Taking a trip to Montenegro

Oct 11 2009 by Gordon Barr, Sunday Sun

HIS name’s Smith, MIKE SMITH – and he’s shaken and stirred on a trip to Montenegro . . .

A longer trip inland gives you a real flavour of this small nation. Between the coast and the heartland of the country is a jaw-dropping road called the Serpantinas, with more hairpin bends than I cared to count, culminating in a welcome stop in the village of Njegusi, where the speciality cured ham and ewe’s cheese is pleasantly washed down with the light red wine.

Within an hour or so of leaving the warm sunshine of the Adriatic, we were up in the very black mountains that gave the country its name.

That winding road from the coast used to be the only route to the old capital , Cetinje.

On the formation of Yugoslavia the capital of Montenegro moved to Titograd (now renamed Podgorica) and Cetinje has been transformed into a cultural town.

The palace is now an intriguing museum. Across the way another building houses a surprising collection of art ranging from contemporary painters to the exquisite and well-travelled Christian relic Our Lady of Philerme, framed in gold and bejewelled with emeralds and rubies.

Travel further inland and you can visit virgin forests, crystal clear lakes and hiking territory in a country that still has black bears, wolves and even poisonous snakes such as the one we saw – from a distance – sunning itself on the road.

5 things to do

1: HIKE, bike, kayak, raft or paraglide in stunning Durmitor National Park, which was awarded UNESCO World Natural Heritage status for its glacial landscapes, high peaks, dense pine forests and some of the deepest gorges in Europe.

2: BIRDWATCH in the Scadar Lake area, in the Zetsko-Skadarska Valley, home to some 270 species. Also around the lake are 20 monastery complexes and numerous islands.

3: RELAX on the fine sandy beaches of the Ulcinjska Riviera, some stretching as far as 13km (eight miles).

4: EXPLORE the Biogradska Lake and Primeval Forest National Park, one of the last three jungles in Europe.

5: STROLL around the famous Botanical Gardens in Kolasin.

Fact file

:: RETURN flights from London Gatwick to Tivat from £214 return with Montenegro Airlines. Call 0207 864 4032 or visit www.montengroairlines.com

:: SEVEN nights at Discoverthe Dalmatian Coast with a full-day trip to Montenegro costs from £595. A Montenegro/Croatia holiday, with seven nights in each, costs from £929. Call Archers Direct 0871 423 8638 or visit www.archersdirect.co.uk

:: FOR more information on Montenegro visit www.montenegro.travel