Photo Montenegro » Cities

Podgorica

Ivan Stojanovic — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:58:19 +0000

Podgorica (Montenegrin: Podgorica, Подгорица; Lit. “Under the Small Hill.”) is the capital and largest city of Montenegro. It is at 42°28′12″N 19°16′48″E, 44 metres (144 ft) above sea level.
Podgorica’s favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement. The city is close to winter ski centres in the north and seaside resorts on the Adriatic Sea.
A census in 2003 put the city’s population at 136,473. The municipality of Podgorica contains 10.4% of Montenegro’s territory and 27.3% of its population. It is the administrative centre of Montenegro and its economic, cultural and educational focus.
The name Podgorica means “under the Gorica” in the Montenegrin language. Gorica/goritsa (meaning “little mountain”) is the name of the hill that overlooks the city centre.
Some three kilometres (1.9 miles) north-west of Podgorica lie the ruins of Doclea, a town known in Greek, pre-Roman and Roman times. The Roman Emperor Diocletian came from this region. In later centuries, Romans “corrected” the name to Dioclea, guessing wrongly that an “i” had been lost in vulgar speech. “Duklja” is the later (Slavic) version of that word.
When founded (before the 11th century), the town was called Birziminium. In the Middle Ages, it was known as Ribnica. The name Podgorica was used from 1326. From 1946 to 1992, the city was named Titograd in honor of Josip Broz Tito, the former President of Yugoslavia.
Podgorica is at the crossroads of several historically important routes, near the rivers Zeta, Morača, Cijevna, Ribnica, and Sitnica, in the valley of Skadar lake and near the Adriatic Sea, in fertile lowlands with favourable climate. The earliest human settlements were in prehistory: the oldest physical remains are from the late Stone Age. In the Illyrian age, the area between the Zeta and Bjelopavlići valleys was occupied by two Illyrian tribes, the Labeates and the Docleats. 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) northwest of today’s Podgorica and which reflected the local terrain. The population of the city was 8,000-10,000, in which all core urban issues were resolved. The high population density (in an area of about 10 km/6 mi radius) was made possible by the geographical position, favourable climate and economic conditions and by the defensive positions that were of great importance at that time.
From the 5th century, with the arrival of the first Slavic and Avar tribes and the beginning of the break-up of the Roman Empire, the area bore witness to many noteworthy events. With time, the fortifications ceased their function and new towns were built. Slavic groups in the area were in constant war with Byzantium and tended to establish a new state. The result was establishment of a new settlement that was probably named after the river Ribnica on whose banks it was built. The first mention of Ribnica is during the rule of the Serbian royal family of the Nemanjići. The importance of Ribnica was its position as crossroads in communications with the west. In occupying these areas, the Slavs created a new state and developed their own culture and art, acceptable to the mediaeval church and feudal class.
The name Podgorica was first mentioned in 1326 in a court document of the Kotor archives. The city was economically strong: trade routes between Dubrovnik and the State of Nemanjici, well developed at that time, were maintained via the road that led to Podgorica through Trebinje and Nikšić. As a busy crossroads, Podgorica was a vibrant regional centre of trade and communication. This boosted its development, economic power, military strength and strategic importance. The Turkish occupation of Podgorica in 1474 interrupted its economic, cultural and artistic development. The Turks built a large fortress in Podgorica and the existing settlement, with its highly developed merchant connections, became the main defensive and attacking bastion against rebellious tribes. The fortified city, with towers, gates and defensive ramparts, enabled the Turks to resist all attacks. In 1864, Podgorica became a township (kaza) of İşkodra vilayet called Böğürtlen (Turkish “Blackberry”). It was also known Burguriçe in Albanian.
In accordance with the decision of the Berlin Congress in 1878, Podgorica was integrated into Montenegro, marking the end of four centuries of Turkish occupation, and the beginning of a new era in the development of Podgorica and Montenegro. The city developed quickly and became a strong marketplace. The first forms of capital concentration were seen. In 1904, Zetska savings bank, the first significant financial institution, was formed. It would soon grow into Podgorička bank. Roads were built to all neighbouring towns and, in 1902, a tobacco plant became Podgorica’s first significant commercial company.
World War I marked the end of dynamic development for Podgorica, by then the largest city in the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Montenegro. Podgorica was occupied, as was the rest of the country, by Austria-Hungary from 1916 to 1918. After the liberation by the allies in 1918, a controversial Podgorica Assembly was held at Podgorica Tobacco Monopoly building. The assembly marked the end of Montenegrin statehood, as Montenegro was merged with Serbia and incorporated in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Between the two world wars, the population of Podgorica was about 13,000.
