Tell me something: every time you read “hidden gem” or “off-the-beaten-track,” do you roll your eyes, sigh, immediately stop reading…or all of the above? I get it. I work in travel and am guilty of an occasional (ahem, daily) doomscroll. No gems are truly hidden.
But “hidden” or not, gems still sparkle. One precious stone I'd like to polish off is Montenegro, a petite Balkan country with a glimmering Adriatic coastline, rugged peaks, medieval monasteries and old towns like Kotor and Budva – proof that good things really do come wrapped in small packages. It’s also fantastically cheaper compared to more heavily touristed European destinations like Italy and Croatia.
Montenegro is by no means hidden, but it’s surely one of Europe’s most unsung vacation spots. It’s somewhere I’ve never been, but somewhere I’m longing to be. I’ll be revisiting our first-time guide when that dream eventually does realize itself.
