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" ( " . " ( / * , . 0 6 / 5 " * / 4 | INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO 1SJTUJOB 5BSB . 5 4 -JN . 0 7 * , 0 5 4 & 5 * + & . 3 0 , - 1 Introduction to Montenegro Boasting one of the most dramatic stretches of coastline in all of Europe, as well as some of the continent’s wildest and most beautiful mountains, tiny Montenegro is likely to confound most visitors’ expectations. Nearly 300km long, its stunning Adriatic coastline is liberally sprinkled with historic towns, lively beach resorts, secluded coves and comely white-stone fishing villages, all punctuated by strips of fine sand and pebble beaches. The remote, often inhospitable interior, meanwhile, displays an outstanding array of snow- dusted peaks, crystal- clear lakes and rivers and deep forests and canyons. The whole adds up to a diverse landscape quite extraordinary for such a small country. Yet the variety that Montenegro manifests stretches beyond its physical attri- butes. The country lies on one of Europe’s great historical fault lines, where the Catholic West meets Orthodox East, with Islam thrown in for good measure: it’s a heritage that imbues it with a remarkable cultural heterogeneity. Montenegro has been subject to numerous invaders and occupiers over the centuries, each of which has left an imprint of sorts. Foremost were the Ottomans, whose centu- ries of occupation left an Islamic legacy still evident in the many mosques in the capital, Podgorica, and the northern and easternmost settlements of the country. The Venetians, meanwhile, controlled much of the coastal region during roughly 6 the same period, leaving their mark in the fine Baroque palaces and churches that remain all along the seaboard; this Mediterranean influence is also evident in the MONTE1 colour intro 1-16.indd 6 19/11/08 13:00:11 | INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO Fact file • With an area of around 14,000 square kilometres (roughly the size of Northern Ireland) and a popu- lation of only 600,000, Monte- negro is one of Europe’s smallest countries. The country’s official language is Montenegrin, which is essentially a variant of Serbian. • In Montenegrin the country’s name is Crna Gora (“Black Moun- tain”), a translation of which into the Venetian language during the Middle Ages formed the Western name for the country. • Montenegro is an ethnically diverse country, comprising 43 percent Montenegrins, 32 percent olive groves and vines scattered along Serbs, 8 percent Bosnians, 5 per- cent Albanians and the rest made the coastal hinterland. The Ortho- up of other ethnicities. In terms of dox faith, meanwhile, arrived with religion, around 75 percent are the great medieval dynasties of the Orthodox, 18 percent Muslim, 4 Serbs, who bequeathed a marvellous percent Catholic and others repre- ecclesiastical heritage of monasteries senting around 3 percent. bursting with colourful frescoes and • On June 3, 2006, Montenegro became an independent repub- glittering iconostases. lic, having been part of a Yugoslav Until recently, Montenegro had federation in some form or other broken free from the yoke of foreign since 1918. The constitution sets rule only once, during a short-lived in place a parliamentary system spell of independence in the late nine- of government, elected every four years, with the prime minister teenth century. It then spent much of at its head; the president is head the twentieth century locked into a of state. less than satisfactory Yugoslav federa- • Tourism is comfortably the tion, in all its many guises, though it fastest growing sector of the managed to avoid the widespread Montenegrin economy, with tourist arrivals increasing by around thirty percent year-on-year since 2004. Most visitors make an Montenegro’s most important immediate beeline for exports are aluminium, agriculture and textiles. the magical Montenegrin seaboard, with its multiplicity • Montenegrins are often held to be the tallest people in Europe, of enticing resorts and superb with an average male height of 7 beaches. around 6ft 1in (185cm). MONTE1 colour intro 1-16.indd 7 19/11/08 13:00:15 | INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO 왖 Herceg Novi 왔 National celebrations carnage that accompanied the break-up of the federa- tion in the 1990s. A rela- tively painless divorce from Serbia in 2006 resulted in the country’s long-desired goal of independence, and it now has its sights firmly set on membership of the European Union. Independence has coincided with a dramatic upsurge in visitor num- bers, recalling the halcyon days of the 1970s and 1980s when Montenegro was one of the hottest destina- tions in all of Yugoslavia, attracting not only large numbers of package tourists but also celebrities and movie stars. Today, investment is pouring in, primarily from the Russians, who have pumped vast sums of capital into the many con- struction projects along the coast, mainly in the form of high-end hotels, while the littoral’s popularity as a property hotspot for foreigners shows no signs of abating. And though much of the interior lags some way behind the coast in terms of its tourist infrastructure, its potential is immense, with plans afoot to develop the region into a prime ecotourism destination. Where to go ith few significant towns or cit- ies to speak of, the bulk of your time in Montenegro is likely to Wbe spent either along the coast or in the mountainous interior. Most visitors make an immediate beeline for the magical Montenegrin seaboard, with its multiplicity of enticing resorts and superb beaches. The most popular destination is Budva, which features a fabulously appealing old town, some fine beaches and the coast’s hottest 8 nightlife. Further south, Petrovac boasts a gorgeous beach, beyond which lie the port MONTE1 colour intro 1-16.indd 8 19/11/08 13:00:28 왔 Budva beach | INTRODUCTION | WHERE TO GO | WHEN TO GO