A French Riviera buzz with a Balkan twist — is Montenegro the new Croatia? 

Would you plan a trip to this culturally rich and affordable patch of Europe?

Croatia’s smaller Balkan neighbour is fast building up a reputation of its own as an essential travel destination, writes Thom Breathnach

If Croatia feels like the new Italy, then could Montenegro, its smaller neighbour to the south, be emerging as the new Croatia? It’s hard to scroll through Instagram these days without spotting someone living their best life on the beaches of the Adriatic — but rather than enjoying the shores of Rimini or Puglia, it seems we’re taking to Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split just as much.

But what do the southernmost climes of the Dalmatian coast offer? This summer, I took a flight to Dubrovnik as a gateway to discover Montenegro’s unheralded highlights.