Montenegro is located in southern Europe. Bordering countries are Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania.
Geography
The Republic of Montenegro is located on the Balkan
Peninsula, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders with Croatia and
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the north, Serbia in the northeast and east,
Albania in the south.
The word Montenegro should be taken
literally: the country of black mountains, the color of which is due to
dark dense forests; they occupy 41% of the country's territory. The
length of the Adriatic coast is 295 km, 72 km of which are beaches.
Story
Until June 3, 2006, the territory of Montenegro was part of
the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, after this date the republic
became independent.
Regions
From a tourist point of view, it
is interesting to highlight the following regions:
Bay of Kotor
Budva Riviera
Central Montenegro
Southern coast of Montenegro
northern mountains
Administratively, the territory of Montenegro
is divided into 21 regions, the names of the regions are given according
to the names of their central cities: Andrijevitsa, Bar, Berane,
Bielo-Pole, Budva, Danilovgrad, Zabljak, Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac,
Niksic, Plav, Pluzhine, Pljevlja, Podgorica, Rozhae , Tivat, Ulcinj,
Herceg Novi, Cetinje, Shavnik.
How to get there
Visa
To visit Montenegro, citizens of Russia,
for up to 30 days, do not need a visa.
By plane
Tivat Airport
will be more convenient for travelers who are going to live on the
coast. The airport in Podgorica is far away from seaside resorts, but
you can get anywhere in the country from the capital in a couple of
hours. Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia is located very close to the Kotor
Bay of Montenegro, and if you have a Schengen or Croatian visa, you can
get through it. The local airline Montenegro Airlines does not fly to
Russia, Russian carriers also do not have direct flights. You will have
to fly with a transfer, most likely through Istanbul.
By train
From Serbia by Belgrade-Bar railway.
By car
From Central
Europe, via Serbia on the highways E65, E80
From Western Europe,
through Bosnia on the E762.
From Albania on the E762
By ship
There is a ferry service between the cities of Bari (Italy) - Bar
(Montenegro). Please note that you need a visa to visit Italy.
Car rental
Car rental and airport transfer shuttle from Budva to
Tivat, Podgorica and Dubrovnik.
Within the country there are bus and rail links between the main
major cities.
There are many companies that offer the opportunity to
rent a car (on completely different conditions).
Private car rental
companies often do not require a deposit and offer cars at a cheaper
price, while the appearance and condition of cars in such firms are
often not very good. Official companies always take a deposit, while
providing the necessary additional equipment (child seats, cards, etc.).
There are representative offices of official companies at the airports
of Podgorica and Tivat. When renting a car, it must be remembered that
it cannot be driven outside the territory of the state without prior
agreement with the rental company. In addition, when planning your
route, you need to understand that the roads of Montenegro are for the
most part quite narrow, single-lane, they have a lot of unlit tunnels,
and there is also a danger of rockfalls in mountainous areas.
Just like in Russia, on the roads where you can afford to accelerate,
you can often meet mobile police patrols, while Montenegrins warn each
other of an ambush by flashing their headlights.
For trips, you
can always use the services of taxis and private drivers.
The official language of the republic is "Montenegrin" or, to be more
precise, without political-territorial division, the Serbian language,
but to a greater extent with the predominant Iekavian dialect. Serbian
is more similar to Russian than other languages of the countries of the
former Yugoslavia, and many people speak Russian. So do not be afraid -
you will understand!
Printed products and road signs can be
written both in Cyrillic and in Latin.
In large hotels you can
communicate in English, in some of them in Russian. The menu in most
restaurants is written in "Montenegrin" and dubbed in English.
For trips, you can always use the services of taxis and private drivers.
Purchases
The country is not officially part of the euro area,
but de facto uses the euro as its domestic currency.
ATMs are
located in different cities. You can find them on the websites of banks,
or using the ATM search service.
From souvenirs you can buy
various T-shirts, key rings, mugs, caps, etc. with the symbols of the
country and various cities of Montenegro. Souvenir shops are located in
large numbers on the coast (in the season from June to September), as
well as in tourist places (for example, in the Old Town in Kotor).
Orthodox religious symbols (icons, crosses, etc.) can be bought in
ordinary churches (both ordinary crosses and those made of yew are sold
here), or in large monasteries (Moracha, Ostrog, etc.). Souvenirs can
always be bought at the airport, but the price for them can be twice as
expensive.
In Budva, Kotor there are many boutiques with clothes
of various popular brands. Look carefully at the quality of the goods,
it may turn out that this is a fake.
