Montenegro

 

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

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.

 

Transport

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.

 

Language

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.

 

Attractions

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.

 

Things to do

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.

 

Food

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.

 

Night life

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.

 

Where to stay

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.