Man·tu·NEY·grow - /mɑˌntʌnejˈgɹow/
Crna Gora is a reference to the appearance of Mount Lovćen, which looks black because it's covered in dense evergreen forests. It's used for the first time in edicts in the 13the c. originally, it referred to only a small strip of land but came to denote the majority of contemporary Montenegro in the 15th century.
Why It's Worth a Visit -
With stunning Adriatic coastlines, featuring pristine beaches, medieval towns and rugged beauty Montenegro is an amazing and affordable destination.
@ a glance essentials:
.
Language:
Mºntenegrin
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Water safety
Generally Safe to Drink in tourist areas, (may have an off taste.) Go Bottled when Remote.
+ Serbian. Most Locals can speak English in the cities.
Currency:
Euro
Local Transport
There are bus & train networks in large cities but smaller towns will require a car.
Bathrooms in Montenegro aren't always kept stocked, it's always a good idea to carry wet-ones and/ or sanitary wipes on you.
Hot Tip:
Once inhabited by Illyrians, and slowly annexed by the Roman Empire (between 230BC -9 AD) the region that would one day be Montenegro became part of the Roman province Illyricum. When the Empire split, Slavs migrated to the Balkans in the 6th c. founding regional 🔎principalities, many of which came under Byzantine rule. One of the largest, Duklja, later gained independence as the 🔎Kingdom of Duklja (roughly the southern half of future Montenegro) in the 11th c. After the neighboring Serbian Empire collapse Duklja was absorbed into the Principality of Zeta in the 14th/ 15th c., which is when the name, Montenegro, was first used for the local region.
a bit of background...
........................ Montenegro is famous in Nero Wolfe lore as the homeland of titular Wolfe. (It's long been speculated by fans that Nero was the love child of Sherlock Holmes & Irene Adler from an affair in Montenegro during the time Holmes was presumed dead after the Reichenbach Fall.)
FUN FACT:
In the 16th c. the Ottoman Empire annexed large parts of the region and through the late 18th century, southern Montenegro (former Duklja) was actually ruled by the Venetian Republic🔍, (later incorporated into what would be future Albania.) Montenegro gained semi-autonomy in 1696 as a theocracy and later a secular principality, then briefly becoming a kingdom in 1910 (reunited by this time with the southern territory) until after WWI when it became part of Yugoslavia.
During WWII the 🔎Federal State of Montenegro was founded which then became the People's Republic of Montenegro after the war, renamed the Socialist Republic of Montenegro and then again the Republic of Montenegro - all sub-states🔍 within the Yugoslav Federation - until a nationalism movement in the 1990's fanned the Yugoslav Wars and Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Macedonia all seceded; leaving only Serbia and Montenegro still unified as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY.) In 2006 the federation was peacefully dissolved via referendum and the country again declared independence, as simply Montenegro.
Must Try Local Cuisine:
Kačamak - cornmeal & potato porridge w/ sour milk or yogurt & Kajmak - a traditional Balkan cheese
Njeguši Prosciutto - salted, dried & smoked pig’s legs ∞ Brav u Mlijeku (Lamb in Milk)
Burek - thin, flaky pastry spirals or wedges w/ mincemeat, cheese, mushrooms, spinach or potatoes (breakfast)
Palačinke - thin rolled pancakes filled savories (mushrooms, cheese, ham) or sweets (chocolate, banana, nuts, local jams)
Buzara - seafood in garlic & wine (prawns, clams, squid) ∞ Cevapi - small hand-molded spiced meat skewers
Priganice - Montenegrin fried dough balls w/ yogurt or Rajika†- Balkan fruit spirit (plum, grape or apricot)
➿➰➿
† Also known as rakia, rakiya, rachiu or rakı
I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit
Montenegro
(but it's on the list!) - So I don't have any personal
(If you get there first send me your best finds !)
recommendations yet, but you can start with the most popular spots
below, and I'll update with my favorites, hopefully soon!
Most Known For:
♦️ Niksic - with Lake Krupac (called the “sea” by locals,) the Tsar’s Bridge, Carev Most on the
Zeta River and Crvena Stijena cave in the nearby village Petrovici - (one of Montenegro’s
oldest cultural / historical sites)
🔸 Bay of Kotor (Boka)- Europe’s southernmost fjord, with Our Lady of the Rocks island church
the Blue Cave and historic towns Herceg Novi & Kotor (known for free roaming cats)
♦️ Mt. Lovćen - regions highest point & inspiration for Montenegro's name,) Jezerski Vrh peak
with the Mausoleum of Peter II, (Njegos); world's tallest mausoleum @ 1,660m with 18 kg
of gold & stone caryatides†, Tara River Canyon🔍 in Durmitor National Park & Lake Biograd
in Biogradska Gora National Park home to possibly the most untouched†† forests in Europe
🔸 The 17th c. Monastery of Ostrog - carved in rock by St. Basil high above the Bjelopavlic valley; one of the most
visited shrines of the Christian world
♦️ Sveti Stefan - an islet with luxury celebrity resort on the Budva Riviera (Marilyn Monroe’s favorite European
getaway, and visited by Sophia Loren, Princess Margaret, Liz Taylor, Orson Welles among others) and known
for a 15th-century fortified island
🔸 Coastal towns like Bar; 2,500+ years old, with frescoes, bas-reliefs, & mosaic dating to 5th c. AD and the
Stara Maslina, a 2000-year old olive tree, one of the oldest known in the world. Or
Budva - known for its nightlife, and beaches like Mongren, Slovenska Plaža, Jaz Beach and Becici and
Perast small Venetian waterfront town with the 1691 Sveti Nikola church with 55 m. bell tower
♦️ Podgorica with Stara Varoš (Old Town,) 15th c. Ribnica Fortress. and movie nights, live shows, concerts &
ballets during the Cultural Summer
👀 NOTABLE MONTENEGRIANS:
🔎 Nero Wolfe | Detective*
† Sculpted female figures that serves as architectural support (columns /pillars) with entablature atop the head. - Greek karyatides = maidens of Karyai
in reference to the famous temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis that features these maiden columns @ Karyai
†† It claims that not a single tree has ever been felled * ✏️ Rex Stout | Author (American)
👣
🌀 Bokeljska Noc (August) - traditionally decorated boats and floats competition in Herceg, Montenegro
🌀 Fascinada (July) - 500 year old festival on Our Lady of the Rocks island celebrating the founding of it's Roman
Catholic Church, with 17th c. baroque paintings by Tripo Kokolja; local convoys march accompanied by
cappella singers. Men row boats to the island while women wave from the shore and throw a rocks in the sea.
🌀 Budva Carnival (May) - three-day carnival with costume parties, parades, open air theater shows, puppet
shows, masked balls for kids and international competitions
🌀 Mimosa Festival (March) - celebration of spring and the bright yellow mimosa blossoms where girls march in a
traditional brass band parade on Baosici’s shores, Marina town
Site Key:
Five Star Recommend
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Worth the Effort/ $
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