The attractions of Montenegro: what to see in Montenegro

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In the small territorial extension of Montenegro, the tourist will find many tourist attractions. Along the coast there are historic cities of clear Venetian influence, with medieval fortresses, buildings and churches, and a sea with beautiful beaches. While in the interior of the country you can admire unspoiled nature characterized by mountains, canyons, rivers, and lakes.

The coast of Montenegro, which historically formed the so-called Albania Veneta, is very beautiful, surrounded by mountains that reach almost to the sea, and it becomes really spectacular in the Bay of Kotor, a deep bay dominated by the Dinaric Alps. The whole area of the Bay of Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

THE BAY OF KOTOR (CATTARO)

There are many attractions in Montenegro that overlook the Boka Kotorska. At the mouth of the Bay is the town of Herceg Novi (Castelnuovo di Cattaro) with the remains of massive Venetian fortifications. In front of the narrowest point of the inlet of the Strait lies the beautiful town of Perast (Perasto) famous for being the last place to lover the flag of the Republic of Venice, 23 August 1797, more than three months after the fall of Republic of Venice.

The architectural jewel of the Strait, however, is the city of Kotor (Cattaro), which is located at the south-east of the gulf, located along the coast at the foot of Mount Lovćen (1,749 meters), there are massive Venetian fortifications and beautiful churches, including the magnificent cathedral of St. Tryphon.

THE COAST OF MONTENEGRO

Further south the coast of Montenegro has beautiful beaches and interesting historical towns, now become important seaside resorts, the city of Budva (Budua) is the capital of seaside tourism in the country, characterized by a beautiful medieval old town surrounded by Venetian walls and beautiful beaches such as those of Mogren and Jaz. A little further south is the curious center of Sveti Stefan, built on an island linked to the mainland by a sandy isthmus. The coast continues with a succession of beaches to the border with Albania, between the historical towns to report there are Bar (Antivari), the most important port in the country, and Ulcinj (Dulcigno), with a beautiful old town and several beaches, including the beaches of Ada Bojana and Velika Plaža, the latter the longest beach in Montenegro.

Skadar Lake, located a few tens of kilometers from the coast, and partly belonging to Albania is an important nesting place for birds, the Montenegrin section of the lake is protected as a national park.

THE RUDE AND WILD INTERIOR OF THE COUNTRY

The interior areas of Montenegro have numerous attractions. In particular, the wild northern part is a paradise for nature lovers. These territories are made of contrasts and natural beauty, and are often protected by national parks. There are rugged and wild mountains such as Durmitor, Bjelasica, Sinjajevina, and Ljubišnja.

Along the slopes of these mountains are some well-equipped winter sports centers including Žabljak in the Durmitor National Park, which is the most famous and popular ski resort in Montenegro, and the ski resort of Kolašin in the are of the mountains Sinjajevina, Bjelasica, and the National Park Biogradska Gora. In the Durmitor National Park is also the spectacular canyon formed by the river Tara, one of the deepest canyons in Europe, and among the deepest in the world. In the same area another canyon is formed by the river Piva.

Around the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, are the ruins of Duklja, a Roman city capital of the province Praevalitana. To the west of Podgorica is the historic capital of Montenegro, Cetinje, which was founded in the fifteenth century and has several interesting historic buildings including churches, monasteries and palaces. North of the capital near Kolašin is the important Morača Orthodox monastery dating back to the Middle Ages. To the north-west of Podgorica in a charming location on a cliff is the Orthodox monastery of Ostrog, the most famous place of pilgrimage in the country.

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