You can also buy clothes in
various markets. There is a Chinese indoor market in Ulcinj.
Costs
Prices for products and services are very diverse. So, for
example, a room or a room in a hotel can be rented for 50 euros and for
a much higher or lower price. Food prices also vary.
You can
bargain in the markets and with roadside vendors, and their prices are
always lower than those of official stores. It is also worth noting that
the price of products in the season is lower where this product grows or
is mined. So, for example, lake fish will cost less at sellers near
Skadar Lake than in a store or market.
Monasteries
Monasteries and churches are active, so you need to
follow the “dress code” in them: clothes should cover the shoulders,
chest and knees, you can’t be in beach clothes. Women are not required
to cover their heads.
Prison. The largest place of religious
pilgrimage in the country. Many Orthodox Christians come here from
Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and other Orthodox countries.
A place of pilgrimage not only for the Orthodox, Catholics and even
Muslims come here to bow to the relics of St. Basil of Ostrog. The upper
monastery is built in a rocky niche. There is a healing spring on the
territory of the monastery. No photography is allowed inside the upper
monastery.
Moraca. Male monastery. The complex includes the
temple of the Assumption of the Virgin of the XIII century, the church
of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, as well as cell buildings. Shrine: the
hand of the Holy Martyr Charalambius. The monastery is located in the
mountains, you should take warm clothes with you.
Cetinje
Monastery. It is located in the city of Cetinje, the cultural capital of
the country. Here is stored the right hand (right hand) of John the
Baptist and part of the Tree of the Cross of the Lord, on which Jesus
Christ was crucified.
Reserves and parks
Mount Lovcen (the
nearest settlement of Cetinje). The center of the park is Mount Lovcen.
Here you can see the mausoleum of Negosh, as well as a beautiful view of
the Bay of Kotor. Entrance, entrance to the reserve is paid (3 euros).
Durmitor National Park (the nearest settlement is Zabljak).
Biogradska Gora (the nearest settlements are Mojkovac, Kolasin). You can
enter the park by turning right from the road from Podgorica to
Mojkovac, after Kolasin. On the territory of the park there are places
equipped for barbecues, a cafe, a souvenir shop, and hiking trails are
marked. On the territory of the reserve it is not allowed to pick
flowers, kindle fires everywhere, except for specially designated
places, litter, hunt.
Skadar Lake (Podgorica). The Plavnitsa
recreation area is equipped on the lake, there is a cafe, a dance floor,
an observation area, and toilets. In addition, a hippopotamus lives on
the territory of Plavnitsa, and you can also order a boat trip. For bird
lovers, it is better to come to the park in spring. Entrance to the
territory of the National Park 4 euros.
Canyons of the Moraca and
Tara rivers (on the road from Podgorica to Kolasin, from Mojkovac to
Zabljak). Attention: the roads along the canyons are mountainous, with
many serpentines and blind (unlit) tunnels, it is not recommended to
drive on them in rainy weather, as well as in winter.
Architectural monuments
Kotor (Old Town) - admission is free, on the
territory of the old town there are many historical monuments of a
religious orientation. On the main square there are several cafes and
shops with clothes and souvenirs. It is possible to climb up along the
fortress wall for 3 euros. A beautiful view of the bay and the city and
the Armenian Church opens from the top platform. At the entrance to the
city there is a newsstand where you can buy European press in English
(at the same time, the prices for these newspapers and magazines are
very high).
Ulcinj (Fortress) entrance to the territory of the
fortress is free, there is a restaurant and an archaeological museum
(the museum is not always open, the entrance is paid).
Old Bar -
Entrance to the territory of the old Bar is paid. At the ticket kiosk
you can buy postcards, a map, olive oil and souvenirs with symbols. The
road to the Old Bar runs through the Muslim quarter, along a steep paved
road. Attention: the road to the old Bar is slippery, wear non-slip
shoes.
You can also visit the longest beach of "black" volcanic
sand on the Adriatic coast (the city of Ulcinj) and the island hotel
Sveti Stefan. Attention: The beach area next to the Bayana River is
nudist. There is a fee to enter this area.
Montenegro presents an opportunity for various recreation. North of the country: mountaineering, rock climbing, rafting. South of the country: holidays on the coast, discos, boat trips, yacht rental, diving, shopping. In addition, you can visit a variety of architectural monuments, nature reserves. For believers, there is an opportunity to make a pilgrimage to holy places.
The national cuisine of Montenegro is a variety of fish and meat
dishes that can be ordered in restaurants. In addition, in large cities
and along the coast there are many small street cafes offering a fairly
varied menu. The portions here are quite large. There are usually a lot
of spices in the dishes. You should definitely try the legendary
Montenegrin dish - baked meat "underside sacha".
