Montenegro

Bordered by four countries and the Adriatic Sea, Montenegro is still a relatively undiscovered luxury holiday gem in Europe’s crown. It declared independence on June 3, 2006 and has a population of approximately 650,000. The country got its name, translated as ‘black mountain’, from the dark mountain forests that cover the land. Some 60 per cent of the country is more than 1,000 metres high, with the tallest peak reaching to 2,522 metres.

A holiday in this small country offers 117 beaches along the Adriatic coast, mountain ski resorts, the medieval city of Kotor, stunning national parks and other cultural sites. The Biogradska National Park boasts the 1,300 metre deep canyon of the River Tara, the deepest one in Europe and second in the world, after the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River in America. Lakes intersperse the mountains in this dramatic landscape including Skadar Lake, the largest one in the Balkans and home to the last habitat of pelicans in Europe.

The villages, towns and cities of Montenegro all reflect the rich cultural history of the country. Many conquerors passed through this region, many different nations came and left, leaving the traces of their culture and identity. From the luxury hotel take the small roads leading to ancient monasteries and Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque churches with coated façades, all of which played an important part of the cultural heritage of the country and its people.