Montenegro: Montenegro is a booming destination. This small Balkan country has plenty to offer, starting with the splendid bay of the Mouths of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A small Balkan country still untouched by mass tourism, Montenegro could be the next Eldorado for Mediterranean tour operators. A hidden treasure on the Adriatic coast, this republic wedged between Croatia and Albania boasts sumptuous Orthodox monasteries and preserved medieval villages along a 296km stretch of coastline. Nature has created a veritable masterpiece here: the Kotor Mouths, a bay made up of four gulfs that extend 28 km inland. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the mouths of Kotor alone justify a trip to Montenegro, where the euro is the official currency. It's impossible to mention Montenegro without mentioning the luxurious Aman Sveti Stefan hotel, an ancient fortified fishing village built on a rocky islet, linked to the coast by a narrow sandy isthmus.

Surrounded by mountains rising to almost 1,000 metres and literally plunging into the sea, the mouths of Kotor are undoubtedly the most interesting part of a stay in Montenegro. It takes just 1 hour to drive around them, passing through some lovely little villages. Perast, Risan and Prcanj are quiet little villages on the water's edge, where it's good to stop for a few hours to enjoy a good fish while facing the majestic mouths of Kotor. Budva is Montenegro's best-known seaside resort, attracting 70% of foreign visitors. On the menu: a charming citadel surrounded by ramparts, and sandy and pebble beaches, the most famous of which, Becici, is just a few minutes from the town. In front of the latter, a dozen or so hotels of a high standard, but with an architecture that shows little respect for the environment, are jostling for position.

The star of the Adriatic coast is undoubtedly Sveti Stefan, an ancient fortified fishing village dating back to the 15th century, built on a rocky islet linked to the coast by a narrow sandy isthmus. In 1960, at the instigation of Tito, the island was transformed into a luxury hotel, a symbol of the country and a holiday destination for royalty, politicians, fashion and film personalities. 50 years later, the island was reborn with the inauguration of Aman Sveti Stefan, by one of the world's most luxurious hotel groups.

Further afield, continuing towards Albania, there are charming seaside resorts such as Petrovac, with its beach enclosed by a Venetian fortress, and Ulcinj, close to the border, which has remained under Ottoman influence for three centuries. Also worth a visit on this stretch of the Montenegrin coast is the astonishing ghost village of Stari Bar. The fastest-growing region in Montenegro is Tivat, gateway to the Kotor Mouths and home to an airport. Nicknamed the new Monte Carlo, Porto Montenegro, in the bay of Tivat, is one of Europe's most luxurious marinas, and home to a luxury hotel, the Regent Port Montenegro.

You should not hesitate to move away from the coast and head into the Montenegrin mountains: 32 minutes and 32 turns from Budva, the charming town of Cetinje, former capital of a short-lived kingdom at the beginning of the 20th century, offers a pleasant escape on the way to the Lovcen national park, 20 km from the sea. The country also boasts other listed national parks, such as Lake Skadar, Durmitor and the Tara Canyon, not to mention the troglodyte monastery of Ostrog, carved out of the rock and the most visited pilgrimage site in the Balkans.

Montenegro's gastronomy is the result of many regional influences. Montenegrin cuisine features fresh fish on the coast and smoked ham (prsut) and cheese (Njegusi) in the mountains. It is customary to welcome visitors with <«>slatko<»> (sweet fruit in jars). Mostly figs and grape marc (lozovaca). Almost everywhere you go, you'll find spit-roasted specialities such as suckling pig (prasetina), lamb (janjetina) or mutton (ovcetina). Cevapcici is a preparation based on grilled meatballs made from various types of minced meat. The dishes are served with corn bread (proja). Zito is a dessert made with wheat, nuts, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg, with a dash of rum. Skakavica is a dish of sea or lake fish, dried and salted with white cabbage, olive oil and lemon juice. Domaca kobasica na zaru is a dish of homemade sausages grilled over a wood fire. You can drink a variety of plum brandies, not forgetting the famous Loza, a grape brandy. The most famous wine is Vranac.