Montenegro packs an astonishing amount into a small space. Here are a few things that surprise first-time visitors.
- The "Black Mountain". The country's name, Crna Gora, literally means "Black Mountain" — a reference to the dark forests of Mount Lovćen seen from the sea.
- It uses the euro — but isn't in the EU. Montenegro adopted the euro unilaterally and is still only an EU candidate.
- Europe's deepest canyon. The Tara River Canyon plunges about 1,300 m — the deepest in Europe and among the deepest in the world — and is spanned by the elegant Đurđevića Tara Bridge.
- One of the world's first eco-states. In 1991 Montenegro declared itself an "ecological state" in its constitution.
- A fjord-like bay. The Bay of Kotor is often called the southernmost "fjord" in Europe — geologically it is a drowned river canyon (a ria), but the effect is just as dramatic.
- Sveti Stefan. The tiny fortified islet, once a fishing village and now an icon of the Adriatic, is one of the most photographed spots in the Balkans.
- Five national parks. Durmitor, Lovćen, Biogradska Gora (one of Europe's last primeval forests), Lake Skadar (the Balkans' largest lake) and Prokletije protect an outsized share of the country.