Every country is beautiful in its own way, but some are simply more beautiful.
Homdor has the fortune of being within the stunning Bay of Kotor, on the Adriatic coast, in a diversely beautiful country of Montenegro.
Homdor Radovići Montenegro Luštica Bay Porto Montenegro Krtoli Tivat Kotor Adriatic Sea Beauty Lovćen Bay of Kotor
Maginario
Guardians of Genius, Explorers of Experience, Nurturers of Nature
| Language: English | Jezik: Naš | Sprache: Deutsch |
Boka
The stunning Bay of Kotor
Boka is what the locals call it. It is short for Boka Kotorska, and it is magnificent.
The Bay of Kotor is the southernmost part of the Dalmatia region. One of its loveliest features are its islands, or islets, many of which house old churches and monasteries. Another, the medieval towns & fortifications.
People from Boka are called Bokelj (masculine) or Bokeljka (feminine).
"Close to Kotor and Perast live free peoples who are called black mountaineers [Montenegrans]. Those people profess the Christian faith and speak Slavonic. There are many of them and they serve no one; at times they turn against the Turks, and at times they fight the Venetians."
June 13 1698, Count Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy, The Travel Diary of Peter Tolstoi ...
June 13 1698, Count Pyotr Andreyevich Tolstoy, The Travel Diary of Peter Tolstoi ...
Porto Montenegro
The luxury yacht marina & nautical "village" is part of the coastal town Tivat, south of mount Vrmac.
Luštica Bay
A recent development on the Luštica peninsula offering a marina, a resort, and luxury residences.
Tivat
A coastal town with countless cafés, restaurants, and bars.
Tivat is not only home to Porto Montenegro, but also the main administrative center for this area.
Bjelila
In the olden days, a place for the settlers, who lived in more protected parts, to keep their boats and wine barrels in their konobas. Nowadays, a quaint village with a mulo and an old beacon.
Nature Park Orjen
Northwest of Risan begins the Dinaric mountain range Orjen, with the highest peak of 1,895 m or 6,217 ft. There are several hiking trails. On the outskirts, Crkvice, the wettest inhabited place of Europe.
Our Lady of the Rocks
(Gospa od Škrpjela)
Otok
(Ostrvo Otok / Island)
With a monastery Our Lady of Grace (Gospa od Milosti), also known as Our Lady of Mercy upon it, this is one of three islands in a series, located near Tivat, in the Bay of Kotor.
Island of Flowers
(Ostrvo cvijeća)
Also known as Miholjska Prevlaka or Island of St. Archangel Michael (Ostrvo Sveti Mihailo)
Positioned near Tivat, the Island of Flowers is connected with the mainland by a narrow isthmus.
Stradioti
(Ostrvo Sveti Marko)
The name stems from the time, when Boka was part of the Republic of Venice.
Stradioti were the light cavalry
mercenary unit of the Venetian army.
Mamula fort
(Lastavica)
Right at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, close to Žanjice, is one of Montenegro's UNESCO World Heritage Sites: The uninhabited islet with a 19thc. fort & a WWII prison was converted into a luxury hotel, and has been that since 2016.
Žanjice beach
At the tip of Luštica, open towards the Adriatic sea, are the spectacular waters of Žanjice beach.
Risan
Risan traces its origins to the ancient settlement of Rhizon, the capital of the Illyrian kingdom. It is the oldest settlement in Boka (the Bay of Kotor).
Island of Saint George
(Ostrvo Sveti Đorđe)
Kotor
To say that Kotor is an old town is an understatement. It has been settled for more than two millennia! It was populated by Illyrians, Ancient Romans, Venitians, and others, and fortified since the early Middle Ages. Kotor is a double Unesco World Heritage Site.
Entering the old town and traversing its winding paths, colorful with shops, cafés, and merchants, one almost feels transposed to another time, though the modern amenities throughout somewhat "ruin" the absoluteness of that effect.
Budva
Budva is an old town which dates back to the times of Ancient Greece and Rome. The old "city" is still there today, just that it is meanwhile surrounded by buildings which do not look as if they were the original inspiration for a medieval real-time strategy game. One could say that time has simply caught up with it. Today, Budva is better known for a diverse nightlife, and beaches.
Though not part of the Bay of Kotor, Budva is close enough to be considered family, or part of the coastal unit. It is roughly 24 km away from Tivat, 23km from Kotor, and 26km from Luštica Bay.
Herceg Novi
Known as Castelnuovo in Italian, Neòkastron in Greek, or Kala-i Novi in Turkish, they all mean New Castle. Having been founded in the 14th century makes Herceg Novi one of the youngest settlements in Boka.
These days, along with Tivat and Kotor, it is one of the hotspots for concerts and events in the bay area.
Montenegro
Diverse, Wild & Ancient - the no-longer-so-secret jewel of the Adriatic
A small country of roughly 630.000 inhabitants with much to see. By car, everything is just a couple of hours away!
