The gorgeous little country that's been kept 'hidden' from tourists for decades

When it comes to European travel, Spain and Greece may have long dominated travellers' minds, but Montenegro is the tiny European country that holds giant promise. While popular destinations have increasingly been regarded as overcrowded and even overrated, the small Balkan nation bordered by Serbia and Croatia is known for its rugged coastline, deep canyons, rich wildlife and dramatically mountainous landscapes.

Despite the country being roughly 18 times smaller than the UK, there's plenty to do, and travellers are even left feeling that it has plenty more to offer. Avid travellerHendrik even shares on his travel guide TikTok that not only is Montenegro the "jewel of the Balkans", but it's the tiny European country that holds six world records.

Claiming that the tourism industry has been "hiding this for decades", he says of Montenegro that it not only has Europe's deepest canyon, but also the Balkans' highest inhabited town, which in winter transforms into a "snow kingdom above the clouds where stars are so bright they reflect in frozen lakes".

Montenegro also houses Europe's "most impossible monastery," which is actually directly carved into a vertical cliff face 900 meters above the valley floor. And at Skadar Lake, "millions of waterlillies bloom here each summer, creating floating gardens visible from space, while Europe's largest pelican colonies fish in waters unchanged from millennia".

With its thriving nightlife, beachfront bars, and day-glo cocktails, one of the busier locations, Budva is known as "Montenegrin Miami"

Meanwhile, the Bay of Kotor with its UNESCO-listed old town centre is described by Lonely Planet as "a jumble of narrow streets and alleys, enclosed by walls, and punctuated by spacious piazzas and handsome Venetian-style palaces, bijou churches and a large imposing cathedral."

Apart from majestic sights and rich biodiversity in Montenegro, there's plenty of delicious Balkan cuisine to enjoy. Weather-wise, Montenegro is a year-round destination, from sun-soaked summers on the Adriatic coast to pleasant, balmy weather in spring and autumn (with average temperatures hovering around 18C) and even skiing in winter.

Of their one-week stay in Kotor and the surrounding areas, one visitor reported on TripAdvisor, "What we discovered, no surprise, was to get up early and explore the old town before 9am. It's just magical, the streets are quiet, church bells, the light constantly changing, and the cats are awake in the cooler morning strolling everywhere."

Travel writer Lindsay Narey adds that Montenegro feels "like several holidays rolled into one. One day, we were plunging into turquoise cave waters from the deck of a speedboat, and on another, we conquered crumbling medieval steps in ill-advised shoes. Later, we strolled through cobbled streets searching for chilled local wine and then went heron-spotting on a lily-strewn lake."