Montenegro's tourism suffered greatly from Yugoslavia's tragic civil war in the 1990s. In recent years, along with the stabilized situation in the region, tourism in Montenegro has begun to recover, and Montenegro is being re-discovered by tourists from around the globe.
In 2007 the country received peak level of tourism which almost reached pre-war volumes. As a result, in 2008 many roads are being renovated (which affects driving time) and many hotels are being constructed or renovated (which results in in extra noise and inconvenience).
Montenegro is divided into 21 municipalities, which can be grouped into 3 main geographical regions:
Montenegro's lower areas enjoy a Mediterranean climate, having dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Temperature varies greatly with elevation. Podgorica, lying near sea level, is noted for having the warmest July temperatures in Montenegro, averaging 27__C (81 F).
Cetinje, in the Karst at an elevation of 670m (2,200 ft), has a temperature 5__C (10 F) lower. January temperatures range from 8__C (46 F) at Bar on the southern coast to -3__C (27 F) in the northern mountains.
Montenegro's mountainous regions receive some of the highest amounts of rainfall in Europe. In the northern mountains, snow is present throughout the winter.
The terrain of Montenegro ranges from high mountains along its borders with Kosovo and Albania, through a segment of the Karst of the western Balkan Peninsula, to a narrow coastal plain that is only one to four miles wide. The coastal plain disappears completely in the north, where Mount Lovcen and other ranges plunge abruptly into the inlet of the Gulf of Kotor.
Montenegro's section of the Karst lies generally at elevations of just below 1000m (3,000 ft) above sea level-although some areas rise to 1800m (6,000 ft). The lowest segment is in the valley of the Zeta River, which flows at an elevation of 460m (1,500 ft).
The high mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe. They average more than 2100m (7000 ft) in elevation.
In June 2006, following a referendum in which a 55.4% majority chose to split from Serbia, Montenegro declared its independence.
'''Podgorica airport''' is Montenegro's main international airport. It is situated 12km (7.5 miles) south of Podgorica. It is a hub for Montenegro's national airline carrier, Montenegro Airlines, which maintains regular flights from Podgorica to Belgrade, Budapest, Zurich, Frankfurt, Ljubljana, London, Paris, Rome and Vienna.
One can get from the airport to Podgorica center by taking the minibus, which usually waits in front of the terminal. Taxi to the center will be more expensive, usually €15. There are also bus lines connecting the airport with some other Montenegro cities.
'''Tivat airport''' is situated near the city of Tivat, on the Montenegin coast. It has regular flights to Belgrade throughout the year, and has charter flights to major European destinations during the summer. Tivat airport is 20km from Budva and Herceg-Novi and 60 km from Bar.
'''Dubrovnik airport''' in Croatia is half hour drive from the Montenegro border, and coastal city of Herceg-Novi, and is served by many major airlines, so it might be a good option for tourist coming by plane.
There is regular passenger train service from Subotica through Novi Sad and Belgrade. Train goes through Bijelo Polje, Kolasin, Podgorica and ends in Bar, Montenegro's main seaport. Travel by train is cheapest way to get to Montenegro, but the quality of service is not very good. There are overnight trains with sleeping cars for around ?25, which must be booked in advance, but are a more comfortable option.
A cheap way of traveling to or from Montenegro might be the Balkan Flexipass.
Montenegro is well connected with neighbouring countries and ticket prices are all under ?25. During the summer, more seasonal lines are being introduced.
European routes E65, E80, E762, E763 and E851 pass through the country. Coming in from Serbia during the winter requires additional caution, as curvy mountanious road is not in good condition. Hiring a car to drive in to Montenegro from one of the surrounding countries can be problematic. Not all car hire companies will permit the journey. You will need a border pass.
There are regular ferry lines from Bar to Bari and Ancona in Italy. Lines operate almost daily throughout the year, and get more frequent during the summer. Trip to Bari takes around 8 hours. 2 hour trip by ship to Durres Albania From Ulqin
There is local train service, operating from Bar, through Podgorica and Kolasin and Mojkovac to Bijelo Polje. It is the cheapest way to travel from north to south and vice versa, quality of service is not on the high level. It might also be dangerous, an accident with 44 casualties occurred in 2006. Tickets can be purchased on board.
Besides the buses, there are minibuses at bus stations that are usually slightly cheaper, but are actually faster and more comfortable option.
Speed limit is 80km/h on the open road, unless signs specify otherwise. Speed limit inside the cities is 50km/h.
The use of safety belts is compulsory, and the use of cellphones while driving is prohibited. Signposts used in Montenegro are almost identical to those used in EU countries.
