Millions of years ago, violent upheavals on the Earth's surface created high mountain ranges and deep gorges. Few places today display the remnants of this tumultuous period as well as Montenegro.
While its Northern neighbor, Croatia boasts small, relatively low islands, Montenegro offers fjords along its coast: Lovcen peek raising 1,750m (5,700ft) straight up from the town of Kotor at ocean level. Or travel inland to see the "liquid mountains" of Durmitor NP.
Though a small country -- about the same size as the Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island block in the US -- it contains the largest lake in all of Europe (Skadar Lake) and the 2nd deepest canyon in the world (the Tara River Gorge). It's also where Novak Djokovic was married: if you are into that sort of thing.
For having, nationally, a dry Mediterranean climate, it is particularly odd that the town of Crkvice receives more anual rainfall than anywhere in Europe: 5000mm (200 inches). That's two times more than Seattle!
Another oddity is that most water sources -- lakes and rivers anyway -- do not have a visible source. The water emerges straight from the mountains. Bifurcation! (I'll spare you from looking that up) Water from rains and melting snow fills the inside of the porous mountains. When the pressure is high enough, the rock cracks and a "random" water fall appears. Hike around the Black Lake in May and June to hear and see this process first hand.
Tourism is just catching on here in Montenegro. People are slowely gravitating to the cooler temps as those on the Northern Balkan coast continue to raise.
So, get here while the prices and the tourist numbers are still low. But give yourself more time. You will not want to leave!!
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