Tourism in Montenegro
Tourism in Montenegro is one of the main contributors to Montenegrin economy. The location of this small Mediterranean country, architectural and cultural heritage, diversity of landscapes and climates and relatively well preserved nature makes Montenegro suitable for tourism.
In the year 2005, approximately 820,000 tourists visited Montenegro, of which some 272,000 were from abroad. This represents nearly a 17% increase over the prior year, and Montenegro is considered one of the the fastest-growing tourist destinations in recent years.[citation needed]
The biggest problem of Montenegrin tourism is inadequate infrastructure, most notably obsolete road network and difficulties with water and electricity supply in the coastal area. For that reason, main investments of the government is building new and reconstruction of the current road infrastructure.
Main points of interest
Coastal region
This region is of main interest to tourists. The Montenegrin Adriatic coast is 295 km long, with 72 km of beaches, and with many well-preserved ancient old towns. The main attractions are:
- Old town of Kotor, listed with UNESCO world heritage sites.
- Boka Kotorska (Bay of Kotor), some say most beautiful bay in Europe, with ancient small town of Perast and its islets.
- Old town of Budva, very well preserved old town.
- Sveti Stefan, a small hamlet on an island turned into a luxury hotel.
Besides these, every other coastal town, especially south of Budva, is very popular among tourists, primarily because of sandy beaches and vibrant nightlife.
Central region
Although it is most densely populated area of Montenegro, it has fewer tourist attractions. Notable are:
- Ostrog monastery, a famous pilgrimage site,
- Archeological remains of Duklja (Doclea) from Roman times outside Podgorica.
- Skadar lake, a popular wildlife reserve.
- Cetinje, historical capital of Montenegro.
- Mount Lovćen, national park and Petar II Petrović-Njegoš's Mausoleum afford breathtaking views of the surrounding country.
Northern region
Northern region is centre of Montenegrin mountain tourism. It has ski resorts, and is popular for its untouched nature. Destinations in the north are:
- Town of Žabljak on mountain Durmitor, the most popular mountain tourism destination in Montenegro.
- Town of Kolašin, also popular destination, near national park Biogradska Gora, mountain Bjelasica and ski-resort Bjelasica
- Tara River Gorge, second-deepest canyon in the world. Tara river is a popular rafting destination.
- Biogradska Gora, with Biogradsko Lake, a national park and untouched virgin forest.
The entire area of Durmitor mountain and Tara river canyon is protected as a national park, and listed with UNESCO world heritage sites.