What to bring from Montenegro as a gift – 20 best souvenirs

Nature, favorable climate of a small country, bordered by the colorful bays of the Adriatic Sea, has long become a popular resort for residents of many countries. 73 km of beaches are filled with companies of young people, families with children, lovers of extreme recreation. The time spent here remains in the memory for many years. Not only photographs help to refresh memories, but also original souvenirs brought from the country. Information about what to bring from Montenegro is proposed to be found in this article.

Prosciutto

The list of popular gifts from Montenegro necessarily includes drinks and delicious local delicacies. Among them, prosciutto or pork ham is in the first place. It is cured or smoked according to a special technology. The secrets of the set of spices used are passed down from generation to generation. The inhabitants of the village of Njegushe are famous for the special craftsmanship of making prosciutto. After aging in a special brine, pork hams are smoked for about 4 months using beech and oak coals. For almost a year they are dried in the purest mountain air.

The cost of such a product cannot be low (the minimum price for 1 kg is 20€). There are no problems with storing a weighty ham bought to treat relatives and friends. In a dry, cool place, the meat is stored for almost a year (by the way, in a vacuum package bought in a supermarket, the shelf life reaches 5 years). During this time, you can use it many times for cutting (in the form of very thin, almost transparent pieces) or as the main element of interesting dishes. Served on the table along with melon slices, it will remind you of a vacation in a beautiful country.

Olive oil

Walking along the streets of the city of Bar, one cannot but stop next to the oldest olive trees on the planet, listen to local legends and, of course, buy the famous Montenegrin olive oil. Among the beautiful bottles with bright labels, you can get lost.

To appreciate the taste, bring a wonderful gift, you should use the following tips:

1. From 10 product categories produced in the country, one of three options is chosen: natural oil (Virgin), refined type (Refined), cake product (Pomace).
2. The most useful is Extra virgin oil, prepared by cold pressing without additional chemical purification. It is considered the standard of olive oil.
3. Product packaging must be of tinted glass or special metal.
4. The label must be marked PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). It points to the implementation of strict control by the EU Commission. PGI (Protected Geographical Indication), BIO (Organic) inscriptions confirm that the olives are collected in a specific region and grown without the use of chemical fertilizers.
5. You can buy oil for a gift in a supermarket, specialized, ordinary stores. At the same time, you need to read the category of oil, its acidity, the date of bottling, awards, participation in exhibitions, competitions. The color of the oil can be from golden to greenish. Gray colors indicate poor product quality. The taste of quality oil should not be rancid, metallic. It has fruity flavors. The consistency of a quality product is thick, homogeneous. The average shelf life of the product is 18 months after bottling.

Fruit

Gone are the days when there were queues for southern fruits, it was difficult to buy them. Now even small children know about kiwi, avocado, bananas, tangerines. Their cost in each region is different and not always available for consumption in any quantity. Therefore, you always want to eat plenty of juicy fruits during your holidays. In Montenegro, it is very easy to do this. Fresh fruits (recently taken from the branches) fill any market, shop. And these are figs, mangoes, apricots, peaches, pomegranates, nectarines. It all depends on the time of the trip.

It is useful to remember that it is better to buy them in the markets at the end of the day (due to a sharp drop in prices). As a gift, friends are advised to buy a little-known fruit butcher (zinzula, unabi, “tree of life”). It tastes like an apple and a pear at the same time. The appearance resembles dates, and the content of vitamin C exceeds the famous lemon. Or the fruits of the exotic persimmon “Japanese apple”, resembling a large orange tomato. It is useful to grab a few packages of delicious dried figs. It is juicy, sweet and costs only 3 € per 1 kg.

Sour cream

Curd cream prepared according to special recipes is considered a national dish among many Turkic-speaking peoples. The technology for making kaymak in Montenegro consists of a large number of cream layers removed and aged for several days at a certain temperature. It turns out a thick mixture of a yellowish tint with a delicate nutty taste of the original cheese. The fat content of the product is 40%. It is used as a dessert together with fruits, spread on bread, added during the preparation of meat dishes, cereals. Such foams are part of the famous “Guryev porridge”.

Representatives of a special microflora, formed in the process of lactic acid fermentation, were found in the composition of kaimak. It is useful for people who do not tolerate common fats. As a gift, it is recommended to buy a kaymak before leaving. In stores, it is presented in the form of packages of 200-300 g. The cost of 1 kg is 2.5 €. The product will not deteriorate during a long flight.

