Montenegro is located on the Adriatic coast of the Balkan Peninsula. Montenegro is a small country, but very attractive: the natural flavor and a lot of attractions make it one of the most developing and dynamic tourist destinations in Europe.
A relatively young state with a centuries-old history beckons with stunning natural beauty and comfortable rest. Resorts in Montenegro, such as Budva, Becici, Sveti Stefan, Herceg Novi, Ulcinj, located on the seashore, as well as ski resorts - Zabljak, Kolasin, do not leave many tourists from all over the world indifferent. Holidays in Montenegro will appeal to those who are looking for a multicultural European history and quality holidays.
The Balkan Peninsula is the birthplace of ancient civilizations and cultures. In addition to Montenegro, the countries of the former Yugoslavia are located on the Balkan Peninsula: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, as well as the Republic of Kosovo and Albania. Strategically important trade routes connecting Western Europe with South-West Asia pass through the territory of the Balkan Peninsula.
Montenegro's beach resorts have established themselves as one of the most comfortable and high-quality resorts in the world. The ratio of high-quality European service and unique nature make this place attractive to tourists from all over the world.Beach holidays on the coast of Montenegro are represented by resorts such as Tivat, Budva, Sutomore, Ulcinj, Bar, Prcanj, Becici, Herceg Novi, Petrovac, Sveti Stefan, Perast, Risan.
Photo by Miljan Mijatović from Unsplash
There are two popular ski resorts in Montenegro: Zabljak in the Durmitor mountains and Kolasin in Belasica.
There are 3 main ski centers on the territory of the Zhablyak ski resort: Savin Kuk, Stutz, Yavorovacha.
The ski resort in Kolasin is represented by the Belasitsa and Trebalevo ski centers.
Kolasin Ski Resort 1450
The flag of Montenegro. Photo by jorono from Pixabay
On July 13, 2004, Montenegro adopted a distinctive flag. Based on the old royal banner, the new flag of Montenegro remained red with a yellow border. In its center there is a yellow double—headed eagle and a shield with a lion - the dynastic coat of arms of the Negosh dynasty, which once ruled Montenegro. In 2006, at a national referendum in Montenegro, it was decided to secede from the federation and independence was declared on June 3, the flag of 2004 became the national flag of Montenegro on this day.
The climate of Montenegro is comfortable for year—round recreation - the average winter temperature on the coast is +3...+7 °C, and in summer +23...+25 °C.
There are three climatic zones in Montenegro – temperate continental, Mediterranean and mountainous subalpine.
The mountainous regions have a subalpine climate. The mountain range begins at the Piva, Komarnik and Moracha rivers and extends to the north and east. The mountains are characterized by a typical Alpine climate, which implies cold winters with a lot of precipitation and not too hot summers. The temperature in the subalpine climate zone in summer reaches a maximum of +24 °C on hot sunny days, the average temperature is about +16 °C. Frosts are possible at any time of the year. The snow cover lasts here for a long time, and in some areas the snow does not melt all year round.
The temperate continental climate is characterized by warm summers (up to +24 °C), mild winters (from -4 °C to -20 °C) and a lot of precipitation, mainly in the western regions. This type of climate prevails in a flat area, where there is the strongest temperature contrast day and night. The continental climate prevails in the area of the Belopavlichka plain, which is due to the average temperature in July at 23-24 degrees Celsius.
The Mediterranean climate. The coastal climate zone is located along the Adriatic Sea from Herceg Novi to the mouth of the Bojana River. This zone is separated from the central part of the country by mountain ranges. This avoids the influence of the sea on the continental part of the country. In the coastal zone, the average temperature in summer is +22-26 °C.
The beach season officially opens in May, comfortable bathing is optimal from mid-June, when the sea water warms up to +21 ° C. The ski season in Montenegro begins in December, when the mountains are already stable below zero to -9 °C and stable snow cover.
Montenegrin is spoken in Montenegro, which, along with Serbian, is included in the subgroup of South Slavic languages along with. It is noteworthy that the Montenegrin language has been officially adopted since 2007. It is very similar to Serbian and differs more in pronunciation than spelling. In Montenegro, you may encounter road signs both in Latin and written in Cyrillic. Both options are recognized constitutionally and are used by the local population at their discretion.
The population of Montenegro is about 630 thousand people, of which 43% are Montenegrins, 32% are Serbs, 8% are Bosniaks, 17% are other nationalities.
The official currency in Montenegro is the euro. The euro was introduced in the country in 2002, although Montenegro is not a full member of the European Union. The pan-European rules for the import and export of currency are in force on the territory of Montenegro. Without filling out the declaration, the tourist will be able to import no more than 10 thousand euros into the country.
Public holidays in Montenegro are:
January 1, 2023 – New Year
May 1 is the International Labor Day
July 13 is the Day of Statehood.
Also, the country celebrates, without having the status of a state, the Day of the declaration of Montenegro as a kingdom on August 28 and the Day of Constitutionality on December 19.
Montenegrins are a very religious nation. The most widespread religion in Montenegro is Orthodoxy (74.24%), Islam is practiced by 17.74% of the population, Catholicism - 3.54%, Protestantism and other denominations - 0.06%. All religious organizations have equal rights in accordance with the Constitution and exist separately from the State.
The majority of the population from the mountainous regions profess Orthodoxy. Catholics live mainly in coastal areas. Most Muslims live in isolation near the borders with Albania and Kosovo, as well as in the Montenegrin Sanjak.