KOTOR, THE FORGOTTEN FAIRY LAND...
Kotor (Montenegro) is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world and is recognized by UNESCO as a heritage of humanity.
FOR THREE DAYS, MY SMALL WHITE CAR WANDERED ON AN ETHEREAL ROAD LIKE IN A FAIRYTALE, ALONG THE COASTLINE OF A CALM INLET, DEEPLY LOCATED AT THE FOOT OF ROCKY MOUNTAINS - THE DEEPEST AND FARTHEST AREA OF SOUTHERN EUROPE. THE CAR WAS A LONELY WANDERING BIRD GLIDING ON THE SEA OF CLOUDS THAT COVERS THE SURFACE OF THE WATER, MAKING THE MOUNTAINS AND OCEANS SEEM LIKE ONE.
LONELY TOMB ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
Istill remember the strange feeling I had when I drove away from the ancient capital Cetinje in the Republic of Montenagro - the country with the fourth smallest population in Europe. I was eager to see the majestic mountains that lay in front of me when suddenly the sound of the engine and the wheel running on the road seemed to disappear completely, the sound like being sucked into the surface of the sea that lay below the steep mountainsides. Apart from a sign showing “turn left to Lovćen and go straight to Kotor’s citadel”, the road in front of me was empty.
The feeling of emptiness was still there when we reached the foot of the mountain with a parking lot that appeared suddenly as if falling from the sky. Looking back at the towering height, we saw an architectural tower in the far distance - the tomb of Lord Petar Petrović-njegoš (1813 - 1851), located on a very high mountain. The Lord with a poet’s soul and a philosopher’s mind chose the 1.749 m mountain peak above sea level as his resting place, and to this day it remains the highest tomb in the world. The skyhigh construction works in this open space are both tight and airy, or in the Eastern language, the space is beautifully feng shui. Even if I don’t like going to visit the tombs, this place did not feel mysterious or gloomy to me.
Overlooking from the top, visitors can observe the mountain ranges overlapping below, the calm plateau surface far away and the clouds floating inbetween. As described by Bernard Shaw, it is an immense ocean of rock. If your eyes are good, or you have the binoculars of professional climbers, you can see the land of Italy on a clear afternoon. Remembering the short lines introducing Lovćen National Park in a travel guide, we hurried down the mountain, after stopping by a small souvenir shop.
HERITAGE TOWN OF PERAST: WHERE HAS ITS GLORIOUS TIME GONE?
The car glides quite quickly through many churches and monuments along the villages like Njeguši, Ivanova Korita. Since we had to go to the heritage town of Perast before sunset, we didn’t have time to stop too long before each monument. I just had a vague thought: are there more
monuments here than people? The quiet of the afternoon at sunset became even more haunting.
When we reached Perast, the bright rays of sunlight seemed to draw straight to the sky and clouds covered everything like in the early morning. The town of less than 700 inhabitants is deadly silent, though it is always considered one of the most beautiful places in the Boka Kotorska region. The narrow streets seem to cower at the foot of the old stone-walled mansions. The monasteries and chapels are closed. It is hard to imagine this was once a crowded gathering place of merchants, captains and sailors hundreds of years ago.
The weather is cool all year round and if you take a deep breath, you can feel the graceful aftertaste of a postrenaissance village. It is hard to know which bell tower was built from the sale of solid gold donated by the Perast people, but the bell ringing is still solemn. Stopping to listen, I could hear both the footsteps of ancient times and the sound of the wind blowing and suddenly found this place so mysterious. Going around the coastline, you can see two small islands and there are two old red-roofed castles - Sveti Dorde (St. George) and Gospa od Škrpjela (Our Lady of the Rocks). Gospa od Škrpjela is said to be the only artificial island in the Adriatic sea, about 3,000 square meters, built by the locals after two Venetian seamen arrived from Perast and found an icon of Madonna and Child on a rock in the sea.
THE CITY SUNKEN IN MEMORY
The darker it got, the more it became quiet. Arriving at our hotel, when we saw the doorways with lovely flowerpots in the warm yellow light and smelled the food from the hotel dining room, our thrilling feelings just gradually disappeared. The hotel room was like a normal room in an ordinary house; the bed was clean but the writing desk was still messy. In a drawer, there was also a Montenagro passport, which was forgotten, or deliberately left behind. Fortunately, the sleepiness came very quickly after a long day of driving so I could not think too much.
