The Balkan beauty to add to your 2025 holiday plans
Montenegro shares a border with better-known Croatia, just south of Dubrovnik. It may be a small country, but the scale of Montenegro's spellbinding beauty punches far above its weight.
There's an impressive diversity to Montenegro's landscape – as well as being home to Europe's southernmost fjord, the beautiful Bay of Kotor, Montenegro is a great destination for a beach break, city break, adventures in the wilderness, and even skiing.
2025 is predicted to be a huge year for Montenegro's tourism. In 2024, the UK’s largest tour operator and third largest airline, Jet2.com, saw record ticket sales from UK travellers for holidays to Montenegro, flying to the heart of the Balkans from Birmingham, Stansted, and Manchester airports. And there are even more flights planned for 2025, making it easier to get to Montenegro than ever before.
Of course, you can also take all the hassle out of your travel planning by booking a trip to the Dalmatian Coast with Country Living. In 2025, there's a fantastic eight-day Dalmatian Coast holiday visiting the best bits along the Adriatic Coast, including Montenegro. Or join an intimate, small group tour to really get under the skin of the country as you visit a local honey farm, explore the national parks and visit the Black Lake.
However you decide to visit Montenegro, make plans to go before everyone clocks on!
Kotor is incredibly beautiful
Close to Tivat, where many UK flights arrive, Kotor is a jewel of Montenegro. Sitting on the Bay of Kotor fjord, it's a beautiful and historic city with a mountain backdrop, giving it a fairytale appeal.
The Kotor-Lovćen cable car opened in 2023. It whisks you from the city to Lovćen National Park in just under 11 minutes, and as you ride, you will have spectacular views of the Bay of Kotor. When you're up there, ride the Alpine Coaster, a recently opened two-person experience that descends the cliffs.
Back down in the town, medieval walls encircle a maze of narrow streets and alleys and Venetian piazzas. Kotor is an easy place to stroll for a few hours, and while there are churches and museums to see, you won't feel under pressure to check off a long list of must-sees like in other European cities, allowing you to simply enjoy the atmosphere and indulge in long coffee breaks.
There are jaw-dropping sights like the Ostrog Monastery…
Set into a cliff face high above the Zeta Valley, the astonishing Ostrog Monastery is the most important site in Montenegro for Orthodox Christians. Although the old road up there is notoriously precarious, it doesn't put off the million or so visitors it attracts yearly.
The monastery was built in 1665 within two large caves, creating an illusion that it's grown out of the rock. Exactly how it was built all that time ago remains something of a mystery...
... and Durmitor National Park
One of the deepest canyons in Europe is sliced by the majestic Tara River. White water rafting is popular here, but the hiking routes are sensational if you'd rather do something a little calmer. Nearly 50 limestone peaks loom around you — they're snow-covered from December to March when Durmitor is a popular ski resort.
VISIT DURMITOR ON A SMALL GROUP TOUR
In 2025, the skiing will be better than ever before
Montenegro’s choice of hotels has steadily grown over the past few years, particularly in and around Kotor. But in 2025, it's Montenegro's ski scene that's really gaining traction, with the Kolasin Valleys resort welcoming no fewer than five new hotels, including Montenegro's first ski-in, ski-out resort.
The first to open is Swissotel Kolasin, just a 45-minute drive from Podgorica, Montenegro's capital. The hotel is halfway up the Kolasin ski slope with views of Biogradska Gora National Park and Bjelasica Mountain. Eventually, Kolašin Valleys will feature 16 hotels and 73 chalets — so go now while it's still under the radar.
You can combine Montenegro with a Dalmatian Coast adventure
With so many beautiful places to visit on the Dalmatian Coast, it can be tricky to pick between them. Instead, plan a trip to see more than one location.
In 2025, Country Living has an eight-day holiday to the Dalmatian Coast, visiting Krka National Park, Split, Trogir, and taking a day trip to Kotor in Montenegro. It'll give you a taste of what Montenegro has to offer and will likely tempt you to return for a better look...
And don't miss the small group tour of Montegro, with trips to a honey farm, national parks and time spent in Petrovac with no more than 14 travellers in your group.
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