Why you need to add this stunning European hidden gem to your travel bucket list

Montenegro offers mountains, bays, and coastlines and is only about three hours from the UK by air. With a population over 600,000, the country is described as small and beautiful, enjoying 240 to 270 days of sun annually. Direct flights to Tivat take roughly three to three and a half hours, with Jet2.com serving Birmingham, Stansted, and Manchester.

Kotor Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features cobbled streets, cafés, and the St Tryphon Cathedral. In 1979, an earthquake damaged the town, sparking restoration that fused old and new architecture. The area is famous for hundreds of stray cats tended by locals, a quirky charm that travelers notice.