From locally
produced alcoholic beverages, you can buy grape, plum Rakia (prices for
1 liter from 3 to 10 euros) and red, white wines, from low-alcohol
drinks, the most common is locally produced beer "Nikšićko" (Niksicko).
It is worth remembering that salted and dried fish sold in the
markets is considered a product that is not ready for consumption,
requiring additional processing. The sellers of this product will be
very surprised if you ask them if you can eat it right away and
recommend exactly how to cook it. Dried meat (Prosciutto) is considered
one of the national dishes and is sold both in shops and markets, you
can also order it in restaurants (Negush Prosciutto is considered the
most delicious). Also a national dish is Negush cheese (a mixture of
cow's and sheep's milk).
There are no representatives of American
and European fast food chains in Montenegro, but in some street cafes
you can buy a hot dog or a hamburger (price from 1 euro).
Fresh
bread and rolls, as well as pizza, can be bought at the chain of
bakeries located near the roads and in the cities. There is no black
bread, as in most European countries, in Montenegro.
The main centers of nightlife are the cities of Budva and Kotor, in addition, there are many cafes with a dance floor on the coast, although they all work only until 1 am.
The country has many hotels of varying degrees of comfort (private or
public); in addition, you can always rent a room in the private sector
(willingness to rent a room in a villa is indicated by the inscription
"Soba" (Serb. Room), "Sobe" (Rooms) or "Apartmani" (Apartments,
Apartments)). Most rooms have air conditioning, a TV, a shower (hot and
cold water), a refrigerator, and in private hotels a small kitchen,
usually part of the room. The farther the hotel or villa is from the
sea, the cheaper the day of stay will be (an exception to the rule is
mountainous areas).
Precautionary measures
There is
practically no crime in the country, on the streets, for example, you
can see unlocked cars with open windows, despite this it is better to
keep valuables in a safe (the service is provided by many hotels), or
always carry them with you.
When traveling by taxi, you need to
ask the taxi driver how the calculation will be carried out. There are
usually two options either by the meter or by the set price. If the
second calculation option was chosen and your path will run through the
Sozina tunnel, do not forget that it is paid and the taxi driver can add
its price to the cost of the trip. Sometimes taxi drivers and private
traders ask customers to pay for the passage of the tunnel in both
directions. At night and on holidays, taxi drivers may charge double the
fare.
Since the Montenegrin language is part of the group of
Slavic languages, some words in the Russian version sound the same as in
Montenegrin, while sometimes having differences in semantic load.
Therefore, it is not recommended to pronounce some words in the presence
of the local population, namely: match(s), bird(s), chicken. These words
have an abusive meaning for Montenegrins, or they sound like a curse.
It is not recommended to visit Ulcinj during Muslim holidays for
people professing a different religion.
When visiting parks,
remember that although there are not a large number of poisonous animals
in Montenegro (only 2 types of poisonous snakes: a viper and a nosed
viper), they still exist.
When swimming, remember that in the
summer you can often meet black sea urchins in the water, their
injections are very painful; in addition, the needles often remain
inside the wound.
Customs
In Montenegro, a wedding is
celebrated very solemnly. Newlyweds are greeted with two fingers, that
is, the sign of "Victoria", in addition, at weddings it is customary to
shoot into the air from various firearms, as, in general, during all
major holidays. In addition, passers-by are sometimes invited to the
festivities, who are invited to drink for a new family, although now
this happens quite rarely, it is not customary to refuse.
In all
temples, it is not allowed to walk in beach clothes (shorts, breeches,
etc.), you need to cover your shoulders, chest, knees.
Drivers
often honk to each other as a sign of greeting or approval. Sometimes a
passing car can honk to you too; in this case, most likely you know the
driver.
Often you can find special stands with pasted rectangular
sheets with a black and white photograph, dates and text, these are
photographs of dead people and words about them that relatives and
friends say. Copies of these leaflets can be found in any local
newspaper, usually on the back pages.
Connection
The
international dialing code of Montenegro is +382. The country's Internet
domain is .me, the old .yu is no longer in use.
There are several
mobile operators in Montenegro (Telenor, T-Mobile, M:Tel), whose SIM
cards can be bought at specially designated kiosks (you do not need
identification documents for the purchase; the card costs from 1 euro,
which will be immediately credited to the account ). To replenish the
balance, special payment cards with a face value of 5 euros are used.
Almost the entire territory of the country is covered by a 3G network.