After having spent Christmas and New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands, we were eager to celebrate another Christmas in “our” city, Podgorica. The Orthodox Church still uses the old “Julian” Calendar, which means that Christmas Eve – in Montenegro called Badnji Dan – is on January 6th and Christmas Day (Božić) on January 7th. […]
Podgorica
PODGORICA: IMPRESSIONS OF BLOK 5
In my opinion, Blok Pet (Blok 5) is one of the most fascinating districts of Podgorica. I like to walk around there and ask myself how could this neighborhood be restored and rehabilitated, painted and decorated, how could it be cleaned up and become a nice place for living again, as it was thirty years […]
PODGORICA WALKING TOUR II: TRANSFORMERS DEFENDING PODGORICA
Some people say that Podgorica is boring and unattractive. I don’t agree! But it‘s true: Podgorica got a new face last summer, which makes it much more interesting, not only for tourists but also for local inhabitants! In July, an environmental exhibition of sculptures made by Danilo Baletić (22) was set up, within the “Podgorica […]
DOCLEA (DUKLJA), MONTENEGRO’S FOREMOST ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
The ruins of Doclea or Duklja, near Podgorica, have always fascinated me. I have been there many times and I was often disappointed to see that the place was neglected, full of litter, with a flock of grazing sheep as only visitors. I also found it a pity that the railroad to Nikšić crosses the […]
YUGO-NOSTALGIA
Starting from February 1st, a very interesting exhibition with the title “Long Live Life” (“Živio život”) has been organized in the shopping mall of Delta City, which shows how life looked like in Yugoslavia in the period between 1950 and 1990, through every-day life of ordinary people. Last year this exhibition could be seen in […]
PODGORICA: THE NICKNAMES OF RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
When I take a taxi downtown to go home, I never mention my exact street address. I just say: „Preko Morače (across the Morača river), Vektra building, in front of the CKB bank“. The taxi driver does not ask any questions, for him – and for many other inhabitants of Podgorica – this is a […]
WAR MONUMENTS IN MONTENEGRO
The former Yugoslavia is dotted with monuments that were built in Tito’s spirit. So is Montenegro. Many friends and relatives from the Netherlands have asked me about the meaning of numerous concrete ‘forks’, ‘wings’, ‘stars’ or social-realistic sculptures they have seen. Can you believe that there are 1,700 war memorials, monuments and memorial plaques in […]
GRAHOVO, WITNESS OF A TURBULENT PAST
Traveling from Podgorica (or Nikšić) to the Bay of Kotor has become much easier by the new highway Žabljak-Risan. The road has been under construction for a long time, but now it is an excellent highway passing through untouched nature, crossing the Grahovo plain (Grahovsko polje) and winding down towards the Bay of Boka Kotorska, […]
PODGORICA’S NEW LANDMARK: THE CATHEDRAL OF THE RESURRECTION
I have visited the new Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ several times while it was still under construction, but I could not believe my eyes when I saw the ceremony of its consecration on TV, on October 7th. The beauty of the interior seemed to be enhanced by the mystic atmosphere of the ceremony […]
PODGORICA BY NIGHT
Some people will tell you that Podgorica is the most boring capital of Europe. That it does not have significant churches, museums or sights of note. That it mainly consists of uninventive and grey residential blocks with basic design typical of the countries of Eastern Europe. And finally, that it is dirty and chaotic. But […]