Rossiyskaya Gazeta commissioned by the tourist organization Montenegro Travel has published an article that lists 12 (and more) reasons to visit Montenegro.
From the Montenegrin hills to the beautiful Adriatic coast, there are nature reserves and five national parks, caves and canyons, 117 beaches on the coastline stretching over 180 miles. Add to this the responsiveness of the locals and the traditional hospitality.
Here are 12 must-see spots:
1. Budva - one of the most ancient settlements on the Adriatic coast and the tourist capital of Montenegro. Beautiful beaches, gourmet cuisine, various events and much more attract a large number of tourists to this city. The old town is one of the most ancient settlements in the Adriatic, more than two and a half thousand years ago it was known as the “city of Illyria”. Visiting the Budva Riviera, it is impossible to miss it. During the summer season, Budva hosts many cultural events, including outdoor festivals, concerts and performances.
2. Fabulous Sveti Stefan Is a small peninsula located just 6 kilometers southeast of Budva. In the past, it was a fortified fishing village connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, but now it houses the luxurious five-star resort Aman Sveti Stefan - one of the most exclusive resorts in the Mediterranean.
3. The historical part of the city of Kotor, in the past - the pearls of the Venetian Republic, is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. The Old Town (Stari Grad) and the medieval Armory Square (Trg od Oružja) of Kotor attract tourists from all over the world. To overcome 1300 steps (500 meters) and climb to the fortress on the hill of St. John is worth a panoramic view of the Bay of Kotor - the southernmost in Europe. One of the main attractions of Montenegro has the shape of a butterfly, it is called “the bride of the Adriatic Sea”. Kotor, Herceg Novi and Tivat are the main cities, but the lovely little villages are just as memorable.
4. The largest on the Balkan Peninsula Skadar Lake located between the sea and the mountains in the national park of the same name. The emerald green lake is a real paradise for bird lovers: there are more than 280 species of them, and this is the only place in the south of Europe where pelicans live.
5. Durmitor National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is famous for high peaks, black pine trees, mountain pastures and glacial lakes. Here is the canyon of the Tara River and the Djurdjevic Bridge at an altitude of 170 meters - an architectural masterpiece built before the start of World War II. In Durmitor Park, visitors are attracted by wild nature and Black Lake - lovers of walking and hiking love to come here, and it is also a famous ski resort.
6. Gorge of the Tara River in the Durmitor National Park with a depth of more than 1300 meters - the longest and deepest in Europe, it is second only to the Grand Canyon in the United States. The rugged Tara River, known as the “tear of Europe”, is popular with rafting enthusiasts and is surrounded by forests, alpine meadows and peaks over 2000 meters.
7... In museums and monasteries the city of Cetinje - the historical royal capital of Montenegro - you can see the Right Hand of John the Baptist, particles of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord and the Filermskaya icon of the Mother of God.
8... Not far from the town of Niksic there is Ostrog monasterycarved into a steep rock above the Zeta Plain. Founded in the XNUMXth century by Vasily Ostrog, this monastery is one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in Montenegro.
9... In the northernmost city of Montenegro, Pljevlje, is the famous Hussein Pasha Mosque Is a fine example of Islamic architecture. The richly decorated mosque with the tallest minaret in the Balkans was erected in the XNUMXth century. The extensive collection of the mosque contains a manuscript of the Koran in Arabic, which supposedly dates back to the XNUMXth century.
10... At the southernmost point of Montenegro there is Ada Boyana - a picturesque island with an area of 2 square miles, which is considered the treasure of the Montenegrin coast. The island is located where the Boyana River meets the Adriatic Sea. There are many restaurants where you can taste the best seafood in the Balkans.
11... In the seaside town of Bar, there is palace of king Nikola I, built in 1885. The bar is also famous for its 100 olive trees, many of which are over a thousand years old. The oldest olive tree in Europe is also located here - it is about 2000 years old.
12... The road through the Lovcen National Park leads to one of the most amazing places in the country. Here, having overcome 461 steps, you can climb the Yezersky Verkh peak, where in 1974 it opened mausoleum of the Montenegrin ruler and poet Peter II Petrovic Njegos... The entrance to the chapel is “guarded” by two tall marble statues.
And a few more reasons ...
• The longest sandy beach on the Adriatic coast, Velika PlaŽa, with a length of more than 13 kilometers, is located south of Ulcinj.
• The old town of Ulcinj is more than 2500 years old, and its Baroque and Renaissance architecture reflects the features of many cultures and civilizations.
• Five national parks of Montenegro - Durmitor, Lovcen, Biogradska Gora, Skadar Lake and Prokletije - cover an area of about 1100 square meters.
• Biogradska Gora National Park has one of the last virgin forests in Europe (1600 hectares) with diverse flora and fauna.
• The first printed book in the South Slavic countries, the Cetinje Osmoglasnik, was printed in Cetinje in 1493.
• The highest railway bridge in Europe, the Mala Rijeka viaduct, 198 meters high and 498 meters long, is part of an impressive mountain railway with numerous tunnels and bridges.
• The Boyana River flows in two directions at once.