Drivers tend to be extremely vocal, so don't take it personally if a driver yells at you.
It is necessary to use headlights 24 hours a day in Montenegro.
The roads from Podgorica through Cetinje to Budva and to Petrovac are both in good condition, but are curvy mountainous roads which rarely permit speeds over 70km/h.
The road from Podgorica north to Kolasin, and then on to Zabljak or Serbia, is considered dangerous during the winter, especially the part through the Moraca canyon. It is recommended one takes the bus to the north during the cold or rainy days, as bus drivers are experienced and know the road.
The old road from Cetinje to Kotor is mostly a narrow one-lane road offering stunning views of Kotor from above but exercise extreme caution when passing on-coming traffic, over-taking and around corners.
Montenegrin is the official language, even though 393,740 people, or 63.49% of the population, declared Serbian as their speaking language in the last census in 2003. In some municipalities with an Albanian majority (Ulcinj, Plav, Gusinje) and the Malesia district in Podgorica municipality, the Albanian language is commonly spoken. Slovene and Macedonian are also universally understood.
In Podgorica and the coastal area many people can sparingly speak English, but that is not always the case in the north. Older people often have a working knowledge of German.
Russian is spoken and understood more and more widely, especially along the coast, as huge amounts of real estate had been purchased by Russians in 2000s as a summer residence with an extra bonus of Schengen travel permit.
Serbo-Croatian is pronounced phonetically (you say the words how they're spelled).
In addition, "j" makes a "y" sound and a "?" makes a sound similar to "zh". "?" and "?" make sounds similar to "ch", with "?" being pronounced in a little softer way.
halo: hallo
dobro jutro: good morning
dobro ve?e (veh-che): good evening
laku no? (noh-ch): good night
molim te (moh-leem teh): please
molim vas (when addressing polite): please
hvala: thank you
koliko ovo ko?ta (koh-shta)?: How much does this cost?
Kako si? (when addressing one person): How are you?
Kako ste? (when addressing two or more people, or polite): How are you?
?ao (chao): bye / hi
Apart from the hotels located in towns and summer resorts offering half-board and full-board accommodation, and those along the roads and communication lines such as restaurants, pizza places, taverns, fast food restaurants and cafes, there is a choice of national restaurants offering traditional Montenegrin cuisine.
In addition to the standard European and Mediterranean cuisine, Montenegro offers a variety of healthy food products and local specialities.
'''Cold hors d'ouevres''' include the famous ''njegu?ki pr?ut'' (smoked ham) and ''njegu?ki cheese'', ''pljevaljski cheese'', mushrooms, donuts and dried bleak. The main courses specific for the '''northern''' mountainous region are boiled lamb, lamb cooked in milk, cicvara in fresh milk cream (buttered corn porridge), boiled potatoes with cheese and fresh cream. A selection of traditional recipes of the '''central and coastal''' parts will include the ''kastradina'' (dried mutton), smoked and fresh carp (from Skadar lake) and a variety of fresh sea fish and seafood dishes. Donuts served with honey and dried figs are traditional desserts in these parts of Montenegro.
Products of animal origin are supervised and approved by veterinary and health authorities according to EU standards.
Montenegrin vineyards and the production of quality wine is part of the tradition of southern and coastal wine makers.
The best known Montenegrin wines are the premium whites: "Krsta?", "Cabernet", "Chardonnay" and reds: "Vranac", "Pro Corde". All of them are produced by the famous company "Planta?e", but there's also some home-made wines of high quality, like Crmni?ko wine.
1L bottle of "Vranac" red wine will cost you from €8 to €15 in the bar or restaurant and it's well worth it! Also, you can buy a bottle of "Plantaze"'s wine under 2 euro in supermarkets.
In the resort towns such as Kotor, Budva, Sveti Stefan and Herceg Novi, beggars and pickpockets are common. Don't be afraid of giving them a couple euro-cents, but do not ever let them see that you possess a lot of money or something valuable, as they will send someone after you to beg for more money. Always carry your bags in the safest way, slung around your shoulder with the pouch on the front of your leg where you can see it. If you see a boy or girl running in your direction and you're holding an object, put it out of the way until he/she passes by, as they may try to knock it out of your hand.
At beaches, taking off the bottom piece of a swimsuit will likely create a stir, and is generally reserved for designated nude beaches.
Being obviously drunk is a sign of bad taste and worse character in Montenegro: You may be invited to drink gallons, but are expected to be able to hold your drink. Be careful, "rakija" a plum spirit, is stronger than expected, and will make you drunk fast!
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