Montenegro is a strangely beautiful mixture of untamed nature and luxury hotspots. Things exist here that no longer exist elsewhere! Or rarely exist elsewhere... Wherever there are people, untamed nature can turn into neglect. That's when the organized tourist-oriented mindset can surprise, seeming almost beneficial, as it transforms neglect into something neatly designed and enjoyable. However, Montenegro still has the other kind too: untamed nature which has managed to remain pristine.
From our point of view, that is worth more than all the gold in this world.
Plavi Horizonti Beach
An old photo of Plavi Horizonti or Pržina
Just a few minutes walk from Radovići and Homdor, towards the open sea, is the sandy beach of Plavi Horizonti. "Blue Horizons." It is also known as Pržina.
Sveti Stefan
Sveti Stefan is a small island, now connected to the mainland by a tombolo, and a small town of 364 inhabitants in Budva Municipality, approximately 6 kilometres southeast of Budva.
Tara River Canyon
The largest and deepest river gorge of Europe
The Tara canyon, which is part of the Durmitor National Park is blissfully pristine - even today! The upper parts of the canyon are only accessible by hiking or rafting.
Lovćen
Lovćen is a mountain and a national park, with hiking trails and panoramic views. It is also the origin of the names Montenegro and Crna Gora. Both mean "Black Mountain", and refer to Mount Lovćen, which has two imposing peaks: Štirovnik of 1,749 m or 5,738 feet and Jezerski vrh of 1,657 m or 5,436 feet.
Njegoš Mausoleum at the top of Lovćen
The most important monument of the Lovćen national park is the Mausoleum of Njegoš (1813-1851), the Prince-Bishop of Montenegro, and renowned poet and philosopher.
Portrait of Petar II Petrović-Njegoš
by Johann Böss
The burial place at the summit of Jezerski vrh was chosen by Njegoš himself. It was his last wish.
- "Kome zakon leži u topuzu,
tragovi mu smrde nečovještvom." - "Whosesoever law lays in the mace,
his tracks stink of inhumanity."
Kolašin
In the northern part of Montenegro, there are plenty of skiing opportunities, such as in Kolašin, which is known for its beauty in various seasons.
Lipa Cave (Lipska pećina)
Close to Cetinje, the cave starts by the Lipa settlement (hence the name). Lipa Cave is one of the largest caves of Montenegro, with passages, halls, and an underground river.
Mrtvica Canyon
The water of the Mrtvica river is said to be perfectly clean, and drinkable.
Walking along the canyon, through a moss covered forest, one gets to a natural rock formation known as the Gate of Wishes.
Skadar Lake National Park
Skadar is the largest lake in Southern Europe with fresh water sources at the lake bottom. The Montenegrin part of the lake and its surroundings are a national park. Skadar is said to be an ancient lake. That means, it has consistently carried water for more than one million years.
One of the largest bird reserves
in all of Europe!
With over 270 species of birds living on Skadar lake, it has the status of an internationally significant place for birdlife (IBA).
Durmitor National Park
"The UNESCO-designated Durmitor National Park is a “world heritage of mankind” within the Biosphere Resource Network. The park covers about 39,000 hectares and includes the entire Durmitor Massif, with an average altitude of 1,500 metres and includes 48 mountain peaks over 2,000 metres high. The highest peak is Bobotov Kuk, which reaches 2,523 metres. There are also 13 glacial cirques, 18 glacial lakes, three canyons: the Susica, Komarnica, and the Tara, which is the second longest canyon in the world."
Source: Via Dinarica AllianceBlack Lake, Žabljak
Black Lake (Crno Jezero) is a glacial lake on Mount Durmitor, at an elevation of 1,416 m. Surrounded by a walking path, it actually consists of two lakes (Big Lake & Little Lake), filled by numerous mountain streams. In the summer, the narrow strait between them dries up, revealing the two separate bodies of water.
The town Žabljak is 3km away, so well within walking distance. Directly at the lake, there is only a single restaurant, serving traditional Montenegrin dishes.
Other noteworthy lakes: Trnovačko Lake, Lake Biograd, Lake Piva, and the aforementioned Skadar.
Prokletije National Park
Montenegro's breathtaking natural border
In the country's east, bordering on Albania and Kosovo are the Accursed Mountains or Prokletije. Over 20 of its summits rise beyond 2500 meters above sea level. One of them, Zla Kolata, is the highest peak of Montenegro.
Via Dinarica
A Mega Hiking Trail Across the Western Balkans
Via Dinarica consists of three hiking trails connecting the following countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. The White Trail, which is the main route in Via Dinarica and the Blue Trail, which focuses more on the coast of the Adriatic sea, traverse Montenegro.
Photo references
Bjelila via [montenegrogirl.com], Boka, 2nd via [pmyc.portomontenegro.com], Luštica Bay via [lusticabay.com], Porto Montenegro via [smartmontenegro.com], Prokletije via [www.chasingthedonkey.com], Tivat via [www.getyourguide.com], Via Dinarica via [www.lonelyplanet.com], Žanjice via [www.bastabalkana.com]