Lavender

Every corner of the amazing country is saturated with the smell of lavender. It grows everywhere and is actively used by local residents. It is impossible to pass by the sellers of medicinal herbs without buying it as a keepsake as a souvenir. It can be a beautiful box with fragrant contents. A pouch in the form of a small cotton pad filled with lavender, which serves as an excellent aromatherapy tool. Putting it at home with bed linen, you can enjoy the smell of freshness and cleanliness for a long time. The cost of such a souvenir is about 2.5 €.

At every step, numerous magnets, paintings, small items in the form of candlesticks, coasters, bouquets of dry inflorescences are offered. Residents of Montenegro offer to try exotic lavender jam, lavender oil, flavored sugar, delicious buns with the addition of a plant during their holidays. It is possible to buy a souvenir from lavender in Montenegro in pharmacies, from private individuals, and souvenir shops. In remote resort areas of the country, their cost is much lower than, for example, in Kotor, Budva.

Wine

Among the most popular wines in Europe are the famous brands of Montenegrin wines produced by the Plantaze company (Plantage) from two types of grapes: red, growing near Skadar Lake and white from the vicinity of Podgorica. Rosé wines are made from red grape varieties using a special technology. The famous red wine Vranac (price from 6 to 11 €), white Krstacha (price from 4 to 20 €), delicate pink Rosé will be a pleasant gift to relatives and friends.

All wines are natural, the technology of using powder is not used in the country. Montenegro produces dry, table wines. Sweet wine lovers can buy dessert (red, sweet) Medun wine (cost €11 for 0.5 l). The average value of the price of Montenegrin wines is in the range of 3-30 €. The most expensive, aged wine costs 30 € for 0.75 liters. You can buy the product in stores, in special shops located next to the vineyards. It is useful to know that you can take out of the country 2 liters of wine and 1 liter of stronger drinks.

Brandy

The famous fruit vodka, with a strength of up to 60, is a traditional drink of the country. These are “slivovitz” (from plums), “lozovacha” (from grapes), “vilmovka” (from pears with the same variety name), “kaisievacha” from apricots, apple “yabukovacha”. Rakia may contain nuts, honey, herbs, anise. A fragrant drink is considered a must for any feast in the country.

Drink from small piles in small sips. Drink in stores is considered expensive. Most often, they try and buy home-made brandy (moonshine) “domach” as a gift. The composition obtained from a mixture of apples, pears, apricots, the locals call “dunevich” or “dunya”. For a gift, a homemade version of rakia is beneficial to buy in small bottles.

Beer

Almost all tourists order a glass of draft beer when they first visit the bar, saying the famous phrase “I'm fine”. Despite the fact that Montenegro is considered a country of wines, very good beers are produced here (in Niksic). The only brewery, Trebjesa, began operating in 1896. Later, breweries of private producers of the popular drink appeared.

All varieties are distinguished by piquant features, but the famous national beer of Montenegro “Nik” and “Niksickoe” can not be tasted everywhere. Light types of beer of these names are popular. Its cost in bars, restaurants is about 2 € per glass of 0.5 liters. For a gift, you can purchase a 0.5 liter can for 0.9 cents. There are cans of dark beer.

The national version of beer is made from the purest water, hops, barley. It contains 5% alcohol, up to 12% extract. An interesting brand of beer “Regent” is produced in a small brewery near Podgorica. Many small towns in the country have their own breweries. According to old traditions, restaurants, pubs and bars are located next to them. Here you can taste fresh, young beer and famous varieties: Nick Cool, Nick Gold, Elena, Bex.

Cheese

The main thing is not to eat too much and not get lost among this yummy country. Always fresh, delicious cheeses “Negushsky”, “Plevsky”, “Pivsky”, “Primorsky”, “Kuchsky”, etc. are the pride of the local population and are popular with guests of the country. Especially if they are prepared by cheese makers from the mountain village of Njegusi from goat or sheep's milk. It is aged in fragrant olive oil for almost three months. By the way, cheeses are often called “young”, “old”, “cow”, “goat” in the markets.