Podgorica suffered heavily during World War II; the city was bombed over 70 times throughout the course of the war and razed to the ground, causing the deaths of over 4,100 people. The city was liberated on December 19, 1944.
Under the name of Titograd, the city became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro on 13 July 1946. A period of unprecedented expansion followed, which marked the SFRY era: the population increased dramatically, the city was heavily industrialized, infrastructure was improved, and health, educational, and cultural institutions were founded. The city rapidly became the commercial, socio-economic and cultural centre of the country. The progress halted again when the break-up of SFRY began in the 1990s. The name of Podgorica was reinstated on April 2, 1992.
The destructive Yugoslav wars bypassed Montenegro, but the entire country was greatly affected economically. A period of severe economic stagnation lasted throughout the 1990s. The economy began to recover in the early years of the 21st century, when Podgorica began to emerge as a modern, pro-western city. Following the successful independence referendum in May 2006, Podgorica became the official capital of an independent state, boosting its status as a regional centre and raising its economic prospects.
Podgorica is located in central Montenegro. The area is crossed with rivers and the city itself is only 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Lake Skadar. The Morača and Ribnica rivers flow through the city, while the Zeta, Cijevna, Sitnica and Mareza flow nearby. This richness in bodies of water is a major feature of the city.
In contrast to most of Montenegro, Podgorica lies in a mainly flat area at the northern end of the Zeta plain. The only exceptions are hills which overlook the city. The most significant is Gorica Hill (107 m/351 ft), which rises above the city centre. The other hills include Malo brdo (Little hill), Velje brdo (Big hill), Ljubović and Čardak. In the main, these are too steep for development and thus limit the city’s expansion, especially to the north.
Podgorica’s mixture of architectural styles reflects the turbulent history of the city and country: as one régime replaced another, the corresponding style was introduced.
As part of the Ottoman Empire until 1878, Podgorica has many examples of Turkish architecture. The oldest parts of the city, Stara Varoš (Old town) and Drač are typical of this, with two mosques, a Turkish clock tower and narrow, winding streets.
When the city was incorporated to Montenegro, the urban core shifted to the other bank of the Ribnica River, where the town developed in a more European style: wider streets with an orthogonal layout. This part of the city is today traditionally regarded as city centre, and is called Nova Varoš (New town)
During World War II, Podgorica was almost razed to the ground, being bombed over 70 times. After liberation, rebuilding began as in other cities of the communist-ruled SFRY. Mass residential blocks were erected, with basic design typical of Eastern bloc countries. All that part of the city on the right bank of the Morača River was built this way. Even the empty spaces in the city centre were filled with near-brutalist structures, resulting in an unfortunate fusion of old and new. The residential and business blocks of the SFRY era provided ample housing but have been much criticized for their uninventive and grey appearance.
The main contemporary traffic arteries were laid out during this period, which extended the orthogonal street layout of city center, to the south and west. Residential and infrastructural developments in the SFRY era have mostly shaped the layout of today’s Podgorica, and accommodated the unprecedented population growth that followed World War II.
Newer Podgorica blocks developed in the 2000s.
However, in area surrounding residential blocks, the city expanded in a form of often chaotic urban sprawl, with densely built private lowrise dwellings leaving little space for streets and sidewalks. The trend of sprawling informal settlements was at peak during the 1990s. Efforts have been made since to improve the infrastructure of those settlements, but many problems remain, especially in large lowrise neighbourhoods in north and northeast Podgorica.
A major advance in Podgorica architecture began in the late 1990s and, since then, the face of the city has changed rapidly. Residential and business construction are proceeding rapidly, incorporating contemporary glass-and-steel architectural trends. In an effort to create a recognizable and modern state capital, city officials are routing significant investments in city’s public spaces. Thus, the city has gained entirely new squares, parks and monuments. New landmarks include the Hristovog Vaskrsenja orthodox temple and the Millennium Bridge, the main feature of the Podgorica skyline. Podgorica today is transforming rapidly from a featureless town to a modern European capital.

