In northern Montenegro, about an hour northeast of the capital Podgorica, Kolašin is the country’s most modern ski resort but also a fantastic spot for summer hiking. If you have time, taking the scenic route through the Platije Canyon makes for a dramatic start to your holiday, and there’s also the 13th-century Moraca Monastery to take in en route.

Kolašin is your jumping-off point for Montenegro’s smallest National Park, Biogradska Gora, where you’ll find one of the oldest forests in Europe and a fabulous trail around a sparkling lake. Kolašin is also a good base for walking in the Komovi Mountains with their steep rocky peaks dotted with beech forest and high grazing pastures.

At Kolašin itself, you can hop aboard a ski lift to reach Troglava Peak and hike back down through summer pastures. Another great hike is the 12km down from Kolašin to Biogradsko Lake.

One of the world’s deepest gorges, the dramatic Tara River Gorge divides Montenegro’s central mountains. Rushing along the base of this river canyon is the brilliantly turquoise Tara River with thrilling rapids that make it one of the best places in Europe for white-water rafting. There’s also an 800m zip wire if you fancy a different kind of white-knuckle ride.

The Tara snakes through the heart of the Durmitor National Park with its mountains of the same name – a UNESCO-listed landscape. This is the wildest part of Montenegro: a remote region of soaring peaks, high pastures, emerald-green lakes and villages of traditional wooden dwellings. The 10km Durmitor Ring is especially beautiful. Zabljak is a good base for your adventures here.

Southern Europe’s largest lake, on the border of Montenegro and Albania, is surrounded by its own National Park, a protected wetland area where you might spot endangered otters and rare Dalmatian pelicans as you cross the water on a peaceful boat ride.

There are small beaches here from which to swim and fish, local wineries to visit, and tranquil villages to stop off in for a traditional lunch. Skadar is also a wonderful place for cycling, past vineyards with a backdrop of stunning mountains.

Between Skadar and the coast, sleepy Cetinje is Montenegro’s old royal capital and a good place to break your drive, with heritage buildings and museums lining its pedestrianised streets. It’s also the gateway to yet another National Park, Lovćen, where as well as visiting the mausoleum of Montenegro’s poet-prince Petar II Petrović Njegoš, you can enjoy more hiking trails and zip wires. And on the slopes of Mount Lovćen within the park, the village of Njeguši is famed for its prosciutto, cheese and grape brandy, all of which you can stop off and sample.

Montenegro’s stretch of Adriatic coastline runs for just under 300km and has a full 72km of beaches where kayaking, snorkelling, sailing, swimming and other water sports are on offer. Many of Montenegro’s best seaside spots are in the Bay of Kotor, a dazzling body of water dotted with tiny islands, some occupied by domed churches, convents or hotels.

Kotor itself has a delightful UNESCO-listed Old Town, from which you can set forth and climb the 1350 steps up to the hilltop Kotor Fortress. Also charming is Herceg Novi, especially its old Spanish fortress Kanli Kula with its amphitheatre with glorious panoramic views over the bay. And Perast, with its single main street but 16 churches and 17 old Venetian palazzi (some now enigmatic ruins), is quite simply bewitching.