Kučke Planine or Žijovo, the mountains of Kučka Krajina that are situated north-east from Podgorica, are becoming more and more attractive for hikers, mountaineers, botanists and other nature lovers, in particular those who want to visit pure and undiscovered areas. Most of the area is a magnificent mixture of wild karst and glacier soil, decorated […]
Author: Marianne van Twillert
SKOPJE, PLAN 2014: A HISTORICAL REMAKE OR A KITSCHY THEME PARK?
Three years ago I visited Skopje. At that time, many people were talking about „Plan 2014“, initiated by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. It was the government’s intention to redevelop the existing city center to include around 20 neo-classical and baroque buildings on the banks of the Vardar River, as well as over 40 monuments and […]
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA: BLAGAJ, THE DERVISH HOUSE ON THE BUNA RIVER
On our last trip through Bosnia and Herzegovina we visited Blagaj, a small kasaba (village-town) 12 km south of Mostar that has now become popular as one of the main tourist attractions of Herzegovina, first of all due to its position at the spring of the Buna River and its historical tekke (Dervish monastery). Approaching […]
AMAZING FOČA (B&H): FROM SAND PYRAMIDS TO SUTJESKA NATIONAL PARK
On our last camper trip to Bosnia & Herzegovina we spent a night in Camp Drina near Foča. Branko, the friendly owner of this beautiful camping site on the bank of the Drina river, prepared an excellent meal (grilled trout) and gave us a lot of information about the surroundings. His friend Sića, a certified mountain guide, […]
MEDUN: A MEDIEVAL FORTRESS AND A MEMORIAL MUSEUM
During one of our day trips in the surroundings of Podgorica we visited an interesting historical village in the hills of Kučka Krajina: Medun, located at a distance of 13 km from the capital city. The Illyrian tribe of the Labeates that lived around Skadar Lake built a castle here between the 4th and 3th […]
KUČKA KORITA: THE PATROL PATH TO GRLO SOKOLOVO
A trip through the Kučka Krajina mountains is always a special experience. This region, close to Podgorica but also close to the Albanian border, is rather unknown among tourists, although it offers many hidden surprises. This time we decided to make a walk along the former patrol path of the border guards in Kučka Korita, a […]
OLD MONTENEGRO: A ROUND TRIP THROUGH LJEŠANSKA NAHIJA
If you are interested in discovering Old Montenegro – the territory of the Principality of Montenegro as recognized by the Berlin Congress in 1878 – I would like to recommend you to make a round trip through one of its four typical areas or “nahije”, Lješanska nahija. We made the tour on a sunny day […]
ŽUPA NIKŠIĆKA: ROAMING AROUND THE LUKAVICA PLATEAU
It is always a challenge for me to visit the hidden secrets of Montenegro, places that are still unknown to foreign tourists and even to many Montenegrins. One of such places is the Lukavica plateau, famous for its 380 water springs. With the impressive mountain tops of Veliki Žurim (2036 m above sea level) and […]
THE OLD TOWN MARKET IN KOTOR
Spring is in the air and the Saturday market in Kotor has become a paradise for slow food fans. The market stalls outside the town walls are made of stone and the Venetian lion – a magnificent stone relief on the city wall – is watching over the vendors, who have not only come from […]
LOOKING FOR WILD ORCHIDS IN MONTENEGRO
For me, spring is the most beautiful season in Montenegro. Being a nature lover, I really enjoy seeing meadows filled with wildflowers and delicate wild orchids along the hiking trails. A few years ago I discovered the incredible beauty of orchids and I became more and more focused on photographing and identifying individual species. And […]