Wikipedia

Tivat

Ivan Stojanovic — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:50:23 +0000

Tivat is a coastal town in southwest Montenegro, located in the Bay of Kotor. It has a population of 9,467 (2003 census).Tivat is the centre of Tivat municipality (population 13,630), which is the smallest municipality by area in Montenegro.

The origin of the name Tivat supposedly goes back to the 3rd century BC. The celtologists claim that the name “Tivat” comes from the Welsh (Celtic) word Tywod, meaning sand. Documents prove as well that Tivat was an important religious centre in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Monastery of St. Michael the Archangel was the seat of the Orthodox Archbishopric of Zeta.Tivat, the youngest town in the Boka area was established on the spacious plateau at the bottom of Vrmac. According to the archives of Kotor, the following names were mentioned here in the 14th century: Teude, Theode, and Theudo who are related to the queen Teuta. There are not many written traces of the events that happened in this region at the time of Houses of Nemanjić, Balšić, Crnojević, Venice, France, and Austrians.During the Middle Ages the fertile lands of the Tivat area belonged mostly to the aristocrats of Kotor, Prčanj and Dobrota. There were their big properties, castles, and chalets as well as the collective church of St. Anton dating from 1373. Part of this inheritance, which was the property of the wealthy Buča family, is a marvelous chalet which today houses Tivat’s museums and galleries. The residence of the metropolitan of the Zetan diocese was built from the 13th to the 15th century on Prevlaka Island.Tivat (called Teodo in the Venetian language), was under the Republic of Venice as a part of Albania Veneta from 1420 to 1797.

Tivat turned into a town by the end of 19th century when in 1889 the Naval arsenal was built by Austrians, and was later used as a naval military base of Yugoslav People’s Army, military of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and Army of Montenegro.The JNA enjoyed an international reputation as a powerful, well-equipped, and well trained force. The base are also used by Russia and Libya as the technical base for the for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of ships and submarines. The new owner of the naval base, Canadian billionaire Peter Munk, announced that it will build in Tivat luxury marina for mega-yachts “Porto Montenegro “, which the city, he said, turning to “Monaco of southern Adriatic. “

Marina “Porto Montenegro” will definitely become one of the most attractive places in the Mediterranean and position Montenegro as a nautical world-class destination on a global map – said Munk. Marina “Porto Montenegro” will have more than 800 berths. Also, the hotel “Four Seasons” will be built in Tivat. The new hotel will have 300 beds in 150 rooms, and in its part will work and 85 luxury apartments.

Besides being a popular tourist resort for Slavic tourists, Tivat is set to become a nautical tourism centre of southern Adriatic. The inlets near Prevlaka, as well as the localities of Župa and Kalimanj, provide great conditions for the construction of marinas and yachting clubs. Canadian businessman Peter Munk has bought a naval shipyard in Tivat, and intends to transform it in luxury vacation resort and a marina for luxury yachts. In Tivat hinterlands, adjacent to Tivat Airport, golf courses have been planned, further shaping Tivats prospects as a luxury resort.

Beginning from 1971 the Tivat Airport acquired the modern runway and it is now a significant airport for foreign air traffic. It served 573,914 passengers in 2007.

Although it is the youngest town in the Boka region, Tivat has many interesting and attractive destinations. Renaissance Summer House Buca in the centre of city, Ostrvo Cvijeća (Flowers’ Island) with sacred monuments, Gornja Lastva, the old nucleus at an altitude of 300 m (984.25 ft), the magnificent sandy beach at Plavi Horizonti and the Sveti Marko Island with ex-Club Med cottages are the most visited tourist destinations in Tivat area. In the city itself there is the natural port Kalimanj. There is also a choice of cultural events, such as “Bocce Olympiad” and “Summer Fest”.

Tivat boasts a beautiful botanic garden thanks to the Bokan sailors who brought back a wide variety of exotic tree species and ornamental plants from their voyages around the globe.

Wikipedia

Pljevlja

Ivan Stojanovic — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:48:40 +0000

Pljevlja (Cyrillic: Пљевља) is a city and municipality located in the northern part of Montenegro, in the geographical area (43.36° North, 19.36° East). The municipality borders those of Žabljak, Bijelo Polje and Mojkovac in Montenegro, as well as the republics of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. With a total area of 1,346 km2 (520 sq mi), it is the third largest municipality in Montenegro. The city lies at an altitude of 770 m (2,530 ft). The highest point of the municipality is on the Ljubišnja mountain at an altitude of 2,238 m (7,343 ft), while the lowest point is in the canyon of Tara river with an altitude of 529 m (1,736 ft) above sea level. In 2003, the municipality of Pljevlja had a population of 36,918, while the city itself had a population of about 21,000.

