The fertile Bjelopavlići plain or Zeta river valley does not offer major tourist attractions. Yet, those travelers interested in exploring this beautiful region in Central Montenegro will be pleasantly surprised: this is where they can discover the beauties of the emerald green Zeta river meandering through the valley, old Turkish bridges, small water power plants, […]
Author: Marianne van Twillert
GRAFFITI IN PODGORICA: STREET ART OR VANDALISM?
When you live in Podgorica, you have certainly seen many scrawled messages and mural paintings in bright colors that “decorate” buildings, bridges, monuments and train cars. You may have even heard it by different names. Graffiti. Murals. Street art. Vandalism. Tagging. What is it and when did it start? The first drawings on walls appeared […]
SUPERSTITIONS IN MONTENEGRO
All nations in the world have certain folk beliefs and superstitions in their traditions and culture. Many of them have been passed from generation to generation. This is certainly true for the Balkans, including Montenegro. Of course, I don’t want to say that there are no superstitions in the Netherlands: Dutchies will not walk under […]
THE BARREN BEAUTY OF LANZAROTE
One of the Canary Islands that is visited all-year round by sun-starved tourists from Western and Northern Europe is Lanzarote. With a population of 132,000 and a surface of 810 square kilometers, it attracts around 1.5 million visitors annually. The barren beauty of Lanzarote is certainly unconventional: a series of volcanic eruptions rocked the island […]
THE MYSTERIOUS CEMETERY OF VUKSANLEKAJ, TUZI
Although I have spent most of my life in Montenegro and I have crisscrossed it numerous times, it is obvious that there are still many things to discover. A friend from Shkodra gave us a precious tip: he told us about a mysterious cemetery with amazing old tombstones in the village of Vuksanlekaj, near Tuzi, […]
DECEMBER IN MILANO
Since some European low-cost carriers have introduced flights to Podgorica airport and several travel agencies organize city trips to different countries in Europe, it is much easier and cheaper to travel from Montenegro. Among many possibilities, we booked 4 days to Milan, i.e. Milano, with a direct Wizz Air flight and a two-star hotel in […]
THE FORGOTTEN TURKISH FORTRESS OF VELJE BRDO, PODGORICA
Many unknown historical sites can be found in the central part of Montenegro, in particular in the area around Podgorica. Surprisingly, most of them are abandoned and forgotten. Even the local population is not aware of their cultural and historical significance. I have already written posts about Doclea (Duklja), about the fortresses of Medun, Spuž […]
THE NEW KELMEND ROAD (SH20) IN ALBANIA
A few days ago I read in the media that the new road from the Montenegrin/Albanian border (Božaj/Hani i Hotit) to Vermosh (Grnčar) through the Kelmend region was opened. No breaking news for Montenegrin media – the information was originally provided by Ul Info. They pointed at the fact that the 70 km long road (cost: […]
7 THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT MISS IN SHKODRA
I visited Shkodra for the first time in the nineties of the last century. At that time, after the death of dictator Enver Hoxha, it was a rather dirty, poor and neglected town with numerous dilapidated communist buildings. There were only a few cars around, but the streets were full of bicycles and horse or […]
A DAY TRIP AROUND SKADAR LAKE
Do you have an adventurous spirit? Can you cope with narrow, winding and steep roads, without protection rails? And are you sure that you don’t have fear of heights? If yes, it will be a fascinating experience to make a day trip around Skadar Lake. Starting from Podgorica, this tour is 157 km long, but… […]