Leaving the hotel at dawn, with the birds singing in a clear day and the cool breeze, our anxiety reappeared when we tried to return the keys to the landlord but could not find anyone in living room. Looking in the next room, I saw an 80 year-old woman sleeping in a chair, she was just waking up and grumbling something. Luckily there was a neighbor there, I hurriedly gave her the room key and suddenly felt that the old woman and the neighbor were like people from the last century.
We reached the ancient city of Kotor - Montenegro’s armor. Kotor is a very specific work of the Venezia defense architecture, with small gray paved roads.
The churches and monasteries are not much different from the neighboring cities, such as its more prominent neighbor Dubrovnik. There are mossy railings, stylish cafes and bustling squares. I will return to this place when I talk about the heritage of defense in Europe. For the time being, I just want to mention a different image here: the witch’s brooms dangling from the aisles of the gates. Does that image have anything to do with the accumulation of hallucinogenic poisons made from the mold on rye bread? Did anyone ride a broom to fly at night? I really want to continue, but fear that you imagine a creepier Boka Kotorska than the one in real life.
In fact, looking through the mist, Bay of Kotor was still very blue and clear.
MORE INFORMATION Visa: Montenegro is noneu but still exempts a visa for visitors having multiple Schengen visa or Schengen residence permit. You will have 15 days to discover so many beautiful landscapes of this majestic nation. Itinerary: From Vietnam, there is no direct flight to Montenegro, it’s necessary to transit in some other country. Two low-cost airlines you can choose are Qatar Airway (transit in Doha) and Turkish Airlines (transit in Istanbul). In Montenegro, there are two airports, Podgorica and Tivat, which are well equipped. From the airport, you can go to the city center by taxis, buses, and shuttle buses.
Transport: Places to visit in Montenegro are usually quite close together, so you can walk. For remote locations, the cheapest and most popular means of transport is a bus with a frequency of every five minutes. You can also take a taxi but remember to ask for the fare before you go because they do not have a taxi meter.
Time: You can travel to Montenegro in any season of the year because each season has its own beauty and charm. However, the ideal time to come here is from March to October, the busiest periods are July and August. During that time the weather is cool, pleasant and not too hot, so it is suitable for tourist
activities, sightseeing and exploring the beautiful nature of Montenegro. Accommodation: A lot of hotels in Montenegro will give you a discount if you book a room in advance, before the end of January. You should look for hotels that allow you to cancel your room about 48 hours in advance without a penalty. Before booking, you should use many applications like hostelworld, booking.com or hostelbookers to compare the prices.
Cuisine: Montenegro is influenced by many culinary cultures of the countries of
Greece, Italy and Turkey. However, this beautiful country still has a lot of delicious and attractive dishes that you should try such as potato salad, Jahni bean soup, grilled salmon, roasted suckling pig, roast lamb, etc. Don’t forget to taste some typical drinks like: mountain tea (Çaj Li), Bozë, beer, wine, Raki...
Currency: Montenegro uses the euro (EUR) and 1 EUR is equivalent to about 28,000 VND.
Some tourist attractions:
Centinje: This quiet town filled with medieval culture and architecture was the capital of Montenegro until 1946. Founded in the 15th century, it still houses many monasteries, orthodox churches and some small museums.
Ostrog Monastery allows visitors to enter freely, but you must dress modestly. Your clothes should cover the shoulders, arms and knees. Women must cover their heads with scarves. Ostrog with its unique architecture carved almost entirely in a vertical cliff. Although wearing a cloak of 400 years of history, the monastery retains the ancient and sacred values of this land. Durmitor National Park: Founded in 1952, the main activities in the winter here are skiing and snowboarding. Activities in the summer are climbing and leisure tourism. One of the most attractive destinations on Mount Durmitor is 18 frozen lakes, of which the most famous is Crno. If you’re lucky, you might see brown bears, wolves, lynxes, eagles and owls in this national park.
STOPPING TO LISTEN, I COULD HEAR BOTH THE FOOTSTEPS OF ANCIENT TIMES AND THE SOUND OF THE WIND BLOWING AND SUDDENLY FOUND THIS PLACE SO MYSTERIOUS.