Montenegro
Montenegro packs a fjord-like bay, a proper beach coast and serious alpine mountains into a country the size of a small county. It's the Adriatic at its most dramatic, still cheaper and less polished than Croatia next door.
April–June and September–October are the two windows that work best for Montenegro: warm, sunny weather ideal for the coast; prime hiking and outdoor season with the trails and passes open; calm seas and swimmable water. The months in between are skipped; they're the peak-season extremes for Montenegro.
The Bay of Kotor
The Boka Kotorska is the headline: a serpentine bay walled by mountains, often called Europe's southernmost fjord (it's technically a drowned river canyon, but who's checking). Kotor old town is a Venetian maze at the head of the bay; climb the fortress walls above town (1,350 steps, go at 7am before the heat and the cruise crowds) for the postcard view.
Around the bay, Perast is the prettiest village, two baroque islets floating offshore: Our Lady of the Rocks is the one you can visit, by five-minute boat. Herceg Novi at the bay's mouth is lived-in and cheaper. In July and August, cruise ships flood Kotor's old town between 10am and 4pm; plan your day around them.
The coast south
Budva is the party and beach hub: a cute walled old town bolted onto Montenegro's liveliest strip of beach clubs and nightlife. Sveti Stefan, the fortified island village turned ultra-luxury resort, is the famous photo; you can't enter without a reservation, but the beach opposite has the view.
Further south, Petrovac is the relaxed family option, and Ulcinj near the Albanian border has the long sandy Velika Plaža, a kitesurfing favourite with a distinct, Albanian-influenced feel.
The mountains
Don't skip the interior; it's half the reason to come. Durmitor National Park around the town of Žabljak has glacial lakes (Black Lake is the easy classic), serious hiking and the Tara Canyon, the deepest gorge in Europe, with whitewater rafting through it in summer.
The drive up to Lovćen National Park and the Njegoš Mausoleum, via the serpentine road of 25 hairpins above Kotor, is one of the great short drives of the Balkans. Lake Skadar, on the Albanian border, is a vast bird-rich lake for boat trips and lakeside wine villages like Virpazar.
Practicalities
Rent a car. Distances are tiny (Kotor to Žabljak is under three hours), buses are sparse in the mountains, and the driving, apart from summer traffic on the coastal road and the hairpins, is part of the fun. Fly into Tivat (TIV) for the coast or Podgorica (TGD) for the interior; Dubrovnik airport in Croatia is also close and often cheaper, but build in time for the border queue in summer.
The currency is the euro despite not being in the EU, and prices sit noticeably below Croatia's. May, June and September are ideal; July and August are hot and packed on the coast, though the mountains stay pleasant and half-empty.
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