A few years ago, the question “Where is Montenegro?” was almost the most popular in our blog. Let’s try to give the most detailed answer about the key features of this country. The people here are very hospitable, but the language may be hard for English-speakers.
It will be interesting: all important information about Montenegro
Montenegro. Where is it located?
Montenegro is a small country — only 13 812 km², which makes it number 155 in size around the globe. Montenegro is located on the Adriatic coast of the Balkan Peninsula, in southeastern Europe. The sea here is very warm and amazingly transparent.
What countries does Montenegro border with?
Montenegro borders with Italy through the Adriatic Sea — here you can buy Italian shoes and clothes. You can easily go to Italy from Bar.
Land borders of Montenegro:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — country with interesting history, you can buy a tour there.
- Serbia — an excursion to Serbia usually is not offered by tour agencies.
- Republic of Kosovo — Partially Recognized State.
- Albania — no visa required, some tours are offered.
- Croatia — a member of the European Union. One of the most popular cities there is Dubrovnik. If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, it would be interesting to visit this city, a lot of scenes was taken there.
Montenegro on the map
We’ve added a small map of Montenegro for you, where we marked the most visited resorts and attractions.
Of course, the list on this map is far from done. Read our blog, there is a very good selection of interesting places in the country and a large number of articles about the most interesting excursions in Montenegro.
Next articles may be useful for backpack tourists: the bus schedule from Budva; the bus schedule from Kotor. We also tried to help you with car rental and choosing the apartments.
Climate of Montenegro
The climate here is very mild and comfortable. The sea is warm, clean and transparent. Although sometimes due to the cold currents it can also be cool to swim.
A long, warm summer with plenty of sunny days is ideal for a beach holiday.
A short, snowy winter is good for skiing. The most popular ski resort in Montenegro is Žabljak.
Beaches and water temperature in Montenegro
The beaches in Montenegro are mostly sand and gravel or concrete. The water will be warmer in the Bay of Kotor or Herceg Novi, a little cooler on the coast — around +27 °C.
Even if they promise you sandy beaches in various ads, you should not believe in it. You may find true sand beaches only nearby Ulcinj. There are beaches with imported sand and pebbles, but by the beginning of August all sand is washed out into the sea and the sand beach turns into a pebble one.
We wrote a very detailed article about the beaches of Montenegro, where we talked about the rules, types of beaches, advantages and disadvantages of different coastlines and much much more.
Top Montenegro attractions
Surprisingly for such a small country, Montenegro have a lot of attractions. We will tell only about the most important of them.
Natural attractions
Of course, canyons and bays are the main attraction of Montenegro. We advise you to visit:
- Durmitor and Tara Canyons are simply the most beautiful part of the country. But keep in mind that this tour lasts about 14 hours.
- Bay of Kotor — a small half-day excursion during which you’ll visit the church on the man-made island, the city of millionaires Perast and the “little Venice” — Kotor. The bay of Kotor is in the list of the most beautiful bays in the world.
- Herceg Novi — you will visit Herceg Novi city that someone calls a botanical garden, the Blue Cave and the presidential beach Zhanitsa.
- Flower Island — located near Tivat Airport. Here you will see not only religious monuments — over the years Montenegrin sailors brought here the most amazing plants from all over the world.
May be interesting: article about the nature of Montenegro or a selection of beautiful photos from Montenegro
Cultural attractions
The main cultural attractions of Montenegro are:
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- Cetinje — the ancient capital of the country.
- Kotor — a city called the “little Venice”. Here you will see Italian architecture, but of course no channels or gondolas. We would recommend you to look at the fortress wall, which is second in length after the Great Chinese.
- The grave of Peter Njegosh — located in the national park Lovćen. Peter Njegosh, the greatest Sovereign of Montenegro, was considered the most handsome man on Earth. They say that when he visited the Russian courtyard, the ladies fainted right after seeing him.
- Đurđevića Tara Bridge is one of the most beautiful places in the country. After visiting Montenegro, we associate it with this place.
- St. Stephen’s Island is one of the most luxurious resorts in Montenegro. Very rich and famous people stay here.
Religious attractions
- Ostrog Monastery — one of the most visited monasteries in the world (included in the TOP-3). Pilgrims of all faiths come here: Orthodox, Catholics and Muslims. Also, the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog are buried here.
- Cetinje Monastery — the right hand of John the Baptist and the particles of the cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified are kept in here.
You can visit these two great monasteries during the Ostrog Monastery Tour.
May be useful: Monasteries and Churches in Montenegro.
Let’s enjoy a view of the Lovćen National Park. If you scroll through the panorama, you can see the tomb of the Great Sovereign of Montenegro, Peter Njegosh.
Montenegro Excursions
We would advise you to definitely visit four popular excursions around the country:
- Durmitor and Tara Trip
- Bay of Kotor
- Herceg Novi Boat Trip
- Ostrog Monastery Tour
We already wrote in great detail about all these excursions: descriptions of sights, photos and panoramas, routes and small life hacks.
