Discover Montenegro

Montenegro is a country of 13,883 square kilometres and about 623,000 people on the Adriatic between Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania, with 293.5 kilometres of coast and a hinterland of some of the most rugged mountains in Europe. Its capital is Podgorica; Cetinje, under Mount Lovćen, is the old royal capital. The country's name, Crna Gora or Black Mountain, comes from Lovćen's dark forests. Behind a coastal plain rarely more than four kilometres wide the karst rises above 1,000 metres and the Durmitor massif tops out at Bobotov Kuk, 2,523 metres, with 48 peaks above 2,000 and 18 glacial lakes.

The state traces itself to the medieval Duklja and Zeta; large parts were Ottoman from 1496 to 1878, the prince-bishops of Cetinje ruled from 1516 to 1852, the Petrović-Njegoš dynasty until 1918, and the Congress of Berlin recognised independence in 1878, with a kingdom proclaimed in 1910. After 1918 it was Yugoslav, from 1945 to 1992 one of six republics, then half of a federation with Serbia, and on 21 May 2006 a referendum led to the independence declared on 3 June. It uses the euro without being in the eurozone, joined NATO, and has been negotiating EU membership since 2012.

For visitors, a country this small carries three UNESCO listings and a wall of mountains: the Bay of Kotor, a submerged river canyon of medieval towns under cliffs, World Heritage since 1979; Durmitor National Park, listed in 1980, with the Tara canyon, the deepest in continental Europe at up to 1,300 metres; and the Biogradska Gora biosphere reserve with its virgin forest. Budva's walled town is 2,500 years old, Ostrog's monastery is cut into a vertical cliff and takes over a million pilgrims a year, and Ulcinj's Velika Plaža runs 12 kilometres. Around 1.8 million visitors came in 2016, almost all to the coast in summer. The emergency number is 112, the currency the euro, and every visitor must register within 24 hours of arrival.

Do I need a visa?

No, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; the passport must be issued within ten years and valid three months beyond departure.

Do I really have to register?

Yes. Every visitor registers with the local tourism office or police within 24 hours of arrival. A hotel does it for you; in a private apartment it is your job, and not doing it can mean a fine or worse.

What currency?

The euro, used without eurozone membership. Major cards work; use ATMs inside banks.

How do I get there?

Fly to Podgorica (12 km from the capital) or Tivat (4 km from the town), about two hours from most European capitals; or take a bus from Croatia, Bosnia or Serbia; or sail into one of the marinas with a border post.

What are the emergency numbers?

112 for everything; police 122, medical 124, fire 123, roadside 19807.

Is driving difficult?

Secondary roads are narrow and poorly maintained, the Morača canyon road is the worst, priority to the right catches foreigners out, and snow tyres and chains are compulsory from 15 November to 31 March.