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It is a small concentration of breathtaking attractions, the Montenegro, a young Balkan state that Lord Byron defined âthe most beautiful meeting between land and seaâ. Just as a treasure chest of unique wonders, it is the capital of this fascinating slice of southern Europe Podgorica, a lively city built on the banks of six rivers, in the fertile plain north of Lake Skadar.
And it is from this splendid city surrounded by greenery that you must start to get to know the most authentic soul of a country increasingly appreciated by tourists, eager to discover an exquisitely unique destination full of surprises to reveal.
Discovering the ancient and modern heart of Podgorica
One of the most interesting routes in Podgorica is the one that starts from behind the splendid Clock tower (Sahat Kula) and reaches up to fiume MoraÄa. Among the oldest symbols of the city, the tower is the most beautiful example of architecture from the Ottoman period, one of the few monuments to survive the bombing of the capital during the Second World War, and has always been a point of reference and meeting point for the locals.
Walking among low and colorful houses, coming across ancient mosques and religious buildings with a contemporary charm, such as the suggestive one Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ â the city's main place of worship, you will find yourself crossing the exciting Millennium Bridge, among the most beautiful in all of Montenegro.
173 meters long, this futuristic work of great visual impact overlooks the waters of the MoraÄa river and represents one of the main attractions of Podgorica. Built in 2005, it connects the old city with the new one, and offers unique suggestions especially if you cross it in the evening, when the city is colored with a thousand lights.
Northwest of the Millennium Bridge is the church of San Giorgio, among the monuments to absolutely visit because it is one of the oldest places of worship in the capital of Montenegro. An important testimony to the period of the Nemanic dynasty, it stands among the wooded slopes of the Gorica hill, and is surrounded by a forest of centuries-old pine trees. It is based here l'Adventure Park, where it is possible to run and practice outdoor sports.
Nature lovers shouldn't miss a visit to the Natural History Museum of Montenegro, a journey through collections of insects, stuffed animals, starfish and fossils that offers the opportunity to learn about the incredible biodiversity of the country.
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Fill up on nature at Lake Skadar
Moving away from Podgorica, an obligatory stop is the Lake Skadar, the largest on the Balkan Peninsula. Located on the border between Albania and Montenegro, it is fed by around fifty springs, and it is perhaps for this reason that its waters are incredibly transparent and characterized by a myriad of reflections, and enjoy rich aquatic vegetation.
The area is a National Park which is home to rare bird species, such as the curly pelican and the pygmy cormorant. The area is also renowned for carp and eel fishing and the traditional smoking of fish.
Adrenaline rafting in the spectacular Tara Canyon
The natural scenery of Montenegro is an open-air museum of works shaped by earth, water and wind, ready to give truly strong emotions. Like the ones you feel in front of the Tara Canyon, the deepest in Europe, second only to the famous Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Elected world heritage site by UNESCO, is located within the Durmitor National Park and boasts waters so transparent that they have been nicknamed âtear of Europeâ. Rafting lovers go crazy for it because it is a truly unique place, with breathtaking rapids, perfect for those who want to experience pure adrenaline experiences.
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A trip to the fjord of Montenegro
If you prefer peace of mind and spirit to strong emotions, enjoying breathtaking landscapes, art, history and culture, you cannot miss another pearl of Montenegro: the beautiful Bay of Kotor (also known as âBoka Kotorâ). A series of inlets, bays and cliffs on the southern Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic made up of large valleys similar to Norwegian fjordsthe. All this creates a suggestive coastal landscape of great impact.
Among the best natural harbors in the Mediterranean, the bay has been nicknamed âthe bride of the Adriaticâ, for the poignant beauty it offers visitors. Here you can admire some of the most magical places in Montenegro.
To surprise you at every glimpse, all you need to do is, for example, walk along âThe road of 50 hairpin bendsâ, one of the most panoramic in Europe. Or visit the splendid city ââof Kotor (or Cattaro), declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with its lovely historic center bordered by high white stone walls and the picturesque labyrinth of cobbled streets dotted with ancient monuments and unmissable buildings.
Equally fascinating, the town of Perast, located in the innermost basin of the Bay of Kotor, nicknamed the âOld Veniceâ because it was built in the 300th century by the Venetians. Here Ottoman style and Mediterranean elements blend with the architecture of the Balkan tradition, between sloping roofs with red terracotta and clay tiles that give way to buildings with white stone facades.
The Bay of Kotor is often a stopover cruises in the Adriatic Sea, and offer the gaze surprising landscapes, with rocky spurs that plunge straight into delightful blue inlets that open into the limestone mass of the Dinaric Alps and places full of interest for lovers of architecture, art and history.
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A visit to the Ostrog monastery, suspended between the rocks
Among the attractions to visit in Montenegro, another unique wonder stands out: the Ostrog Orthodox Monastery. Set in a vertical rock wall on the cliff of OstroĆĄka Greda, it was built in the 17th century and rebuilt in the 1920s following a fire, and is the most popular pilgrimage site of the country.
This extraordinary place of worship is dedicated to Saint Basil of Ostrog and was founded by Basil himself, Metropolitan Bishop of Herzegovina, whose body is found in a reliquary placed in the underground church dedicated to the "Presentation of the Mother of God in the Temple". The monastery represents the meeting point of three different religious beliefs (the Orthodox, the Catholic and the Muslim), due to the particular thaumaturgical powers attributed to the saint.
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