Holidays in Montenegro

Understanding Montenegro

Climate

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

Terrain

The terrain of Montenegro ranges from high mountains 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

History

Montenegro was founded as a state under its present name in 15th century, continuing the tradition of the Slavic state of Duklja It was able to maintain its independence during the reign of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, its independence was formally acknowledged at the Congress of Berlin in 1878 After the World War I, fighting for the Allied powers, it was absorbed into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which later became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929 Montenegro was also later part of various incarnations of Yugoslavia, until it regained its full independence from the federation of Serbia-Montenegro on June 2006 referendum Montenegro was the only subsequent republic of the former Yugoslavia that supported Serbia during the wars of the Former Yugoslavia in the 1990's

Talking in Montenegro

Montenegrin is the official language, which is identical to Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian in everyday use 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 People do however distinguish between the Serbian and Montenegrin ethnicity, Montenegrins forming a majority

In Podgorica and the coastal area many people can sparingly speak English, but that is not always the case in the north Older people sometimes have a working knowledge of German

Russian, which belongs to the same family of Slavic languages is relatively easier to understand and is spoken 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

Buying stuff in Montenegro

Hundreds of new ATMs have been installed in most major cities The ATMs accept most international VISA and Mastercard Credit/Debit cards You can find out nearest ATMs or banks using appropriate services such as 3 or 4

Food and eating in Montenegro

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'oeuvres include the famous njeguški pršut smoked ham and njeguški 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

Drinking in Montenegro

Wine

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: "Krstač", "Cabernet", "Chardonnay" and reds: "Vranac", "Pro Corde" All of them are produced by the famous company "Plantaže", but there's also some home-made wines of high quality, like Crmničko wine

1L bottle of "Vranac" red wine will cost you from €8 to €15 in the bar or restaurant and it is well worth it! Also, you can buy a bottle of "Plantaze"'s wine for about €2-€4 in supermarkets

Brandy

The continental region and north are more oriented towards the production of aromatic fruit flavoured brandy plum brandy - šljivovica, apple brandy - jabukovača Grape brandy "Montenegrin loza", "Prvijenac", "Kruna" or home made grape brandy lozova rakija, lozovača is a must-try, and a good choice to "warm up" before going out in the evening

Beer

"Nikšićko" beer is the best known beer in the Montenegro, and most common alcoholic beverage, which cost from €050 to €250 It is produced as a draught beer, or bottled, in both "Nik Gold" and lighter "Nik Cool" variant Dark variant, "Nik tamno", is praised among beer lovers

Other

Other alcoholic drinks can cost anywhere between €1 and €10

Accommodation in Montenegro

Some western-style accommodations are available in Ulaanbaatar, but they go for western prices There are a few nice guest houses in UB for less than $US10 per night even as cheap as 3,000 tugrik if you're willing to share a room, but they are crowded during the tourist season and hard to get into

Out in the countryside, most of the hotels are rundown leftovers from the Soviet era A better option is tourist ger, set up by various entrepreneurial locals Staying at one of these costs about 5000 tugrik per person per night They often include breakfast and dinner as well When staying in one of these guest ger, the usual gift-giving customs can be skipped

Finally, there are also ger-camps Set up by tour-companies, they do occasional rent out space to independent travellers Unfortunately, they tend to be both expensive 35 US$ per person per night and out of the way

Except for the cities and larger towns, all of the land is publicly owned This means you can pitch a tent pretty much anywhere Courtesy dictates that you keep your distance from existing nomad encampments Common-sense dictates that you don't pitch a tent in the middle of or too close to a road

Working in Montenegro

There is a huge demand for "Native" English speakers as English teachers Anyone who is interested in teaching English will have no trouble getting employment and a work visa through a school or organization However, the pay is generally low compared to other countries Though it'll usually be just enough for room and board plus a little extra

Local English-language media are another source of employment for native English speakers, offering work as editors, proof-reader or photojournalist

Volunteer work is available teaching English, assisting with charity work and joining archaeological digs These jobs are easy to find and are very rewarding

Cities in Montenegro