Pljevlja is also one of the main economic engines of Montenegro. The only thermal power plant in Montenegro, which provides 45% of the electric power supply for Montenegro, is situated outside Pljevlja as well as the biggest coal mine with 100% of the coal production in Montenegro. Zinc and lead can be found in Šuplja stijena mine. The richest municipality with forest in Montenegro is Pljevlja and its lumber industry. Agriculture is widespread in the whole municipality. Pljevaljski sir (Pljevlja’s cheese, from Пљеваљски сир) is considered a delicacy. There is big potential for ecological and winter tourism.

Wikipedia

Rožaje

Ivan Stojanovic — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:37:21 +0000

Rožaje (Montenegrin: Rožaje/Рожаје), is a town in northeastern Montenegro. It has a population of 9,121 (2003 census.)
Rožaje is the centre of Rožaje municipality, which has a population of 22,693.

The history of Rožaje (Rogaje) goes back to 1571 and 1585 when it was first mentioned. The settlement surrounding the then fort was called Trgovište, which it was called until 1912.
In 1797 the Ganić towers were built in the town, a defensive measurement of the Islamified Kuči (Muslim members of the clan) who supported Ottoman Turkish authority and culture.
Since 1912, it is a part of Montenegro.

Hajla, Zljeb, Mokra gora, Krsatc and Turjak are the mountains that surround Rozaje, located in the valley divided by the river Ibar. This is the most wooded part of the Balkans in far northeast part of Montenegro. The little town, situated at approximately 1,000 meters heighth above sea level, was erected on the place where roads leading from the Lim to Ibar valley intersected and from there these roads were led towards Kosovo on the east and towards Serbia on the north, towards the Zeta and the Scadar valley and towards the warm Adriatic sea on the south. That is why Rozaje has always been the place for rest for numerous trade caravans and different historical migrations.

Wikipedia and http://montenegro.travel

Berane

Ivan Stojanovic — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:54:40 +0000

Berane is the centre of the municipality of the same name (population of 35,068) and one of the centres of Polimlje area, named after the Lim River, on which Berane is situated.During the medieval period the Montenegrin land of Berane was known as Budimlja. The Monastery Đurđevi Stupovi was built by the end of 12th century by Prvoslav, the son of Nemanja’s brother Tihomir. Many monasteries and churches tell the story on the rich holistic life of Serbs in this area. There were seven bishops and nine metropolitans. Literary and painting schools existed in this Monastery. Apart from Đurđevi Stupovi, the second most important monastery in this area was Sudikovo, which was destroyed and burned by the Turks in 1738.
Famous battles occurred from 1825, until 1862, but the most important one was Rudes battle on 7 April 1862, in which the Montenegrin rebels won. Berane was finally liberated from Turks in 1912.
From July 1949 to March 1992, Berane was known as Ivangrad as a tribute to Ivan Milutinović. In 1992, its original name was restored.

Wikipedia

Herceg Novi

Ivan Stojanovic — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:15:57 +0000

Herceg Novi (Cyrilic: Херцег Нови; Italian: Castelnuovo; Greek: Νεοκαστρον, Neòkastron) is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg-Novi municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants. Herceg Novi was known as Castelnuovo (“New castle” in Italian) (1420 – 1797). Herceg Novi has had a turbulent past, despite being one of the youngest settlements on the Adriatic. A history of varied occupations has created a blend of diverse and picturesque architectural style in the city.

Herceg Novi is a major Montenegrin tourist destination. It is well known as a spa and health center; nearby Igalo has an abundance of healing sea mud called “igaljsko blato” (Igalo mud) and mineral water springs called “igaljske slatine” (Igalo water springs). The most famous tourist attractions in Herceg Novi are castle Forte Mare built by the Bosnian king Tvrtko I in 1382, a clock tower built by Austrians in 19th century, the Kanli tower built by Turks, and the Serbian church St. Michael Archangel in central Belavista Square.

Whilst the city itself is not a major destination for sunbathing, with no long sandy beaches along the rest of the Boka Kotorska bay, many beaches are reachable by boat. Tourist companies organise one-day boat trips to Luštica peninsula, which lies opposite to the town. Popular Luštica peninsula beach sites include Žanjic, Mirište and Rose. Herceg Novi accounted for one-third of overnight stays in Montenegro before the Yugoslav wars, but the situation has changed since in favour of Budva, Kotor and other resorts in the northern part of the coast. The biggest issue facing tourism in Herceg Novi is a constant shortage of tap water, which is imported from Croatia. The city’s inability to pay for the water from Konavle results in frequent cut-offs of water and dry taps, especially during the peak of the summer season.

Wikipedia