast reaches 293.5 km. The state owns 14 offshore islands.
In the north west there is a large inflow - Boka Kotorska. The main beaches are located on the Budva Riviera. Montenegro is a colorful country,bathing in the waters of the Adriatic. The coastal line occupies about a third of the state's border. Rocky mountains, colorful architecture and generous nature - this is what Montenegro is famous for today. Mountain tourism captivates no less than rest on the sea coasts. The Durmitor National Park offers tourists the delightful colors of the Black Mountains. The path to them is more convenient and interesting to lead through the town of Pluzine. On the way, you can see the Piva artificial reservoir, with a natural emerald hue. You can go through tunnels carved into the rocks, they have winding roads in the form of a serpentine. Here you can find stunning views of the Black Lake, the canyon of the Tara River, the Dzhurzhevich bridge between two mountain banks.
The country is characterized by cozy towns with small houses and vast natural expanses. The most famous cities among travelers are Podgorica, Kotor, Budva, Perast, Petrovets, Cetinje.
Capital
The city of Podgorica is the largest settlement in Montenegro, which is the center of the economy and industry of the state. Tourists in the city are attracted by narrow streets and unique old buildings of the ancient regions of Stara Varosh and Drach. The most fascinating places to visit are the Church of St. George, the Cathedral of Christ's Sunday, the Museum of Natural History, the National Theatre, the Njegus Palace and the Art Gallery. Of the modern structures - the Millennium Bridge (Millennium), stretching across the Morac River. Not far from Podgorica, you can see the ruins of an ancientfortress of Medun, which existed in the 3rd century BC. e.
Population
The population of Montenegro has about 627,000 inhabitants. The variety of the population is distributed by ethnic composition as follows:
- Montenegrins - 43%;
- Serbs - 32%;
- Bosnians - 8%;
- Albanians - 5%;
- other nationalities: Croats, Russians, Gypsies.
The official language in the country is Montenegrin, which belongs to the Slavic languages, and therefore is very close to Russian and Ukrainian. The most popular foreign languages are German and English.
The city of Tsetne, located in a colorful valley at the foot of Lovcen, is rightfully considered the historical and cultural capital. The complex of historical, cultural and architectural sights create a true open-air museum. Of the places most visited by tourists, the following stand out: the Billiard Palace, the royal palace of Nikola I, the Vlaška church, art, ethnographic and many different museums. You should definitely get into the National Park, see the royal family estate of Petrovich in the picturesque village of Njegusi on the top of Mount Lovcen. Here you can also visit the Mausoleum of Peter II Negosh.
The total area of Montenegro is 13,812 km².
The largest resorts: Budva, Becici, Herceg, Petrovac, Novi, Bar. Airports: Podgorica and Tivat. The highest place in Montenegro: the peak of Bobotov Kuk in the Durmitor mountain range - 2522 m. Here is Skadar Lake - the deepest on the Balkan Peninsula,its depths reach up to 530 km. Here is the deepest European canyon along the Tara River, with a depth of up to 1300 m. Due to the successful geography of Montenegro on the coast, the climate is subtropical: the summer is long, hot and dry, the air warms up to + 28-32 ˚С, the water in the sea - up to + 22-26 ˚С, and a short mild winter with temperatures up to +8 +10 ˚С. The beach season lasts six months a year, because Montenegro, in terms of the number of sunny days a year, comes only to Cyprus. In mountainous regions, the climate is temperate continental, winters are long and snowy, which favors the development of ski holidays.
Kitchen
A feature of the entire Montenegrin cuisine is the high ecological purity of the products used. The land in Montenegro is so fertile that additional artificial fertilizers are not used here at all, and the local population has not even heard of GMOs. Natural food, clean ecology, mountain air and sea water - everything is conducive to improving the he alth of the local population, not without reason there is a high life expectancy here. Typical Slavic cuisine with Mediterranean elements - a variety of meat dishes, seafood, fruits, vegetables. Don't forget to try the local wines "Vranac" and "Krstac", as well as grape vodka - vine. Another distinctive feature of Montenegrin cuisine is large portions both in bars and restaurants, which cannot but please foreign guests of the country.
First of all, in Montenegro, tourists buy products of localhandicrafts: bijouterie, haberdashery, honey, olive oil, wine. Shops are open daily, from morning to late evening. Both supermarkets and small shops are open every day from 6:00 to 20:00, and in tourist centers - until 23:00. Everywhere you can also find shops that operate around the clock. In local markets, purchases can be made in the morning.
Holidays and recreation
Montenegro has a lot of holidays in the year, both state and religious: on January 1 and 2, the population of Montenegro celebrates the New Year, on January 6 and 7 - Christmas, April 27 - Statehood Day in Montenegro, Christian Easter people also celebrates in the spring with the entire Orthodox world, May 1 and 2 - Spring and Labor Day, May 9 - Victory Day, June 4 - Partisan Day, June 13 - Uprising Day, November 29 and 30 - days of the republic. If the celebration falls on a weekend, then the weekdays following them are also considered days off.
The political system of the country
According to the Constitution of the country, adopted in 2007, Montenegro is a free democratic state. The President of Montenegro is elected for five years by general secret ballot. Filip Vujanovic has been in charge of the state since 2003. During the reign of the current president in May 2006, the independence of Montenegro was proclaimed. The residence of the President of Montenegro is located in Cetinje.
