Although it is one of the “newest” countries in Europe, having declared independence from Serbia in 2006, Montenegro is rich with a long, colorful history and the influences of various cultures: the Ancient Romans, Venetians, Ottomans and Albanians have all left their mark here. This Balkan country is tiny, with a population of just 600,000, but the people and traditions are varied and the landscape incredibly diverse. Beautiful Mediterranean coastlines and picturesque coastal towns, dramatic gorges, national parks and mountains, a welcoming population and relatively low prices all combine to make this a wonderful family travel destination.

We spent over three weeks here this past summer and explored practically every angle of this interesting country. The coastline is very developed and can become quite crowded, the interior is much wilder and can be more difficult to reach through winding canyon roads. This isolation means a lack of crowds and stunning landscapes, but driving here does require a spirit of adventure and, sometimes, nerves of steel on canyon roads. Here are five of our Montenegrin favorites:

1.  Boka kotorska (Kotor fjord)

Absolutely stunning. This fjord in the Adriatic Sea is dotted with picturesque Venetian towns along clear blue water that simply begs to be swum in and ringed by dramatic, rocky mountains that change colors with the changing light of day. The towns were at the height of their power in the 16th and 17th centuries, when they were part of the Venetian Empire and an important outpost just at the edge of the Ottoman Empire.

The beautiful town of Kotor is a wonder to explore and its castle walls can be climbed and offer a dizzying view down to the fjord below. We loved basing ourselves in nearby Perast to explore the whole “Boka” region. Perast is a quiet, postcard-perfect town where time seems to has stood still for the past four hundred years.

2.  Durmitor National Park

This is a beautiful national park in northern Montenegro, bordering with Bosnia-Hercegovina. This park is a UNESCO Heritage site and offers numerous hikes for all skill levels, on extremely well-marked trails. Tourism is still fairly limited, however, so you will be able to enjoy the stunning scenery without the crowds. Enjoy it now before the crowds discover it.

3.  Skadar Lake

Skadar Lake is the largest lake in the Balkans, and is divided between Montenegro and neighboring Albania. The biodiversity in this unspoiled region is notable, with 40 species of fish and its fame as a well-known bird sanctuary. Boat tours can be arranged from the lake town of Virpazar to enjoy the stunning landscapes and the beautiful monasteries dotting the shorelines and islands.

The kids will love being able to cool down with a swim in the clean water on the stops along the way, while the parents will enjoy trying the wonderful, strong red Montenegrin Vranac wine produced in the region. We used the historic coastal town of Ulcinj (once a pirate stronghold) as our base for exploring the region.

4.  Rafting in the Tara River

Close to both Durmitor National Park and the Biogradkso Park is the Tara Canyon River. Whitewater rafting excursions can be arranged easily from either of these park centers. This is a beautiful river through the striking Tara canyons. The spring and early summer are probably the best times for serious rafters, but the slower rapids in later summer make it an ideal time to take along younger children. Our 4- and 6-year olds loved their first rafting experience and can’t wait to go back.

5.  Biogradkso National Park

This is another beautiful park in Montenegro’s interior. We did lots of hiking on the trails within this park and managed to discover enough raspberries, wild strawberries and blueberries along the steep trails to keep our littlest hikers happy all the way up.

Although the scenery is not as “wild” as in the Durmitor National Park, this park has a convenient location close to the lovely Morača canyon and the not-to-be-missed Morača monastery (the monastary has a trout pond where our little fishermen were thrilled to catch their own lunch and then have it grilled for them). We even used this as a base for a trip to Peć, Kosovo where we visited the absolutely stunning Serbian Orthodox monasteries of Dečani and Patriarchate. The Bianca Spa and Resort in Kolašin is a very pleasant place to stay and relax those sore muscles from all the hiking you’ll do.

December 22nd, 2009 | by Kimberly Sullivan 5 comments