Boka Kotorska Bay, Montenegro: description, rest, attractions

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

In this article we will talk about a real miracle of nature, which guidebooks call "the southernmost canyon." This is the Bay of Kotor (Montenegro). It is located in the south-west of the country and quite rightly considered its hallmark. In general, the Bay of Kotor is usually defined by superlative epithets. This is the "southernmost fjord", and the most deeply penetrating bay of the Adriatic Sea, and the most convenient harbor in Europe. Much of this is true, but not all. The fact that in the Bay of Kotor you will take your breath away from the opened panorama is pure truth. No wonder UNESCO included this monument of nature in its list. But the fact that this is a fjord is not true from a scientific point of view. Below we will reveal the secret of the emergence of the Boka Kotorska Bay. In the meantime, let's add that this bay is interesting not only for its natural beauties. Its shores are adorned with a whole scattering of ancient towns. And each of them has preserved many historical and cultural attractions.

Geography and etymology

The name of the bay was given by the Venetians. "Boccha" in Italian means "mouth, throat". BUTsince the city of Kotor is located in its very depths, then the whole natural formation began to bear the name Bocche di Cattaro. The Slavic tribes who arrived here, settled on the shores of the bay, even began to distinguish themselves as a separate nationality - the Bokelians. For a long time it was believed that the bay is a fjord. But how could it have arisen in Southern Europe? After all, there are no other forms of relief formed by letniki. It turned out that this bay is actually not a fjord, but a river canyon. As a result of the movement of tectonic plates, the mouth of the water stream sank and was flooded by the sea. And so it happened that under the southern sun of the Adriatic there is a completely “Scandinavian” landscape. The so-called fjord, bizarrely curving, cuts deep into the mainland for thirty kilometers. The width of the Bay of Kotor at the entrance to the “throat” is 3 km, and at its narrowest point (the Verige Strait, where the Vrmac peninsula separates the Tivat Bay from the deep part) is only three hundred meters.

History

Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro) is known not only for its natural beauties. Lovers of antiquity will satisfy their passion here - after all, the shores of a river canyon immersed in the sea are covered with cities - one more ancient than the other. The first to appear in the annals is Rhizonicus Sinus - the current Risan. This city was founded by the Illyrians in 229 BC. Sixty years later it was occupied by Rome. The city of Askrivium (in other sources Askruvium) was first mentioned in 168 BC. Now it is Kotor. It quickly became the dominant of the entire string of settlements. Therefore, he gaveThe name of the entire bay is Boca di Cattaro. Already in the early Middle Ages, in 535, a fortress was built here by Emperor Justinian. However, the powerful walls did not save Askrivium from subsequent conquests. He visited the First Bulgarian Kingdom, Serbia, Bosnia, the Kingdom of Hungary, until he came under the rule of the Venetian Republic in 1420. For one hundred and twenty years, Kotor was under the yoke of the Ottoman Empire, after which it went to the Habsburgs, then to Italy, then to the possessions of France captured by Napoleon. Since 1815, Kotor with a bay was part of the Dalmatian kingdom as part of Austria-Hungary. Having been part of Yugoslavia, this area was ceded to the independent Republic of Montenegro.

How to get to the Bay of Kotor

It will be most convenient to get to the main city of the “southernmost fjord”. Kotor is located just seven kilometers from Tivat with its international airport. Comfortable buses depart from Budva and other coastal resorts in Montenegro. Travel time - half an hour, travel - about three euros. The bus station is located a five-minute leisurely walk from the old part of Kotor. But if you want to see the "fjord" in all its glory, take the risk of driving from Cetinje to Trinity along the P1 mountain road or along the serpentine in the direction of Niguše. The same stunningly beautiful Boka Kotorska Bay will appear before you if you make a sea excursion on a boat or yacht. The first (if moving from the Adriatic Sea) will be Herceg Novi Bay. Then there will be a narrow channel, because of which the bay andreceived the name "throat". Next, the Tivat Bay will open to admiring eyes on the right. This is followed by the passage of the narrowest place - three hundred meters wide of the Verige Strait. And already behind it two bays are shown - Risan and Kotor.

Bay of Kotor: recreation

Completely different categories of tourists come here. Surprisingly, in the Bay of Kotor there is something to do for both avid divers and lovers of excursions. And families with children will be comfortable here. Indeed, in a deep, crashing into the coast for thirty kilometers, there are no storms in the bay. There are no strong dangerous currents here either. The banks of the former river canyon go vertically into the depths. But there are also wonderful beaches of the Bay of Kotor, where you can comfortably swim and sunbathe. There are especially many such coasts in the vicinity of Tivat and Herceg Novi. There are excellent sandy and pebble beaches. It should be noted that oyster farms also use calm water without strong currents. If you see bright orange buoys close to the shore, know that there is a restaurant nearby where you will be served the freshest seafood. Some places in the Bay of Kotor, such as Igalo and Prcanj, are famous as balneological resorts.