Among the variety of cheese heads, you can find an unusual cheese product: leafy cheese (it looks like thin leaves), made from special milk according to the original recipe of the inhabitants of the town of Kolasina. Its cost is the highest (10-12 € per 1 kg). Other cheeses are sold at a price of 5-8 € per 1 kg. You can buy fresh, salty, sweet, hard, soft cheese as a delicious gift. An interesting option is marinated cheese, packaged in small jars and filled with olive oil. You can choose the option of interest in stores, on the market.

Cap

This is a small round hat in black with a scarlet top. But her appearance is not easy. This is an old Serbian headdress, which has become a symbol of Montenegro. The cap has heraldic embroidery reflecting various historical events of the country. The top is decorated with gold thread embroidery. Ethnic headdress is an obligatory part of the Montenegrin men's national costume.

It enriches, decorates their national clothes. For many centuries it has been made from natural homespun materials: hemp, nettle, flax, wool, horsehair, sheep wool. You can buy a mouthguard in any store, in the market. Its cost in large centers is 15 €, in remote places you can buy a hat for 7-8 €. Kapa is one of the most popular souvenirs from Montenegro.

Paintings

Everyone wants to decorate their home. A special element of his desires is the right picture. Most of the time it's a wonderful landscape. It is especially interesting when familiar places are depicted on it. There are many such unique natural places in Montenegro. It is difficult to choose one landscape while traveling. I want to see, admire, remember a lot.

Paintings brought as a gift from the country help to do this. Three types of paintings are offered here: printed (price less than 10 €), author's copies (from 15 to 40 €), works from the funds of art galleries (from 60 to 200 €). Sea and green landscapes, architectural masterpieces of ancient cities froze on them. They can decorate any home well. Become a useful, beautiful gift for loved ones, friends.

Jewelry

A trip to Montenegro provides an excellent opportunity to present a unique silver jewelry created from thin silver threads. This is a beautiful openwork work made by local craftsmen in the spirit of the ancient traditions of the country using semi-precious stones. The cost of products ranges from insignificant amounts to hundreds of €. Average prices for silver items here are about 30% lower than in Moscow.

In the shops of Kotor you can buy famous Italian jewelry by Rebecca, Michael Kors watches 200-300 €. A receipt for the purchase of expensive products must be kept for presentation at customs. An excellent gift would be bracelets, rings, earrings, plates, mugs and other jewelry. Inclusions of colored resin, corals, beautifully selected shells make any product original. Painted magnets, dishes, watches, bright jars for bulk products can be bought in shops, markets, on the beach. And, of course, a large, beautiful shell, in which the unforgettable Adriatic Sea rustles.

Cloth

In Montenegro, there are two options for purchasing the necessary clothing. The first is related to the geographical position of the country next to Italy. There are a lot of goods delivered from Italian factories in Montenegrin stores. From the capital of world fashion, here the boutiques of Podgorica, Bar are filled with modern models of any brands. A lot of inexpensive (not always high quality) clothes from Turkey. Most often, it is sold on coastline stalls along with goods from China.

The cost of goods is the same as in Moscow, but the quality is higher. During sales (end of August and December), even global brands can be bought at a discount of about 65%. Popular with tourists (even in summer) are woolen goods from Montenegro. These can be factory offers or handmade clothes from local craftsmen. The secrets of its manufacture are passed down from generation to generation. A beautiful sweater, scarf, cashmere scarf, socks, mittens, a woolen tablecloth will be a great gift for your family.

Tableware

There is no great sense in bringing shiny metal pots and frying pans with a modern coating from the country. You can also buy them in your own country. But an antique product or a painted ceramic dish, an original cup, a beautiful jug, will become a real, memorable gift. The murals made with glaze repeat the wonderful landscapes of the country.

Large flat plates are used for serving hot dishes, stacks, salads. They are made from fireclay, porcelain, red, brown clay, stone. The painting is done by hand. The stainless steel cezve is one of the most “tableware” souvenirs for coffee lovers. Their cost is from 4 to 7 €, depending on the size. Together with it, you can give a tablecloth with an ornament made in folk style. Usually it is created on the basis of natural woolen threads.

Honey

The appearance of various varieties of honey is well known to everyone. But when you notice a dark (almost black) product on the shelves next to golden jars, your eyes stop and many questions arise. In European countries, honeydew honey, which has a black tint, is very much appreciated. It is bought not so much for the sake of delicacy, as for an effective healing agent. For example, black cumin honey is used to improve the activity of the stomach. It helps heal wounds and cuts.

Bees make honey not only from nectar, but also from honeydew, honeydew. The rich flora of Montenegro allows them to do this in any weather. The leaves of oaks, maples, lindens, conifers create conditions for the life of numerous aphids, which are a rich source of a sweet liquid used by bees. This is how honeydew, useful honey appears. It is a must buy as a gift for loved ones and for yourself. It is best to do this in shops at apiaries (for example, at the Moraca monastery). A small jar costs about 9 €.

Religious souvenirs

During the trip there is an opportunity to purchase interesting ancient icons and other religious souvenirs. The average price of a carved wooden icon depends on the size and is about 3 €. Colored wax candles occupy a special place among souvenirs. They can be not only straight, ordinary, but also twisted, decorated with original carvings.

The price of a complex candle reaches 15 €. An important symbol of the country is Montenegrin Brojanica. This is a bracelet that has undergone a special procedure of consecration. It is woven by monks from the wool of sheep. The bracelet consists of 33 knots, seven intertwined crosses (sometimes it is made from 50, 100, 300 knots). In souvenir shops, you have to pay about 2.5 € for a bracelet. In the monastery shops, their cost is higher. It sells collections of medicinal herbs, soap, ointments, honey from its own hives.

Cosmetics

At any resort, you can choose products for skin and hair care. Here you can easily buy a cosmetic product from world countries. Their cost will be much lower than at home (for example, offers from L'Oreal, Bourdjois, Verdeoasi, Body Drench, Maybelline).

NYX professional cosmetics are sold at the following prices: lipstick 4 €, mascara 12 €, powder, shadows from 5 €, foundation 16 €. Pharmacies, supermarkets Golden Rose, Catrice offer Mustella children's cosmetics at a much lower price (almost 2 times). An interesting gift can be an original soap made from natural ingredients, brewed in monasteries. Its cost is 2 €.

Crafts from the vine

Weaving from a vine has been known among different peoples since ancient times. Furniture, baskets, walls of houses, accessories for fishing and hunting were made from natural material vine. Even wicker chairs have been found in Tutankhamen's tomb. The gladiators of Spartacus wore wicker battle shields: light and durable. The vegetation of Montenegro made it possible to use willow twigs, branches of grapes, and reeds as vines. The main requirement for them is the ability to bend easily, to have the required color.

Most of all, these requirements are met by the stalks of willow krasnotal, belotal, chernotal, broom. Such species grow along the banks of lakes and rivers in Montenegro. Beautiful boxes, baskets, vases, chests, rugs, etc. are still woven from them. The technique of weaving differs in different regions. There are options for complex, intricate weaving. As a souvenir from Montenegro in shops, markets, you can buy beautiful boxes, baskets for Easter cakes, small household utensils, a mushroom basket for picking mushrooms.

Gusli

An original gift to friends and a memorable souvenir that evokes pleasant memories of your stay in Montenegro can be a psaltery. This traditional bowed musical instrument has long been the embodiment of the country's folk culture. In souvenir shops and markets you will find single-stringed or double-stringed psaltery. Made of beech or ash, even before Christianity in the Balkans, they were considered an ancestor cult, which is revered here to this day.

Local craftsmen competing in the artistic design of the instruments will offer you a choice of psaltery, skillfully decorated with carvings with national ornaments, images of eagles, snakes, goats and prominent personalities. An obligatory element of decor on the harp is the head of a ram, symbolizing fertility. Keep in mind that souvenir shops only sell gift items that are not made for the game. Their cost varies between 5-6 €.

dolls

As a gift, children want to find a book with bright pictures, a special toy. This is a doll in a costume corresponding to a particular people of the world. In Montenegro, several series of dolls, shepherdesses, soldiers in national clothes are produced. Looking at the gift, the child notes interesting features of Montenegrin costumes. The country led a closed lifestyle for a long time, which was reflected in the clothes of local residents.

It was distinguished by practicality, quality, the use of natural raw materials, non-staining shades. Until now, residents use an old element of clothing, a structure or a woolen plaid in the form of a now fashionable stole. Golfs, leggings, hats (kapa), cloth vests (tsmadan). A silk belt of great length, a jacket (gun), a jacket (kaput) made with high skill are dressed on a doll. Casual men's, women's attire, festive clothes decorate a beautiful souvenir. From the outfits it is easy to imagine the image of a young girl and a married lady. Often a set of original dolls is chosen as a gift.