Montenegro#
by Sergey Semenov,
member of the AirPano Team that is a member of the global-geography Consortium.
13 July 2012
with kind permission of AirPano
We would like to express our gratitude to yacht club Porto Montenegro for help in creating of this tour. Porto Montenegro is a biggest Mediterranean yacht club located in the town of Tivat. With the sea on our doorstep and architecture that mirrors the nearby Venetian towns of Kotor and Perast, Porto Montenegro melds a spectacular destination with a world-class marina and services. It features 185 secure berths ranging from 12 to 150 metres, with a further 185 in planning — more than 50 of which will be dedicated to yachts over 45 meters.
Montenegro is located in the southwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula and is often called the gem of the Adriatic. It is a unique country with blue ocean, well maintained sandy and pebble beaches, most beautiful nature, and cleanest air.
Wild nature of Montenegro coexists in harmony with small towns, resorts, and monuments of ancient architecture. Resorts in Montenegro are mainly located on the Adriatic shore.
The coast of Montenegro is a narrow 2-10 kilometers wide strip between the sea and high steep mountains. Climate of Montenegro is very different from other three regions of the country. It can be considered a typical Mediterranean climate. One of Montenegro's famous landmarks is the Bay of Kotor, which is more than 20 km in length. Bay of Kotor, also known as Boka Kotorska, is the largest Adriatic bay between Montenegro and Croatia. The Bay of Kotor is sometimes called Europe's southernmost fjord, but it is not exactly correct: according to the latest studies the bay is, in fact, an inlet formed by a partial submergence of a river valley.
City of Kotor is one of the main historical landmarks of the region. Roman Empire had been present here since 3rd century BC. During Byzantian period the town was fortified with impressive city walls, which stretch 4.5 km along the shoreline of the Kotor Bay. Kotor Fortress rightfully takes its place in the UNESCO world heritage list. Four centuries of Venetian period gave the city its typical Venetian look, and Venetian influence remains predominant in the city architecture.
A small town of Perast is yet another historical center of Montenegro. Numerous palaces, churches, fortresses, and fortifications were built in Perast between 1420 and 1797. Most of them are preserved to this day. Seafaring was also actively developing during this period.
There are two small islands near Perast. One of them is called St. George — the island with a picturesque Benedictine abbey built in the center. There is another island located 115 meters northeast of St. George Island. It is called Gospa od Škrpjela. It is, perhaps, the only man-made island in the Adriatic. The island was built on the reef, where in 1492 two Venetian sailors from Perast found the icon of Madonna and Child. According to the legend, the icon cured one of them from his illness. At first, the islet was so small that one could hardly see it above the water. However, over 200 years local people sank old and seized pirate ships around it. Furthermore, there was a law, which obliged every passing ship to throw a rock near the islet. Over time, the small islet grew into a plateau with an area of 3030 square meters, on which the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks was built.
Every year thousands of tourists visit historic places on the shore of the Adriatic Sea. We invite you to join our virtual tour right now to see main tourist attractions of the Bay of Kotor from a bird's eye view.