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The full Monte Imagine a country where women still hitchhike, doughnuts are eaten for breakfast and wild wolves live in the mountains WORDS ALEX VIVAS
WHEN TO GO: Montenegro's peak tourist season is in July and Maybe it says more about the type of Trademark terracotta roofs and whitewashed company I keep, but when I told friends I was August. Avoid the crowds but still stone houses clash wonderfully with the enjoy some sunshine by heading going to Montenegro most said: “Where’s sapphire waters of the Adriatic. I’m soon there in May, June or September. that?” The marginally more clued-up said, on the pretty ferry ride to the small coastal “Look out for landmines”. So as I headed to town of Tivat. Little islands, with curious CURRENCY: Euro. the newly independent Balkan country, I monuments and churches, dot the water. 1 GBP = 1.14 EUR. In Tivat I ask the hotel manager what’s was half expecting nasty little explosive LANGUAGE: Montenegrin. surprises and other post-Communist clichés ACCOMMODATION: A dorm best to do around here and he recommends a walk up into the mountains and down such as clapped-out Ladas and, more bed at Montenegro Hostel Kotor to Kotor. “Is there good scenery?” I ask. worrying still, mullets. (book through hostelbookers.com) “Yes ...” he says, but he seems to be Montenegro is named after Black costs from £12pppn. A dorm bed holding something back. Mountain, its highest peak, and the country at Montenegro Hostel Budva costs I stroll leisurely up through the rocky borders the Adriatic, Croatia, Albania, from £1013pppn, while a private green hills, sharing the path with goats, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia. room at Hippo Hostel in Budva lizards, pretty wild flowers and the very Indeed it was until recently called Serbia and costs from £13.81pppn. Book occasional local. The magical views of Montenegro, and, before that, Yugoslavia. In through hostelworld.com. Kotor catch me completely unawares and I the latest Balkans conflict the nation fought SEE: visit-montenegro.com plonk myself down on the path in awe. The alongside the Serbs, with whom they share town sits at the end of a vast fjord, like something from a a language. Yet the plucky country risked the wrath Brothers Grimm fairytale. I carry on down to explore the of its big brother recently by siding with Kosovo in their ›› diplomatic fight for independence; an underdog sticking up for even more of an underdog. Landmines aside, I like Montenegro already. ‘Monte’ has historic towns aplenty, beaches that I am constantly told are “more beautiful than Croatia’s”, national parks chocka with dashing peaks, as well as bears and wolves (no really), plunging canyons, glacial lakes, ruined fortresses and a Mediterranean climate. All that, in a country just twothirds the size of (to use the standard international tape measure) Wales, and with less than 700,000 people. Sounds pretty damn impressive on paper, but then so do many places. I’m still pondering how best to detect and deactivate landmines (would I have to dress up like Lady Diana?) as I land in Dubrovnik, just over the border in Croatia. I pick up a hire car (it’s not a Lada) and drive south. The habitat is dry, the sky is sunny and not long after crossing into Montenegro, the road starts hugging the Bay of Kotor. The dramatic Montenegrin coast is characterised by steep, rugged peaks, blotted grey and green, reaching Famous view: Sveti Stefan straight out of the water and upwards to 1700 metres. TNTMAGAZINE.COM
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