Cruising on a yacht through Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor, the southernmost fjord in the world, I have to crane my neck to see the top of the towering mountains that surround us on all sides.
As stunning as any Norwegian fjord, the luxury yachts and palm tree-lined promenades add a touch of French Riviera-style glamour, while the famous island of Our Lady of the Rocks (built by hand in the 15th century) and the area’s many other ancient monasteries and terracotta-roofed medieval towns complete the idyllic scene perfectly. Despite being a small European country (covering 13,812 km²), the diverse and fascinating landscape of Montenegro boasts many claims to fame. Home to the deepest canyon in Europe (the Tara River Canyon), the largest lake in the Balkans (Lake Skadar), the biggest vineyard in Europe in a single complex, and one of the largest Orthodox shrines in the world, it also offers 300km of rugged coastline, and endless attractions for visitors interested in nature, outdoor activities, culture and history. CULTURE AND NATURE COMBINED Offering a tempting mix of wild and untouched nature and Mediterranean-inspired glamour, Montenegro invites you to spend your days dining on sun-kissed waterside patios, hiking through mountains, gorges and lush national parks, and discovering over 100 mesmerising beaches, including Amalfi Coast-like hidden coves, and the 13km Velika Plaža (meaning Long Beach in English). Once part of the former Yugoslavia and home to a population of 620,000, it offers around 240 days of sunshine per year and a pleasant average summer temperature of 27°C. Allowing visitors to experience a vast array of diverse activities without having to travel too far, many of its finest cultural attractions are around the walled medieval city of Kotor (a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979) and Cetinje, the historical and cultural capital. Summer is also the perfect time to discover the country’s famous festival scene. Home to some of the biggest festivals in Europe, The Kotor Art Festival takes over the picturesque town every July and August, while the Montenegro Film Festival has been hosted every summer for the past three decades.