Montenegro

Montenegro is a small Mediterranean country with rich architectural and cultural heritage, diversity of landscapes and climates, and well-preserved natural environment. Naturally well-suited for development of all kinds of tourism, Montenegro is focused on becoming an elite tourist destination. Montenegro is considered one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations. In 2007, over a million tourists visited Montenegro, making some 7.3 million overnight stays (23% increase, compared to 2006). This accounted for some 480 million euros in tourism revenue in 2007 (39% increase, compared to previous year). In 2014 tourism realised 1.5 million arrivals.

Main Attraction

Kotor

Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, pronounced is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of Kotor Municipality.

The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Some have called it the southern-most fjord in Europe, but it is a ria, a submerged river canyon. Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive and picturesque Mediterranean landscape.


In recent years, Kotor has seen a steady increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ship. Visitors are attracted both by the natural beauty of the Gulf of Kotor and by the old town of Kotor.

Bay of Kotor

The Bay of Kotor known simply as Boka ("the Bay"), is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro.


The bay has been inhabited since antiquity. Its well-preserved medieval towns of Kotor, Risan, Tivat, Perast, Prčanj and Herceg Novi, along with their natural surroundings, are major tourist attractions. Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor has been a World Heritage Site since 1979.

Jaz Beach

Jaz  is a beach in the Budva Municipality in Montenegro. It is located 2.5 km west of Budva. It consists of two parts, one 850 m long and the other, formerly a nudist beach, 450 m long. It is a pebble beach, with a campground along the greater part of the beach (capacity 2,000 lots).

While it is a popular beach for sunbathing and camping, and is one of the longer beaches in Montenegro, it has gained international prominence as a host of numerous concerts and happenings in recent years.


The vast hinterlands of the Jaz beach are considered among the greatest potentials for tourism development on the Montenegrin coast, as there are few undeveloped areas left on the coast besides Jaz (notably Buljarica, Velika Plaža and Ada Bojana).

Becici Beach

It has a 1,950m long sandy beach, which is among the most beautiful beaches in Montenegro and the southern Adriatic. In 1935 it won the Grand Prix in Paris as the most beautiful beach in Europe. Several sections of the beach are private and are only accessible to the hotel guests. In contrast to Budva's large number of private housing units, Bečići town mostly consists of medium and large hotels. Some of them, such as the Mediteran, Iberostar Bellevue and Queen of Montenegro have been extensively refurbished, while the most significant greenfield addition was the Hotel Splendid, a luxurious five-star resort that cost 70 million euros to build. It was the choice of The Rolling Stones and Madonna as well as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie during their stay in Montenegro.

Sveti Nikola Island

Sveti Nikola island is located opposite to the town of Budva, 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) from Budva's old town. The island is 2 kilometres (1 mile) long, and it has an area of 36 hectares (89 acres). The highest point on the island is a cliff that rises 121 metres (397 feet) above the sea.

The island is a popular excursion site in the Budva area. It has three bigger sandy beaches with a total length of 840 metres (2,760 feet), and numerous small beaches around the island, accessible only by boat.


Deer inhabit the uncultivated part of the island. The island is called Školj by locals, which comes from the word "Školjka" which means shell, because of its shape, while the youth refer to it as "Hawaii" island.

See also

• Accession of Montenegro to NATO
• History of the Balkans
• Languages of Montenegro
• Law enforcement in Montenegro
• List of rulers of Montenegro
• Music of Montenegro
• Outline of Montenegro
• Savez Izviđača Crne Gore
• Telecommunications in Montenegro