Montenegro

Montenegro is a fairly small country on the Adriatic Sea in Southeastern Europe. The official language is Montenegrin, but Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, and Croatian are also spoken. Most residents are Christians, and the Muslim community comprises about 19% of the population. The terrain includes mountains, narrow coastal plains, and rocky karst regions. Climate conditions are variable, and great biodiversity exists, including a real variety of algae, land plants, fish, and birds. You may see chamois, the steppe polecat, or mouflon. Aluminum and steel production and agricultural processing are the key areas of industry, and tourism is considered the great hope for economic growth. You can see the stunning Ostrog Monastery, built into a sheer rock face at Ostroška Greda. There are even simple sleeping accomodations right at the site. Try the river rafting in the deep canyons of Durmitor National Park, which are almost as grand as the famous one in Arizona.

Montenegrin cuisine reflects a diversity of influencing cultures. Bread is Viennese-style, while pastries tend to be Turkish. Barley, rye, wheat, and corn are made into other distinctive breads. Rice and pasta are popular starchy foods. Typical vegetables include green vegetables, potatoes, and peppers. Pork and lamb are commonly eaten. Breakfast may include gibanica, an eggy pastry, served with yogurt or buttermilk. Try satara┼í, a roasted vegetable entr├®e, or musaka od krtola, a potato moussaka with minced meat. You may be able to find fresh juices and healthy, light Mediterranean fare here. In any case, you can satisfy your sweet tooth if that floats your boat. Montenegro serves its baklava with a difference by adding raisins, and it also offers strudel, pala─ìinke (cr├¬pes), and domaca torta. It’s like the best of Austro-Hungarian desserts with a dash of the Middle East.