Black Mountain of the Adriatic Coast

We had been traveling for nearly two weeks down the Adriatic Coast, beginning our adventure in the Croatian capital city of Zagreb, and from there, moving inland to hike through the seven richly hued blue and green lakes of Plitvice National Park, before finally reaching Zadar, the first of many port towns, from where our coastal journey would continue. The western Balkans is another phenomenal region of the world with such a rich and dynamic yet haunting history, due in large part to the war that led to the dissolution of former Yugoslavia. The region was tenuously pinned together under Tito’s Communist rule, and upon his death, the complex ethno-religious frictions that had been brewing for decades erupted into ten long wartime years --- the War in Slovenia in 1991, the Croatian War for Independence from 1991-1995, the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1995, and the Kosovo War  from 1998-1999.  The wars largely pit the Serbs fighting for a Greater Serbia on one side against the Croats and Bosniaks on the other, but these alliances blurred quite often as the wars crossed borders. The wars rose to notoriety as the first classified as genocidal since World War II and with an overall death toll estimated at 140,000.  While physical and psychological remnants of the war were apparent during our travels, varying, of course, from country to country, most individuals we spoke with seemed to prefer to memorialize their heroes while avoiding dwelling on their violent and dark past. From the literal ashes of war, six new countries --- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Serbia --- and two autonomous provinces --- Kosovo and Vojvodino --- became recognized. Reconstruction has come a long way in the form of restorations of the charming Old Towns or ‘Stari Grad’ of the port towns, a revived tourism industry, and flourishing wine countries. And, Montenegro, the smallest of these new nations located on the Balkan Peninsula, has come to be known as the pearl of the Mediterranean.

 
Montenegro is a tiny but gorgeous country sized at 14,000 square kilometers and with a population of an approximate mere 676,000. We started our journey from Dubrovnik in southern Croatia by car, and due to the odd borders established around the new nations, were required to go into Bosnia and back into Croatia before crossing into the official borders of Montenegro. We took a ferry on our way into the country to cross the Kotor Bay, which was absolutely gorgeous. Its edges are lined by the many little towns surrounding the bay, studded with church spires and cathedral domes. We passed through many of these gorgeous little towns, the bay on one side and seemingly black mountains towering on the other, before reaching our base for the three days in-country. Sveti Stefan is a charming town, famous for its namesake island resort connected to the mainland by a guarded isthmus. The island was once a fisherman’s town before it was converted into a high-end retreat frequented by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren. During the war, the island lost its luster as an “Adriatic playground” and was only recently reopened as a part of the luxury Aman Resorts. On our last night in the town, we treated ourselves to a fine dinner at the island’s only restaurant and enjoyed some of the most delicious red wines of the region that accompanied our meal of lamb chops, fig spread with focaccia, cheese-stuffed peppers, and seafood stew. It was divine!

 

 

Sveti Stefan Island

We lost nearly a day of our trip when the rare event of a thunderstorm struck the coast. Our plans to visit the quaint town of Cetinje were scratched as we remained harbored in a traditional Montenegrin restaurant with lit candles, hot chocolate, and all! As the rain subsided by the afternoon, we made our way to the towns of Budva and Kotor. Like all the port towns of the Adriatic coast, these, too, have charming, fortified old towns full of little stores selling trinkets, restaurants in cobblestoned squares, and churches. Kotor was certainly our favorite. Overlooking its port and old town is the Illyrian Fort, lodged and well-camouflaged into the mountainside. It was an impressive architectural feat.

Ancient Venetian Fortifications of Kotor

Door inside the Kotor Stari Grad

Cathedral of Saint Tryphon- Kotor's Landmark

Restored painting from the Cathedral
 

One of many interesting depictions of the crucified Christ

Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Nicolas

 

 

Church of Saint Mary

A local of Kotor

An unusual depiction of la Pieta

Atop the jagged mountains surrounding the coastal towns of Montenegro are several churches, both new and old. As we visited some of these on our final day, we enjoyed some of the most spectacular panoramic views of Sveti Stefan and the Adriatic coast. On our way back to Dubrovnik, we visited the smaller towns of Perast and Risan full of Roman ruins and magnificent villas built by the captains of the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Seven dazzling little islands dot the water of Kotor Bay --- Saint Marco (Sveti Marko), the island of Mamula, the island of Our Lady of the Rock (Gospa od Skrpjela), Saint George (Sveti Djordje), the island of Milosrdja, the island of Flowers (Ostrvo Cveca), and the smallest island of little Mother of God (Mala Gospa). These islands and the Durmitor Mountain give us plenty of reason to revisit this less discovered gem of a country.

 

 

Church of Sveti Sava

A view of the Montenegrin Adriatic Coast

One of many old palaces in Kotor

Boat in the Bay of Kotor

 

 

Our last night in the western Balkans was spent in lovely Dubrovnik but with heavy hearts. We were sad to leave the beautiful Adriatic and the peace and calm that came with it. Upon return to the States, it was back to a reality that hit hard when I awoke the following morning to not find the shining Adriatic Sea outside my bedroom window. ‘til we meet again!

Charming Sveti Stefan