Picture this. Craggy mountains--some stark, others densely wooded--jeweled with villages of pale gray stone. A sea sparkling like blue topaz; a switchback coastline of bays, beaches, and coves. Medieval walled towns with crumbling fortresses and palaces emblazoned with the winged lion emblem of the Venetian Republic.

Now paint in monasteries slotted into mountain crevices and fishing villages of red-tiled roofs and shutters of deep green. Roman mosaics...olive groves...water-lilied lakes...deep canyons and the mighty Boka Kotorska, Europe's southernmost fjord. And to complete the imagery, thousands of bodies bronzing on beaches and splashing in the warm Adriatic.

I'm in Crna Gora, the world's newest independent nation. Crna Gora is what locals call their country--the rest of us are more familiar with its old Italian name of Montenegro. Both versions mean "Black Mountain."

With less than 700,000 people, Montenegro is tiny--and relatively unknown to North Americans. One real estate agent said she'd had an inquiry as to where in South America this country could be found!

If you're flummoxed too, here's how Montenegro fits into the Balkan jigsaw: Washed by the Adriatic Sea, its 190-mile coastline slots between Croatia and Albania. Land borders are also shared with Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

Northern Montenegro's coastal scenery is as bewitching as Croatia's. For vacationers, however, the country is far cheaper. That's not surprising as the average monthly wage is only around $300. In restaurants with vine-shaded terraces, tasty three-course meals can cost as little as $5.75. A large glass of fruity red Vranac or local Chardonnay is less than $2.

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First Published: Sep 17, 2006