The name Montenegro probably stems from an old Dalmatian language related to Italian.
The word literally means ‘black mountain’ and although ‘black’ does not do justice to the reality (green comes much closer to the truth), everyone who visits this country immediately understands where this name comes from.

Montenegro consists mainly of a karst mountain range with an average altitude of some 1,000 metres, with some peaks measuring 2,000. This area is home to a number of national parks, including the Durmitor, named a Unesco World Heritage site, and the Biogradska Gora, 80% of which consists of primaeval forest. This last area obtained its status as a national park as early as 1878, a mere six years after Yellowstone became the world’s first national park. In addition to a stunning mountainous interior, Montenegro also has an attractive Mediterranean coastline measuring nearly 300 kilometres in length.
Perhaps one of the world’s most beautiful bays, the Bay of Kotor runs from the coast into the interior, and is often referred to as Europe's southernmost fjord.

Montenegro has a population of over 600,000, and its residents are known for their old-fashioned hospitality.

For a country with a surface area of 14,000 km2, Montenegro is characterised by a remarkable diversity in landscapes.  
Apart from the spectacular Bay of Kotor and Lake Skarda, home to Europe’s largest bird sanctuary, the country consists of near virgin forests, interrupted here and there by small farming villages.
Anyone visiting this area will probably not be able to leave until they have first been offered a meal, or at the very least something to drink, served by the friendly and inquisitive residents. In addition to villages there are also beautiful towns, such as the city located on the bay of the same name, Kotor, with its mediaeval city centre, and the ‘flower city’ of Herceg Novi, with its abundance of gardens and parks.

Near the city of Perast, in the Bay of Kotor, one finds two islands: St Joris (Sveti Dorde) and Our Lady of the Rock. St Joris (top photo) is the site of a Benedictine monastery which dates back to the 12th century, and a small cemetery.

Anyone looking for truly unusual hotel accommodation is more than welcome on the Sveti Stefan peninsula (centre and bottom) on the Mediterranean Sea coast.  This former fishing village was transformed into a fancy hotel complex some fifty years ago. This unique location had great allure for the more well-to-do, and even several celebrities - from Sofia Loren to Sylvester Stallone – all of whom enjoyed the sun, sea, the Montenegran cuisine and the fabulous view.

 

Network
The Montenegrin part of the Belgrade - Bar railway is the backbone of the Montenegrin railway system. It opened in 1979, and then was a state-of-the art railway. It has features such as Mala Rijeka viaduct (highest railway viaduct in the world) and the 6.2 km long Sozina tunnel. About one-third of the Montenegrin part of the railway is in tunnel or on viaduct. It is the only railway corridor in Montenegro that is fully electrified.

Developments
The Podgorica - Nikšic railway has been primarily used for freight traffic. That is about to change, as this part of railway is currently under reconstruction and electrification. Passenger traffic is set to start in 2010.

The Podgorica - Shkodër railway, which extends to Tirana (Albania), has been used exclusively for freight traffic for some time. There are plans to reconstruct the railway and re-introduce passenger traffic.