Overview
Welcome to Montenegro and start your New Year holiday in this beautiful country with a help of Monte Mare Travel. In this 8 days arrangement, visit the most recognizable places and monuments which are on the ’postcards’ of Montenegro in world wide magazines. Enjoy concerts of regional popular stars, beautiful music and New Year atmosphere on the Adriatic coast. Discover Podgorica – Capital of Montenegro and its most famous wineries, Cetinje – Old Royal Capital with its museums and churches, Ostrog – the third most visited place when it is a word about visits in the Christian world, immediately after Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem and the Holy Mountain in Greece. Then, Adriatic coast: Budva – Montenegrin metropolis of tourism, Perast a medieval town, Our Lady of the Rocks island, Kotor – included in the UNESCO list of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, Tivat – luxurious marina so-called ’Montenegrin Monaco’, Saint Stefan – a unique place in the whole world, at the same time an island – city – hotel. Then, Virpazar – old fishing village, Old Bar dating from the 10th century, Old Olive Tree – the oldest olive tree is the oldest tree in Europe, and also one of the oldest trees in the world, Ulcinj and Ada Bojana beach with its traditional fishing restaurants. Enjoy traditional specialties and drinks and don’t miss an opportunity to create unforgettable moments in country of ’black mountains’ and ’azure sea’.
DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITIES:
Podgorica is the main administrative, political, economic, traffic, scientific and educational – cultural center of Montenegro. It offers a wide range of discoveries to the visitors through cultural heritage, archaeological sites, monuments, museums, and through nature in a national park, active holidays, views of canyons, rivers and bridges, as well as enjoyment of traditionally produced food and wine. In Podgorica there is one of the largest and most beautiful vineyards in Europe – ’’13. Jul Plantaže’’, covering 2,300 hectares, and all who visit the ‘’Šipčanik’’ basement have the opportunity to experience the impressive ambient of a unique wine cellar in Europe, enjoying the unforgettable smells and tastes of Montenegro.
Budva dates back 3,450 years ago and is one of the oldest cities on the Adriatic Sea. Budva has a large number of cultural and historical monuments, monasteries and churches that document the historical and social events in the area of the Budvanska Riviera. The most famous part of the city walls is called Citadel and is an interesting tourist attraction. It is also known for its sandy beaches, night life, the area of hotels and restaurants… Budva, also called ‘’Queen of Adriatic’’, is a prestigious destination on the tourist map of Europe and the world.
Perast is located in the heart of Boka Bay, at a distance of 12 km northwest of Kotor. In Perast, remains of the Neolithic culture (dating back to 3500) are found, before the new era, which speaks of its long unique history of long maritime, churches, palaces. Across the coast of Perast, near the coast, there are two beautiful islands that represent the special attraction of the city: Saint George which is natural, and the artificial island of Our Lady of the Rocks.
Kotor – surrounded by impressive city walls, very well preserved and included in the UNESCO list of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Kotor was nominated for the title of the best European destination in 2019, following the results achieved in 2018 at a competition conducted by European Best Destinations – EBD.
Tivat has a reputation as one of the sunniest places in the Bay of Kotor. Since 2011, it is home to one of the largest mariners in this part of the Adriatic Sea – Porto Montenegro – so at any moment you can find hundreds of yachts of different sizes and shapes with their owners from different meridians. Because of it Porto Montenegro is called ‘’Montenegrin Monaco’’.
On the shore of Skadar Lake, as a small place on the same river, there is – Rijeka Crnojevića, known as the Montenegrin Venice. In its vicinity, there are remains of the Obod printing office, where the first Cyrillic book was printed in this part of Europe – in 1494. A particularly appreciated product of this region was dried fish which Italians especially liked due to its uniqueness and perfect taste.
Cetinje – a small city museum with beautiful monuments, promenades and nature under the huge mountain Lovćen. Cetinje is the former capital of Montenegro. It was founded in the 15th century and became the center of Montenegrin life and its culture. This small city, enriched with the greenery and architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries will surely draw your attention at first glance, through a rare combination of nature and culture, museums, art faculties, parks, promenades.
Saint Stefan is a settlement not far from Budva, connected with the land by a narrow landing. It represents a unique place in the whole world, at the same time it is an island – city – hotel. This island is the most luxurious resort in Montenegro and one of the most luxurious on the Adriatic.
It is an inevitable destination for visiting tourists, which is not surprising because in the 1970’s famous such as Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas, Orson Welles, Sylvester Stallone and Elizabeth Taylor stayed here. The famous Italian actress has declared for this place: “… as if I had returned to town from the most beautiful fairy tale of my childhood.” Numerous statesmen, Soviet marshals and writers also stayed in this place.
