From white beaches to precipitous train rides – our highlights of magical Montenegro

Both exotic and mysterious, the name Montenegro – meaning ‘black mountain’ – sounds like something from an Enid Blyton adventure novel, conjuring up images of a tiny, forested European statelet where plucky Philip, Jack, Dinah and Lucy-Ann outwit the evil baddies in their mountain lair.

Baddies aside, the reality isn’t so different from the fantasy – Montenegro is indeed a small country (roughly the size of Yorkshire), almost half of it is covered in forest, and it’s only been an independent nation since it finally emerged from neighbour Serbia’s shadow in 2006.

However, if your only exposure to Montenegro to date has been through your imagination (or ‘Casino Royale’, where scenes purporting to be Montenegro were actually filmed in the Czech Republic), then it’s certainly time to look again.

Montenegro’s compact capital of Podgorica (pronounced pod-go-REET-sa) – known as Titograd in the days when it was part of Yugoslavia – is typically where you’ll touch down first, with Ryanair operating the only regular flights to the city from the UK (from London Stansted). Tynesiders may enjoy checking out one of Podgorica’s newest landmarks – its own Millennium Bridge (Most Milenijum) – but most of Montenegro’s charms lie beyond the capital.

One must-do is the hair-raising train ride from Podgorica to Kolasin (ko-LASH-een) where you wind your way up alongside the precipitous Moraca gorge to a height of over 1,000 metres – but the views are breathtaking. Kolasin itself is a charming, lively tourist centre, and a handy base for exploring the surrounding area, focused on the mountains, lakes and forests of the Biogradska Gora National Park. If hiking’s your thing, a week-long stay in Kolasin will soon fly by.

Montenegro’s other big attraction is its 293 kilometres of Adriatic coastline, peppered with gorgeous white beaches and higgledy-piggledy Venetian towns. One of the most famous old towns is medieval Kotor – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and an increasingly popular cruise stop – straddling the edge of a remarkable, fjord-like bay. The walled town’s narrow streets and alleys – typically awash with sunbathing cats – are a delight to explore.

Head south and you hit Budva, a bustling resort town that combines yet another well-preserved historic centre with many of Montenegro’s most popular beaches, hotels and nightlife. If you’re feeling energetic, the scenic 6km coastal walk to Sveti Stefan rewards you with a view of one of Montenegro’s most iconic landmarks – the fortified island, attached to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, that’s now the country’s swankiest resort. You can’t blame Novak Djokovic for choosing Sveti Stefan as the venue for his wedding in 2014, as it really is a magical spot.

For those of us without tennis-star spending power, the relaxed resort of Petrovac (PET-ro-vats) is just the ticket. Centred on a pretty, sandy bay, its colourful restaurants, bars and foodie stalls line a leafy promenade that comes to life after dark as locals and tourists enjoy an evening stroll.

Just don’t be too disappointed when you can’t locate Petrovac’s famous – but fictional – Casino Royale.

This article originally appeared in Issue 2 of Engage Magazine, Newcastle and Gateshead’s premier lifestyle magazine. For the latest issue, visit engagemagazine.co.uk.