Magical Montenegro

Montenegro (Black Mountain) is Europe’s newest country: freshly minted in 2006 after a referendum to part ways with Serbia.

With the Adriatic to one side and imposing mountains to the other, historically Montenegro has seen more trade and affiliation with naval cities of the area (such as Venice) than with its other Balkan neighbors. Nevertheless, Montenegro was absorbed into Yugoslavia after the first World War and allied itself with its Serbian neighbor in the complex Balkan fighting that ensued in the 90s as Yugoslavia splintered off among ethnic and religious lines.

The country is small, and the population minimal (some 680,000 in the entire country), but Montenegro is a proud place with a rich history, stunning mountainous coastline, and prosperity that almost doubles its southern and eastern neighbors…not to mention a growing tourist industry that’s sure to be the next big hit for those seeking to escape Croatia’s crowds.

Images from the fortified coastal towns of Budva and Kotor: