'I visited a spot in Europe and was amazed at how beautiful and cheap it was'

An influencer who has explored 12 different countries has declared this European treasure as her top pick.

Dreaming of the perfect European escape often conjures images of wandering through Rome's historic Colosseum or lounging on the pristine beaches of the Greek isles, reports the Mirror.

However, 'Em', a seasoned traveller with stamps from Greece, Spain, and more in her passport, insists that one stunning spot is frequently missed by tourists - Montenegro.

In 2023, Em embarked on a nine-day adventure to this Balkan beauty and was captivated by its picturesque beaches, rich culture, and friendly locals. Sharing her experience on TikTok (@emsbudgettravel), she recounted: "We flew into Podgrica airport and spent the first week in this Airbnb in Budva."

"We had this incredible view and the whole week was just amazing. We spent the whole time exploring, eating ice cream and swimming in the sea every day."

Em and her companions made sure to visit all the urban beaches, but she highlighted Mogren Beach as the standout, praising its crystal-clear waters and the scenic path leading to the Old Town. They also rented a pedalo and paddled out to the local Blue Lagoon for a dip.

She was seemingly convinced it would be extra busy, but shocked to find they had it almost all to themselves in early June. She continued: "I can't believe more people weren't doing this because it was absolutely stunning and pretty much empty every time we went round."

"I feel like if this was in Greece or Italy, it would be absolutely packed. The only thing I would say is make sure to bring water shoes as some of the stones can be quite sharp and I'm pretty sure I saw a sea urchin."

When touring the Old Town, Em also discovered plenty of brilliant food options for whatever the budget. For a fancier dinner, she recommended a restaurant called Jadran which overlooked the stunning harbour, but she stressed you can also get quick snacks for as little as a few euros.

She said: "We loved wandering around the Old Town and you can walk up on these old city walls. Make sure to grab a €3 slice of pizza from Luka's for lunch."

In the second part of her trip, Em stayed in Kotor - a historic city nestled between the cliffs of Mt. Lovcen - a 37-minute drive from Budva.

While she claimed Kotor was a little more touristy and expensive than Budva, but she still managed to get another massive pizza slice for €3.

"Do not miss the free cat museum and the cat park," she added. "If you're a cat person this is actually heaven. There are cats absolutely everywhere in Kotor and Budva, but I've never seen so many kittens in one place! ".

"Overall this was without a doubt my favourite trip of the year. Everything was great value, the people were lovely, beautiful beaches with amazing blue water. Everywhere you looked the scenery was just stunning."