This summer I read in the newspapers that the Montenegrin Railway Company (Željeznica Crne Gore) had purchased three modern trains in Spain and that they would be used on the line from Podgorica to Nikšić. This railway, completed with 760 mm gauge in 1948, was upgraded to standard gauge in 1965. It has been used […]
Podgorica
TREASURES OF THE ZETA RIVER
After a busy day, I feel totally relaxed when I spend an hour or so in Rogami, on the bank of the Zeta river, at a 10 minutes drive from the center of Podgorica. Do you know the meaning of the name “Zeta”? One theory is that it derives from an early root meaning “harvest” […]
PIPERI: HIKING AND BIKING OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Our cottage in Rogami is an excellent starting point for hiking or biking tours to Piperi – the mountainous area that is situated north-east from Podgorica, between the Morača and Zeta rivers. The Piperi clan is one of the seven traditional highland tribes of Montenegro, famous in the Montenegrin history for their courage during the […]
ROGAMI: MY PARADISE ON THE ZETA RIVER
Where have you spent this beautiful sunny weekend? Paul and I have worked very hard these days! In Rogami (Lazi), on the green Zeta river – just 5 km from Podgorica -, we cultivate our “ecological” garden, without any pesticides and chemical fertilizers. After many weeks of heavy rain, it was really time to plant […]
CIJEVNA: THE NIAGARA FALLS IN MONTENEGRO
Did you know that Montenegro has its own Niagara Falls? This beautiful place at a ten minutes drive from Podgorica has been rather unknown among foreign tourists and visitors for a long time, but this picturesque site has lately become more and more popular. During the summer, the inhabitants of Podgorica and surroundings like to […]
BJELOPAVLIĆI: BIKING THROUGH GARBAGE LAND
Our first biking tour this year had to be an easy one, as we needed some training. We decided to make a trip through the Bjelopavlići plain, taking the old road from Podgorica to Danilovgrad and then back along the other side of the Zeta river, passing by the Ždrebaonik monastery and further returning through […]
PODGORICA – MEMORIES OF SNOW
Next week I will finally go home, switching from hot and sunny Australia to grey and rainy Podgorica. Last year it was quite different. I was in Holland in the beginning of February and it was a shock to hear and read in the Dutch newspapers that Montenegro’s capital was brought to a standstill by […]
PODGORICA WALKING TOUR
Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro, is not the most beautiful place in the country, but the city is definitely worth a visit, due to its interesting mix of old and new, its café culture and nightlife and its Mediterranean atmosphere. I have often acted as a guide for my foreign guests and in order to […]
PARKING IN PODGORICA
In Podgorica, traffic is chaotic, the streets are overcrowded and traffic jams are frequent. Pedestrians pass the streets wherever they can and don’t pay regard to the traffic lights (which is quite understandable, as at some places the green light lasts only 10 seconds or so). Drivers do not obey the regulations, jump the red […]
PODGORICA: SHADOWS OF GREY
Prefabricated buildings are perhaps one of the most widespread legacies of communism. Entering or leaving any city from Tirana to St. Petersburg, from Podgorica to Kyev and Odessa, visitors have to make their way through suburbs filled with unattractive grey concrete housing blocks. After World War II, panel factories were built everywhere in the East European […]