Montenegro - A Balkan Beauty

We take a walking tour of Budva's Old Town, Its beauty is enhanced by the small bays indenting the blue Adriatic Sea in front of it and the dramatic, grey, limestone mountains behind it. Following a disastrous earthquake in 1979, the foundations of a Roman villa, now known as Villa Urbana and many graves were revealed. Many Roman and Hellenistic artifacts including gold and silver jewellery were also discovered, which are now on display in the Ethnographic Museum. The ruins of Villa Urbana can be seen close to Porta di Terra Ferma, the main gate into the old town. Stone walls built by the Venetians surround the narrow streets of the medieval old town (Stari Grad). This historic district is home to a seaside citadel and religious sites such as the Church of Santa Maria in Punta.

In a cliff face 900m above the Zeta valley, the gleaming white Ostrog Monastery is the most important site in Montenegro for Orthodox Christians, attracting up to a million visitors annually. The monastery is so firmly entrenched in the country's psyche that many Montenegrins – even non-believers – commonly 'swear to Ostrog' when promising to do something.

Enjoy an afternoon boat trip on the very beautiful Skadar Lake, the largest lake at the Balkan Peninsula, with fresh water and one of the largest national parks in Montenegro. Approximately two thrids is in Montenegro and a third in Albania. It’s extremely famous for its diversity of birds, flora and fauna. A hidden gem.

A majestic wine cellar and former military airport, has been transformed into an impressive space for aging wine, located in the heart of the vineyard. It is operated by Plantaže, Montenegro’s largest wine company. The basement is positioned at an average depth of over 30 meters below ground. In the form of a spiral tunnel. The temperature is almost constant, between 17 and 19 degrees, while humidity is 80%. At any given time the revamped hangar now houses  two million litres of wine, ageing gently in oak barrels. We will have a tour of the Šipčanik wine cellar with a tasting of four types of wine and a selection of Montenegrin cheeses. Tasting of four wines*: Montenegrin Krstač, Montenegrin Malvazija, Vranac Pro Corde and Epoha with food matching - Selection of cheeses and fresh olives. *Wines may differ to those mentioned.

Enjoy a guided tour of Shkodër one of the most ancient cities in the Balkans and known as the cultural capital of Albania.

Scattered with photogenic medieval towns admiring their reflections in peacock-blue inlets, the compact Kotor Bay – or simply the ‘Boka’, as it’s known in local parlance – is stitched together by a series of scenic, serpentine roads, making it easy to explore. As if determined to prove the ‘good things come in small packages’ adage, the region crams in everything from island monasteries and show-stopping citadels. We take a walking tour of the walled city of Kotor with a local guide. Also on the Bay of Kotor is the Venetian town, and one of the most beautiful, Perast, despite having only one main street, this tiny town boasts 16 churches and 17 formerly grand palazzi. We will also visit one of its two gorgeous islands, Gospa od Skrpjela, or Our Lady of the Rocks.

Until 1946 Cetinje was the capital of Montenegro, before Podgorica took over the mantle, although the small town still remains the country’s cultural and royal capital. We visit King Nikola's Palace with a guide. The palace was built in 1885 on the seashore and was given as a present from King Nikola to his daughter, Princess Zorka and her husband. This marvellous gift consisted of a large palace, a smaller palace, a chapel, guardhouses and a winter garden.  Njegusi, higher in the mountains, is famous for its cheese and smoked dried ham which we will sample.