The best of Montenegro’s coastline

This little country on the Adriatic (just 600,000 inhabitants) is a fantastic holiday destination offering beautiful coastlines and towns, friendly people, excellent cuisine and relatively low prices. It doesn’t yet attract the big crowds that neighboring Croatia does, but that’s sure to change over the next years, so enjoy it now!

Boka kotorska – This region in the north of Montenegro and close to Croatia used to be part of the Venetian Empire and the name comes from the Italian “bocca” (mouth). This is a dramatic fjord dotted with lovely Venetian towns and ringed by stunning mountains. We based ourselves here for a week and explored the whole area and absolutely never grew tired of observing the rocky mountains and the lovely stone of the buildings with the changing light of day. We stayed in the charming town of  Perast , where time seems to have stood still for the last four hundred years and we loved taking our daily swim in the town’s small beach just opposite two lovely island churches. Perast is just a few kilometers from the large town of Kotor, an architectural gem. Don’t miss out on climbing the ruin walls of Kotor’s castle for the dizzying view of the town and the Boka far below. You can’t go wrong here stopping off along the way to visit the charming towns and take a dip in the inviting waters all along this beautiful coastline.

Budva – this is Montenegro’s most developed coastal resort, with many options for accomodation. The old town is lovely as is the town’s stone beach. Unfortunately, Budva has developed a little too rapidly over the past few years and the charming old town has been dwarfed by far-less-than-charming overbuilding around the old town walls. Still, if you are young and looking for good nightlife, this is most likely a good place to start. If you are looking for a quieter atmosphere, as we were, stay elsewhere and make this a daytrip.Budva – this is Montenegro’s most developed coastal resort, with many options for accomodation. The old town is lovely as is the town’s stone beach. Unfortunately, Budva has developed a little too rapidly over the past few years and the charming old town has been dwarfed by far-less-than-charming overbuilding around the old town walls. Still, if you are young and looking for good nightlife, this is most likely a good place to start. If you are looking for a quieter atmosphere, as we were, stay elsewhere and make this a daytrip.

Sveti Stefan – Close to Budva is the picture-perfect island of Sveti Stefan attached to the mainland by a causeway. Relax on the beaches on either side of the causeway and enjoy this tranquil, photogenic spot.

Ulcinj – Until 1878, Ulcinj, at the southermost tip of Montenegro and close to the Albanian border, was part of the Ottoman Empire. In that year, fierce fighting between the Montenegrins and Ottomans led to the eventual annexation of Ulcinj (and Bar to the north) to Montenegro. Montenegro’s Albanian minority makes up about 90% of Ulcinj’s population and that of the surrounding regions. Since the area is also popular in the summer with Albanians and Albanian Kosovars on holiday, you will hear more Albanian spoken here than Montenegrin. The city has a rich history. It was settled by the Greeks, Romans, Ottomans and was famous as a base for the Algerian corsairs. Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quijote, is said to have been captured by the pirates off the coast of Barcelona and held as a captive in Ulcinj. The Citadel is charming, perched high on a hill with views to the sea below. The Velika Plaža (Great Beach), just south of town is a long stretch of grey sand and the nearby Ada Bojana, an island in the Bojana River, just along the Albanian border has wonderful seafood restaurants not to be missed.

Written by Kimberly Sullivan
www.europealacarte.co.uk

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Ski Champion Praises Montenegro’s Stunning and Unexplored Mountains

Balkan Travellers

21 February 2008 | Montenegro – which traditionally attracts tourists in the summer with its stunning Adriatic coastline, may soon get a boost for its winter tourism too.
The Durmitor Mountain in the northern part of the country was recently highlighted, after Boris Strel – who won the giant slalom world cup for Yugoslavia in 1981, skied down and commented on its best slope, Savin Kuk.

“This place has phenomenal conditions for winter sports, and with a little extra work this could become a top ski resort,” Strel told media.

Beside the 3,500 metre-long slope Savin Kuk, the Dormitor Mountain has two other exciting slopes: the 2,600 metre-long Štuoc and and Javorovača, which at 800 metres is perfect for those preferring short runs. The slopes are accessible through numerous funicular railways and ski lifts.

The mountain is also the home of the Durmitor National Park, a World Heritage Site, which includes the massif of Durmitor, the canyons of the Tara, Sušica and Draga rivers. The Tara River Canyon, 80 kilometres long and 1,300 metres deep, is the second largest in the world, after Arizona’s Grand Canyon.

“Nature has given this area beauty, and we need to take advantage of it and invest,” Strel concluded.

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Thessaloniki and Montenegro are the two destinations recommended for 2008 by the Lonely Planet

Balkan Travellers
13 February, 2008 | Thessaloniki and Montenegro are the two destinations recommended for 2008 by the Lonely Planet community of authors, staff and travellers.

Bluelist 2008 is the third edition of Lonely Planet’s popular annual title containing a collection of travel inspirations for the year ahead. It contains recommendations for trends, destinations, journeys and experiences.

Thessaloniki was listed among Lonely Planet’s twelve top-pick cities. Dubbed as a “spirited, energetic, forward-looking city,” the second largest town in Greece is also said to be its “cultural heart” and the gateway to Mount Athos.

Some of the other cities on the list include Apia in Samoa, Bologna in Italy, Miami in the US, Fes in Morocco, Damascus in Syria and Vienna in Austria.

The second Balkan destination recommended in the edition as a top-pick country for 2008 is Montenegro. Describing the “sultry curve of its coastline” as “irresistible,” Lonely Plant says the country offers something for everyone: from “the Adriatic’s deep blue waters” that entice “beach potatoes” to “the tall peaks of the snowy mountains” attracting the “activity-spurred travellers.”

Montenegro is in the company of six other countries on the list. Among them are Armenia and Bhutan.

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Montenegro In Tourism Push

Podgorica _ Montenegro has called on international investors to help develop high-end tourism along its coastline.

The appeal by the country’s Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Protection calls on investors to help draft a preliminary appraisal for construction projects in the area. Successful companies will then be allowed to manage the new tourist complexes once they are constructed.
Ada Bojana island has been identified as one of several key locations for the development of high-end tourism.
The island, about 520 hectares in size, is owned by Montenegro’s government. It is hoping to secure a long-term lease for 100 hectares of the island, for the development and management of a top-quality tourist resort.
But details released Tuesday show the Government may be willing to negotiate the lease of the whole island, provided that around 350 hectares of the island are retained in its natural state.
The Master Plan for the coastal town of Ulcinj envisions the development of high-quality tourism with accommodation facilities of 2,500 beds on Ada Bojana.
The lease is expected to use architecture, design and engineering that meets the highest international standards but also with a style that is in keeping with its surroundings.
Investors interested in bidding for the lease must have prior experience in the development and management of exclusive tourist complexes, and should submit their proposal by May 5, 2008.

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