Facts about Montenegro

Planning a vacation to this beautiful Balkan country? But don’t know much about Montenegro? This short article is for you. Here you’ll find general and interesting facts about Montenegro that will help you understand the country better, broaden your horizons, and simply prepare for your trip.

Table of contents:

• General facts about Montenegro
• 10 interesting facts about Montenegro for tourists
• Travel Tips

It will be difficult for you to plan your dream trip to Montenegro without these websites

General facts about Montenegro

Let’s start with the basics, briefly:

• The name Montenegro was given by the Venetians (Mons = mountain, Negro = black). Locals call this region Crna Gora, which also means Black Mountain.
  • The word “black” in the name doesn’t refer to the color of the mountains but to the fact that living here was very hard. Hard in every sense: building houses, farming, and getting around.
• Montenegro’s mountains cover more than 80% of the country’s area.
• The area of Montenegro is 13,812 sq km. This is almost 9 times the size of London.
• The population is only around 620,000 people. This is 14.5 times less than in London. Most of the people live in the capital and the cities along the coast.
• The capital of Montenegro is Podgorica. It’s the largest city in the country and far ahead in population compared to other cities, with about 130,000 residents.
• The flag of Montenegro features a golden double-headed eagle on a red background.

• The official language is Montenegrin, but it is essentially Serbian. If you like, you can call it a member of the Serbian language group. There are differences from Serbian, but they are minor. Learn more about the national language of Montenegro and what is important for a tourist.

Interesting facts about Montenegro:

In 2017, a survey was conducted about the languages spoken by Montenegrins. 42% said they speak Serbian, 39% said Montenegrin, 15% said Albanian, and the rest spoke Croatian and Bosnian.

10 interesting facts about Montenegro for tourists

The information above was general. Now, let’s talk about some interesting facts that might surprise or amuse you.

• Many see Montenegro as a seaside destination for beach vacations. However, over 60% of its territory is at an altitude of over 1000 meters above sea level, and 82% of the country is mountainous.
• Montenegro has four climate zones. Flowers bloom and trees stay green year-round on the coast, while in the mountains, houses get buried in snow during winter. This is in a country only about 200 km long and wide.
• Montenegro’s domain zone .me is popular worldwide with bloggers. More than a million addresses are registered annually in this zone, generating 300-500 million euros a year for the country from domain name sales.
• Despite being a seaside country, the locals are meat lovers. Seafood isn’t very popular. So if you’re planning to indulge in seafood, don’t count on it too much!

• The official currency is the euro, but Montenegro is not part of the European Union, the Schengen Area, or the Eurozone. How is this possible? Read the article: Currency in Montenegro.
• In Montenegro, they only drink coffee. It’s hard to find classic black tea even in stores. At best, you’ll find hibiscus, mint, or chamomile in tea bags. If you order tea in a restaurant, the waiter might say: “You drink tea at home, we only have coffee here.”
• Almost two-thirds of the population smokes, including women and the elderly, and of course, men. It’s normal to smoke in cafes, train cars, and almost any indoor space. It’s hard to find a non-smoking section in restaurants. And cigarettes aren’t cheap, costing from 3 euros a pack.
  • Everything about prices in Montenegro: everything a tourist needs to know.

• Famous Montenegrin Commandments, which initially emerged as a joke, completely reflect the local mentality. Here are a couple of these commandments:
  • Tired of working? Lie down and rest.
  • No one ever died from resting.
  • Work kills; don’t die young.
• The Tara River Canyon is among the five deepest canyons in the world. Some sources even place it in second position. Learn all about Durmitor Park and the Tara River Canyon in this comprehensive overview.

Travel tips: facts about Montenegro

You’ve received general information. The facts about Montenegro that you will encounter on your journey include that the currency is the euro, and Montenegrins are not exactly workaholics; they seize every opportunity to rest. Another fact is that the country has a lot of mountains. If you plan to travel inland, be sure to have appropriate clothing even in the summer, as it is generally 10-15 degrees colder in the mountains.

In Conclusion: I hope these facts about Montenegro have helped you understand some aspects of life in this country better. Now you are better prepared for your dream trip to the land of black mountains.

Resources to help you plan your dream trip to Montenegro

• Aviasales – Cheap Flights and best deals.
• Car rental in Montenegro:
  • DiscoverCars – a large international platform.
  • LocalRent – works with local rental companies. Leader in car rental in Montenegro.
• Hotels and apartments all over the country:
  • Hotellook compares the prices among dozens of other booking services and offer the best price
  • Booking – the most popular booking platform
  • Agoda – even more accommodation options in Montenegro
• Tours, excursions and activities (including extreme ones):
  • GetYourGuide – more than 430 tours
  • Viator – 780+ excursions and activities throughout the country
• Comprehensive travel insurance: EKTA
• Internet and Calls:
  • Airalo eSIM in Montenegro
  • Drimsim – universal sim card for frequent traveler
• Taxi and airport transfers: Intui.Travel