Montenegro, Kotor Bay Hotels

Where to stay to fully enjoy your holiday in the bay? Tourists have a wide choice. There are especially many hotels in the largest city on the banks of the Boka - Herceg Novi. Tivat is the second largest settlement in the Bay of Kotor. But this city, despite its antiquity, was built up during the time of the Socialist RepublicYugoslavia. Kotor has the Old Town, where hotels are very expensive, and the New Town, where you can find accommodation for every taste, including on the front page. The Bay of Kotor is also attractive for tourists with small towns bearing the stamp of Venetian buildings. In Perast, Risan, Prcanj and other small towns in Boka, hotels occupy historic buildings.

Things to do on vacation

It would be a crime (primarily against yourself) if you devote your entire vacation to mindlessly lying on the beach. The Bay of Kotor gives tourists an unforgettable experience. Several dozen ships of different eras have found peace in its bowels, which gives an incentive for divers to dive. And those who have not mastered scuba diving can go on an excursion to various islands. Each of them - St. Marko and St. George, Mamula, Gospa od Milo and Gospa od Shkrpela - is of particular interest to tourists. On the shores and islands of the Boka Kotorska Bay there are ancient Catholic and Orthodox churches and monasteries. Some of them are pilgrimage sites. Of the main shrines, it is impossible not to mention the Savina Monastery in Herceg Novi and the Church of St. Tryphon in Kotor.

Vintage Kotor

Now let's study the towns that are located along the shores of the bay. Let's start with Kotor. The old city perched on the slope of Mount Lovcen, at the very end of the "throat". When an earthquake occurred in 1979 that caused great damage to Kotor, UNESCO took it under its auspices. "Bride of the Adriatic" (alsocall this city) are still surrounded by walls. You can get into Old Kotor through the gates: Gurdich, River or Sea. Cobbled streets resemble a labyrinth, and numerous winged lions on the facades of houses remind that the city was part of the Venetian Republic for many years. The main tourist attraction is the fortress of St. John. It dominates the city, and from it the whole Boka-Kotor Bay opens up in full view. Excursion to the fortress is paid. In addition, it will be necessary to overcome one thousand four hundred steps. Other sights of the city include the Cathedral of Tryphon, the Church of St. Luke, the Clock Tower, the pillory and the Maritime Museum.

Herceg Novi

The Bay of Kotor opens from this "City of a Thousand Steps". The name is not accidental. Herceg Novi is located on a mountain, and most of its streets are rather steep stairs. Another colorful and well-aimed epithet of the city is the “Botanical Garden of Montenegro”. Herceg Novi earned this name by the fact that at one time the sailors planted here many exotic plants from all over the world. In the center of the old city, you can see as many as three defensive fortresses, as well as churches and a clock tower built by the Turks. In the resort village of Igalo, which is located seven kilometers from Herceg Novi, there is a medical center where people are treated with mud and mineral water. Because of him, the glory of the balneological resort passed to Herceg Novi. On the other outskirts of the city, in Melina, guidebooks advise visiting the Savvino Monastery.

Perast

This little old town looks like a toy. Colorful houses clung to the hill on the shore of the bay. In the troubled era of wars, the peace of the inhabitants of Perast was guarded by the citadel of the Holy Cross. The inhabitants of the Boka Kotorska Bay adopted the fashion for tall bell towers from the Italians. Each city wanted its "companion" to be a champion. In the seventeenth century, Perast became a leader among the settlements on the Adriatic. The height of the local bell tower is fifty-five meters. You should climb to its top to see how far below the Bay of Kotor shimmers with all shades of blue. Not far from Perast, there are two islands: a natural one, with the Benedictine monastery of St. George, and an artificial one, called "Theotokos on the Reef".

Prcanj

Opposite Kotor across the bay is a former fishing village. The whole history of Prcanj is somehow connected with the sea. There was a naval school, a forge of personnel supplying young captains. One of its graduates, Ivo Vizin, was the sixth person to circumnavigate the world (in the mid-nineteenth century, on the Splendido). In Prcanj there is a mysterious church, which Boka Kotorska Bay is famous for. It was built for one hundred and twenty years: they started under the Venetians, and were completed under Austro-Hungarian rule. The Catholic temple dedicated to the Mother of God is located next to another, of the same Roman confession. Who needed to build this cathedral? There is an opinion that this temple was built by order of the Knights of M alta.

Tivat

This city has an international airport where charter flights land. There are also many trendy shops, restaurants with European, Mediterranean and Asian cuisine in Tivat. Since the city has a yacht port, it is easy to rent luxury apartments here. But the main attractions of the Bay of Kotor, which are located in Tivat, is the Arsenal Naval Museum. There you can see exhibits from the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and socialist Yugoslavia. There are two submarines on the territory of the museum. You can continue the tour to the largest of them - "Hero". Tivat is also famous for the landscapes of the Cote d'Azur. It seems that you are not in Montenegro, but on the Riviera of Nice or Cannes.