Winery Mrkan is located in village Rvaši, near Skadar lake, in the region famous of top wines production. The guarantee of Šofranac family wine quality are many recognition and awards on the competitions. Combination of traditional wine production process which is preserved in family heritage and modern methods ensure sustainable quality.
Ostrog Monastery was built in the 17th century. It was founded by the Herzegovinian metropolitan Vasily, who was buried in 1671, and later canonized. St. Vasily Ostroški is known as the Saints Wonder man. Believers of all religions from different parts of the world visit this monastery in large numbers, and for the citizens of Montenegro, it is the greatest sanctuary. The monastery is in third place when it is a word about visits in the Christian world, immediately after Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem and the Holy Mountain in Greece.
Kuči is a name for the area and tribe, one of the mountain tribes that formed the state of Montenegro in the 19th century. This area and tribe is considered unique in the Balkan for the reason that, in peace, people of three religions: Orthodoxy, Catholics and Muslims live here. In the past, the inhabitants of these areas were mainly devoted to cattle breeding and lived semi-nomads way of life, so it is very interesting to visit this region and hear about the customs and history of this mountain tribe. Especially in the hot summer months, this area is ideal for escaping to the clean air and enjoying in peace and quietness, away from the city tussle.
River Cijevna, with a length of 56 km, springs in Albania, below Prokletije. Cijevna also has its own canyon, depth 1200 m, which is called by the local population Colorado. Beside the river and the canyon, visitors are attracted by the exceptional beauty of the Niagara Falls, too.
Ćemovsko field is one of the largest and most beautiful vineyards in Europe. This vineyard occupies an area of about 2,300 hectares, with about 10 million vines of grapevine, both domestic and world-known varieties. It seems incredibly, but even 95% of the vineyard “Ćemovsko field” is picked manually. During the harvest, which lasts from August to the end of September, when more than 2,000 pickers gather, this area really acts as a scene from an epic film.
Virpazar is a small fishing village, located on the road between Podgorica and the Montenegrin coast, at the confluence of the river Crmnica and Orahovica in the lake. In the past, it was a strategically important trading city, but today this place serves as the main gate in the Skadar Lake National Park. It is also recognizable by local wines, which you can taste in family vineyards and cellars in the center and the surrounding area.
Skadar Lake is the largest lake in Montenegro and on the Balkan Peninsula, with an area of 369.7 km² (of which Montenegro has 221.8 and Albania 147.9 km²). The Montenegrin part of the lake with the coast was declared National Park in 1983. The lake has many islands and peninsula with traces of history and valuable cultural heritage: Žabljak (15th century) – the capital of the Crnojević dynasty, Lesendro – fortress on the rock at the lake, the borderline of the Montenegrin army in the era of Njegoš, the fortress Grmožur – the Montenegrin Alcatraz, in the period when Nikola Petrović ruled. The lake has 18 important historical monuments that witness to Montenegrin history from the 11th century to the present. The lake is known for its diversity of flora and fauna. Skadar Lake is a bird’s paradise, it has 264 bird species, and about 90% of them are migratory and of international importance. This is the only pelican habitat in southern Europe. The lake is an ideal location for observing birds because it is the largest bird reserve in Europe.
Bar is a maritime city in Montenegro located in the south of the country, between the Adriatic Sea and the Skadar Lake. It is a city with a large number of cultural events during the summer period, such as concerts, exhibitions, books promotions, children’s festivals, sports tournaments, etc. Harbor Bar is the largest Montenegrin port.
Old Bar is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Its streets are cross-country guides, from Greek colonies to the Middle Ages, the rule of Venetians to the Turkish period and up to the new era.
Near the town, there is a monument of the nature of the Old olive tree, an olive tree between 2,000 and 2,500 years old – the oldest tree in Europe, and also one of the oldest trees in the world.
The Old Town in Ulcinj is one of the oldest architectural and urban units on the Adriatic. For 25 centuries in this “magic stranded ship“, the civilizations have shifted, each of which has left a visible trace even today. Visiting this city, you will experience a special medieval atmosphere through a walk by the picturesque medieval, narrow and winding streets, and a view of duplex and three-story stone houses and decorative elements of the Renaissance and Baroque style, as well as numerous valuable buildings from the Ottoman period.
Ada Bojana is one of the most popular tourist destinations of Montenegro because of its beautiful sandy beach, the most beautiful sunsets and many fish restaurants that serve it in the traditional way. Because of the “good” wind, Ada Bojana is the “capital” of the surfer on the Adriatic and can stand side by side with the Canary Islands, Portugal, or Egypt, where these are the most popular. Far from street noise and city noise, surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation, Ada Bojana beach welcomes guests with new sleeves and new beach views each year, because its coastline is not final, but it is different from year to year.