Bar

Dominated by Montenegro’s main port and a large industrial area, Bar (Бар) is unlikely to be anyone’s holiday highlight, but it is a handy transport hub welcoming trains from Belgrade and ferries from Italy. Otherwise, the only real reason to come is to use the city as a base for visiting the fascinating ruins of Stari Bar (Old Bar) in the mountains behind.

Unlike the northern part of the coast, which remained largely under the rule of Venice and then Austria, the areas from Bar southwards spent 300 years under Turkish control. 'New' Bar itself – founded in 1908 – has a fairly modern feel to it, but once you start heading towards the Albanian border, you'll notice more mosques and Ottoman-esque buildings.