Located in the middle Mediterranean region, Montenegro lies just south of Croatia on the Adriatic Coast.

Travelling south from Croatia along Montenegro's coastline of 293 km, you'll start to come across some of Montenegro's 117 beaches, before arriving at the second deepest fjord in Europe in the Kotor-Risan basin.

Tucked away at the back of the fjord, behind waterfalls and island monasteries lies the fortress and old town of Kotor. The fortress walls that climb the mountain behind the old town, contain not only old stone buildings but the scars and relics of a long and varied history the town endured over the centuries and to still survive today. Both the bay and fortress were placed UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list in 1979.

Returning to the coast you come across more of the small picturesque beaches, many of which aren't even accessible by road. Exclusive waterfront villas with purpose built jetty sit alongside old stone ruins and derelict houses which are dotted along the coastline.

Next you come to the old town of Budva. It's many surrounding beaches are renowned for attracting the bold and the beautiful from the across the Balkans to Russia, while the marina draws the largest yachts from the Adriatic to marvel at what has become referred to as the St. Tropes of eastern Europe.

Moving further south and passing small fishing villages and golden beaches brings you to the island hotel of Sveti Stefan. Located at this amazing setting and attracting the celebrities by the score before the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, it still to this day remains one of true jewels of the Adriatic.

A similar pattern of coastline brings you down further south past the main port of bar to the largest beach at Ulcinj which stretches for a whole sandy 13km.

Enjoying a Mediterranean climate along the coast with an average summer temperature of 27.4C and 13.4C in winter and over 230 days of sunshine per annum, Montenegro is an ideal location for sun worshippers during the summer months, while offer a unique collection of history, national culture & heritage and unique natural beauty to this region of the Adriatic, it's not hard to understand the pure ascetic appeal of Montenegro coast.

The problem is the immense appeal the coast has to visitors distracts attention from Montenegro's other marvelous treasures of natural beauty.

The appeal of this only starts with the coast, further inland natural treasures such as the Tara river basin which contains the second deepest canyon in the world after the Grand Canyon in Nevada and became part of UNESCOs Man and Biosphere program in 1977 goes mainly unnoticed. Along with the Durmitor National Park which was listed on UNESCO's national heritage list in 1980, the mountainous beauty of Koslasin and it's ski-resort, the monastery at Centinje and Ostrog, one of only two jungles in Europe and is situated in National Park Biogradska Gora and Lake Skadar the largest freshwater lake in the Balkans would be top of any other country's list of natural and cultural treasures. Such is the abundance of them in Montenegro along with many other they've all remained very well kept secrets.

Declaring as part of it's constitution, under Article 1 that "Montenegro is an ecological state". In 1991 the Montenegrin Parliament acknowledged it's unique natural treasures by declaring the country the worlds first Ecological State and setting out a plan to protect them. Today more than 28% of the land in the state of Montenegro's are protected through international conventions, and urban-development laws in order to preserve it's national parks and beauty spots

Not only is it blessed with natural beauty but the country is renowned for it's reputation of incredible warmth and hospitality shown to visitors of the country, which has to be experienced to be appreciated.

There's only so much a description of a place can give you. You need to see it in the flesh to appreciate what an place of extraordinary natural beauty, diverse culture and overwhelming hospitality Montenegro really is.

Key stats on Montenegro

Population: Estimated at 660,000 (2002 census, 620,145)
Captial: Podgorica, population 180,000
Climate: Continental along the coast and Mountain Mediterranean inland.
Currency: Euro
Area: 13,812km2
Coastline: 293km
Beaches: 73km with 117 beaches
Longest beach: 12km Ulcinj
Time Zone: West European Time Zone (GMT +01:00)
Average life expectancy: 73.1 years
Language: Serbian-Montenegrin, English, German, Russian also spoken
Literacy rate: 97.5%
Jungles: One of the only two jungles in Europe is situated in National Park Biogradska Gora.
Canyon: Tara Canyon, second deepest in the world
Fjord: Kotor Fjord, the second deepest fjord in Europe
Mountains: More than 60% of the country is mountainous
Ski-resorts: Zabalak, Kosalin
Temperature: Summer average 27.4C, winter average 13.4C and over 180 days of sunshine per annum.
UNESCO listed:
1977 - The Tara river basin became part of UNESCOs Man and Biosphere program.
1979 - The city of Kotor and Kotor-Risan Bay was placed on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage list.
1980 - Durmitor National Park was listed on UNESCO's national heritage list.