If we had to give only two words to describe Montenegro, they would certainly be these words: Mountains and Sea.

But what really makes Montenegro a unique country? In addition to being almost the youngest independent state in Europe, God has also gifted it with immense natural beauty: canyons with drinking water, pastures, rivers, unique lakes, and endless untouched forests. Here, ancient cities live in symbiosis with the modern needs of the 21st century. The ancient churches are still in operation, and every day they welcome believers of all concessions, who desire peace and spirituality, with their doors wide open. Looking for a place on the Mediterranean that could be compared to today's Montenegro, we remembered Crimea, a peninsula that can serve as an adequate comparative system for every Russian, and a substitute for the lost paradise. Just as Crimea today is defined not only geographically (by the action of the sea, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions) - political turmoil has largely determined today's borders. Also, Montenegro has its own stories on the subject of division and the formation of today's borders. The bay near the city of Sevastopol is quite reminiscent of Europe's southernmost fjord Boka Kotorska.

The current appearance of Boka is a consequence of the melting of the glaciers from the Orjen and Lovćen mountains. An ancient river cut canyon-like furrows on its way. Due to its geographical position, the Crimean peninsula has historically been a place of conflict between empires and civilizations (Western and Eastern Roman Empire, Turkish Empire, Celts and Greeks), and Montenegro had a similar fate, being positioned at the crossroads of East and West. The city of Yalta is reminiscent of the Montenegrin coastal cities of Budva and Herceg Novi. The first city you see when you enter the Bay of Kotor and the northernmost one on the Montenegrin coast - Herceg Novi,

is a real Mediterranean garden. Protected by the Orjen massif from the north and two peninsulas from the sea, this city has an ideal micro-climate for the growth of the most diverse Mediterranean plants. Budva - a coastal city on the open sea, is the oldest city on the shores of the Adriatic.

Opposite this ancient city is the island of St. Nikola, the largest on the Montenegrin coast. The Budva Riviera - the main tourist destination (300,000 visitors in the 2007 season) stretches around the city of Budva, and continues for kilometers. It is known not only for its endless sandy beaches, but also for the best offer of all forms of night life on the coast. Jaz beach is only 2.5 km away from Budva (on the road towards Tivat). That natural bay is world-famous for the concerts of the Rolling Stones (in July 2007) and Madonna (in September 2008).

Statistics record that at the concert of the famous singer Madonna, there were about 60 thousand of her fans on Jaz beach! The old town of Fedosija resembles the Port of Bar.

Bar, the main customs port for merchant ships in Montenegro, can also be reached by passenger ferry from Bari (an Italian port city on the western coast of the Adriatic). The Montenegrin coast consists of the coast and the bay of Boka Kotorska. Kotor, the capital of Boka, and the center of maritime tradition, developed under the influence of Western culture.

From 1420 to 1797 Kotor was ruled by the Republic of Venice. The presence of the Venetian administration is visible at every step, among the palaces and narrow cobbled streets of the Old Town. In addition to Kotor, the city of Perast also played a significant role in maritime history.

This city contributed the most to the development of Russian shipping. In 1698, Peter the Great sent 17 of his best officers to Perast to study with the nautical pedagogue Marko Martinović. The tradition of educating seafarers has remained to this day, albeit no longer in Perast, but the Maritime Faculty in Kotor offers more than excellent education. Tourists in Bok and Kotor are not only attracted by culture. The Kotor Carnival and the Bokel Night are the crowning glory of every summer season. Those manifestations are visited by thousands of tourists eager for Mediterranean atmosphere. Islands of St. Đorđe and Gospa od Škrpjela, a stone's throw from Perast, are unmissable destinations for tourists visiting the Bay of Kotor. Ulcinj, a city in the extreme south of the Montenegrin coast, was liberated from the Turks about 130 years ago. Compared to other cities on the coast, it has retained the oriental spirit of the Mediterranean to the greatest extent. As a tourist destination, Ulcinj is best known for its Great Beach and 13 km of fine sand. Written by: Igor Kossich