Montenegro isn’t a place that is on the usual tourist trail. In fact it’s a country that many of us know very little about. Formerly part of Yugoslavia, the tiny Adriatic nation has only been independent since 2006 and rarely gets mentioned in international news. In the next couple of months, though, anyone with an interest in international football betting will see Montenegro’s name popping up on the odds, as the country faces Moldova, Austria and Russia in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, which are taking place throughout September and October.

But though the country might be unfamiliar, there’s a growing number of travellers who are making their way to see what Montenegro has to offer and the majority are finding it to be full of interesting things to see and do.

Neighboring countries include Croatia and Bosnia, countries which only relatively recently were cool new places to visit. Montenegro is the new Croatia for visitors who are hoping to go somewhere that still has that relatively ‘undiscovered’ air about it.

Places not to be missed in Montenegro include:

Podgorica - the capital city

Many visitors to Montenegro don’t give its capital any itinerary time, mainly because most travel reviews say there’s not much to see there. It’s true that the town was almost obliterated in WWII and that consequently it’s not the prettiest place with many communist-style block buildings dominating the skyline. However, there is lots of work going on in Podgorica to make it prettier - with new parks and squares being added, as well as historical sites being restored. Things not to miss include the Clock Tower, the Millennium Bridge and the Old Bridge and King Nikola’s Castle.

Discover the natural beauty of Durmitor National Park

If you like to combine plenty of physical activity with your sightseeing, then head to Durmitor National Park and the beautiful Tara Canyon. This park is stunning - filled with eerie and mysterious forests and craggy mountain peaks.

In the north west of the country, the park covers almost 40,000 acres with mountains reaching 2,300m in altitude. The Tara Canyon is 82 km long.

Budva beaches

If you prefer to take in a country’s natural beauty from a sunlounger, then head to Budva, one of the most popular areas for touristsin Montenegro because of the great beaches that are found there. And when you’ve had enough of sunbathing, there’s the Old Town of Budva to explore. Located on a small peninsula, there are beautiful old churches such as Sv. Ivan, Sv. Trojica and Sv. Sava to visit, as well as plenty of shops and cafés to visit in the Stari Grad (Old Town). Nearby you’ll find historic monasteries Stanjevici and Gradiste to visit. If part of the appeal in travelling for you is to venture to places new and unknown, then visiting Montenegro is a great idea.