Currency regulation
What is the currency in Montenegro? The monetary currency in Montenegro is the euro. There are no special restrictions on import and export. Tourists are allowed to import and export any amountforeign currency, which was declared upon entering the country, without a declaration, the export of cash from the country is allowed no more than 500 euros. When exporting large amounts, it is necessary to declare them. In this case, it is necessary to present a declaration that the indicated amount of currency was previously imported to the area of Montenegro. The National Bank of the State operates only on weekdays. Commercial banks receive clients on Thursdays and Fridays. On weekends, only currency exchange offices operate. It is better to use plastic cards, then the question of what currency in Montenegro is better to pay and where to change it will not stand.
Hotels and Hotels
Over the past decades, a huge current has flowed into the Montenegrin economy - tourism, which brings significant profits to the state. The excellent ecological situation and convenient location attract more and more we althy Europeans here. Recently, many comfortable hotels, hotels, private villas and mini-hotels have been built in Montenegro, money has been invested in the development of resort infrastructure. Many hotels have been renovated. It is very common to live in private villas. Usually, this is a 3-5-storey building with standard rooms and apartments, equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay. Almost all of them provide tourists with breakfast. All private villas are located at a distance of 900 to 200 m from the seashore. Check-out time in hotels in private villas: check-in after 12:00, check-out before 11:00. The composition of the population by ethnicity: Montenegrins (43%) andSerbs (32%), other nationalities - Bosnians, Albanians, Croats, Russians, Gypsies. The official language in the country is Montenegrin.
Religion in Montenegro
Montenegrin population in the majority professes the Orthodox Christian faith (74%), in the minority - Islam (18%) and Catholicism (4%). The most popular attraction of the state is the Ostrog Monastery. It is located 15 km from Danilovgrad in a delightful natural place. This monastery is a famous Orthodox shrine in the world, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims of various faiths come to it every year to touch the miraculous power of the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog. The top of the monastery is carved into the rock at an altitude of 900 m and looks amazing.
The Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Montenegro is one of the most stunning Orthodox churches in the world. Religion in Montenegro has a special relationship. In the nineties of the XX century, the construction of the cathedral started in Podgorica. It was a project of the most majestic Orthodox church in the Balkans, grandiose in its scale and beauty. The construction of the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ began in 1993, Metropolitan Amfilohiy of Montenegro and Primorsky. The cathedral can be visited by five thousand parishioners at the same time. The largest bell was made in Voronezh at the Anisimov factory and weighs 10 tons. Together, all 14 temple bells weigh close to 20 tons. The temple is being painted and completed today.
Nature
The cleanest sea of the Adriatic, captivating mountain ranges, a coast with many inlets, protected from strong winds andstorms, excellent beaches, sun, magnificent nature - this is all Montenegro. The description of it can be continued endlessly, but it is better to see everything with your own eyes.
In the early 90s, Montenegro was called a country of pure, untouched and protected nature. This land of sharp contrasts, located on a small area, Montenegro has both the sea with excellent beaches and mountains covered with snow all year round, creating conditions for a ski holiday. The beaches of Montenegro stretch along the Adriatic coast. 173 beaches with a total length of 73 km occupy a quarter of the entire coast with a length of 293 km. A tourist can visit a beach with different preferences - with fine or coarse sand, pebble or rocky, in calm creeks or on capes protruding into the sea, there are modernly equipped beaches or wild ones with virgin nature. The water in the sea is dark blue, its transparency is striking - 40-55 meters, salinity ranges from 28% in the Boka Kotorska inlet, and up to 38% in the south near Ulcinj. There are nudist beaches, there is even a nudist village. At the level of mountain cliffs, the climate is typical subalpine - with cold snowy winters and moderate summers. In the northern mountains of Montenegro, snow usually lies for many months, and sometimes even throughout the year.
Transport and communications
What transport is developed in the country? Air transport. Montenegro has two airports of international importance - in the cities of Tivat and Podgorica. The national airline Montenegro Airlines cannot yet compete with the largest carriers, but its aircraft fly to Europe and neighboring Balkan countries. Regular flights here are also carried out by the Russian Aeroflot and the Serbian airline JAT.
There is also a railway here that connects the following cities: Subotica - Novi - Sad - Belgrade - Bar. The railway was laid from the port through Podgorica to Belgrade, there is also a direction Podgorica - Niksic. Water transport. The port is the city of Bar. There is a permanent ferry service to Italy (Bar-Bari route). Seaports: Kotor and Perast. Sea transport connects all beach resorts on the coast.
There are bus routes between all cities. Pretty good, as for a mountainous country, roads, traffic is right-hand.
Main highways: Adriatic Highway; routes from the coast through Podgorica to Sarajevo and Belgrade. In the country, the bus is the most common form of transportation, and in some places the only one. On-demand stops along the way are allowed. Tip for tourists: it's better to buy a ticket at any kiosk, because a ticket bought on the bus will be about 2 times more expensive.
Mobile operators in Montenegro are ProMonte and Monet.
Safety
For security reasons, video and photo shooting is possible only where there is no special sign - a crossed-out camera. It is not allowed to photograph objects of transport and energy significance, port facilities and objects of military subordination. By the way, in Montenegro today the crime rate is very low, so that both residents and tourists of this country can feel safe and enjoy the picturesquebeauty of this unique region.
