Montenegro is a beautiful country, full of colour, warmth and hospitality. Montenegro is one of the former Yugoslavian countries, situated on the shores of Adriatic sea. It could be described as: Mountains, sea, bright colours and warm people.
Myself and my mother travelled to Montenegro in July, one of the hottest months of summer. We chose a winding Bay of Kotor as our home for the next 10 days. I was excited like a little girl, literally glued to the window, when I saw the views of the bay while descending. We stepped out of the airplane into the heat of + 40 C and I knew this is going to be good!
The Bay of Kotor is about 28 km long, cutting through the Dinaric Alps and has a shoreline of 107 km. In other words, you can drive alone the seaside for hours and you will be awarded with the most picturesque views of the turquoise water and lush mountains. If you are visiting Montenegro, rent a car and go explore all these beautiful roads. That was exactly what we did: almost every day we travelled to a new town of Montenegro to learn its history, unravel its beauty and meet new people.
Kotor.
Old town of Kotor have seen action from Roman Empire, Republic of Venice, and both world wars. A walk through the old town of Kotor makes you travel in time. So much happened in this city walls. Well, the town itself and the bay actually are World Heritage sites and protected by UNESCO.
Lovcen Mountains.
Lovcen Mountain views left me speechless. It was was the most special experience of the whole trip. Twisting mountain road brought us to the top of the world 🙂 We went there specifically during the sunset hours to experience it in its full beauty. The road is a bit scary at times, but so worth the ride. There is a zip-slide for adventurous ones on the way as well as a very nice restaurant on the way back to enjoy the sunset meal.
Perast.
Perast is another cosy town of Kotor Bay, famous for close proximity of two islets of Saint Goerge and Our Lady of the Rocks. We visited Perast on the 22 of July in order to witness a beautiful celebration. A string of boats from Perast sailed in procession to the tiny island of Gospa od Škrpjela, or ‘Our Lady of the Rocks’, which sits in the waters of the Bay of Kotor.
The legend goes that, once upon a time, sailors from Perast found a picture of the Virgin Mary and the Christ-child here in 1452. There after, the townsfolk vowed that every time a ship returned safely from a voyage, a new rock would be dropped on the site. Over time, their efforts created this tiny island, and a beautiful church was erected in honour of Our Lady.
Turquoise water.
Adriatic sea has has an amazing colour – a mix of light blue and green. Kotor is a very deep bay, its deepest part is approximately 60 meters. The unique feature of the sea floor is that it gets deep very close to the shore. That is how big ships and cruise liners are able to travel into the bay. Despite its depth, the water is extremely clear, and very inviting. Yummy I would say.
Bosnia and Hercegovina
One day we decided to travel to a neighboring country of Bosnia and Hercegovina. Interesting change of scenery compared to Mediterranean views of Montenegro. Its raw rocky mountain beauty strikes you the moment you pass the border control. We traveled to Trebinje, southernmost town of Hercegovina, located on the shores of Trebisnjica river. Town presented itself as a mixture of old Ottoman, Soviet and Serbian feel.
Montenegro vibes
For a Russian, it was very special to experience the culture and people of Montenegro. Majority of people speak Serbian, which is very similar to the Russian language. We spoke Russian to locals and they replied in Serbian, two different languages, but we understood each other perfectly. It really felt like home. Even the customs officer told me at the border “Russia is sestra (sister) and Montenegro is a bratko (brother)”. People are very friendly and laid back. There is no rush at all, I mean at all.
Jenya Zhivaleva Photigraphy.
Your Foto Story.
Montenegro 2015.
Jenya Zhivaleva Photography - Garden Route. South Africa. 