INTERESTING FACTS OF MONTENEGRO
It carries a lot of beauty and amazing landscapes between its borders, but there is probably a lot you don’t know about this small Balkan country. From his own series of commandments to a fake prince, numerous stories have emerged on Montenegrin beaches.
The land of the black mountain
Although it is known as a summer destination because of its sunny beaches, Montenegro is named after the mountains of which there are almost 40. Originating from the Italian language, “monte” means mountain, and “negro” means black, and so we get Montenegro.
There are 117 beaches in Montenegro
There are 117 beaches along the 293-kilometer-long Adriatic coast. They are both rocky and sandy and hidden. Although territorially small, Njegoš’s country, due to its natural beauty, does not allow visitors to visit a dozen of all the beautiful and sunny beaches in 10 days, which is the average summer vacation.
A paradise for bird watchers
Skadar Lake is one of the largest bird reserves in Europe. It is home to more than 270 species and it is vital to stop migratory birds. Among the most popular are Dalmatian pelicans. Efforts to protect their farms have yielded good results and now tourists can travel by traditional boat and see them. Along with the magnificent pelicans, there are also Basque and pygmy cormorants, storks, herons, ibises, herons and falcons. Further down the coast, a growing flock of flamingos made a home out of the old saltworks. The Ulcinj saltworks, once the largest salt producer in the Mediterranean, has become a habitat for more than 500 flamingos and up to 40,000 birds. The area should join Skadar Lake on the Ramsar List of International Importance in hopes of being saved from overdevelopment.
Montenegrin list of commandments
Montenegrins are considered very relaxed people. In that effort, they have their own set of commandments to live by. Among them are: “Love your bed as you love yourself”; “If you see someone resting, help them”; and “If you need to work, sit down, wait and see that it will pass.” Maybe that’s why Montenegrins are always so happy and excited.
The Kotor Cathedral of St. Tryphon was supposed to be in Dubrovnik
One of the most famous sights of Kotor, the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, is one of the two Roman Catholic cathedrals in Montenegro, and St. Tryphon is the patron saint of Kotor. The present one was built on the site of a church from 809, where the severed head of Saint Tryphon was kept after it was delivered from Istanbul. What is not widely known is that the saint’s remains were on their way to Dubrovnik, but they were intercepted in Kotor, where they remained.
He made his first film role as Brad Pitt in Kotor
Back in 1988, Brad Pitt began his film career in Montenegro. He made his debut with the main role in “The Dark Side of the Sun” – a film recorded in Kotor. He was paid 1,523 dollars for seven weeks of work, and the fact that he hosted Montenegro in 2010 is evidenced by the fact that in 2010 he wanted to show Montenegro to his then wife Angelina Jolie.
The oldest olive tree in the world
Stara Maslina in the southern Montenegrin town of Bar, which has existed for 2000 years, is known as the oldest in the world. The tree, although one side of it burned, is a magnificent attraction in an area known for a hectare of beautiful olive groves. Otherwise, the locals cannot agree on whether it is due to a lightning strike or an accidental fire while playing cards under a tree. There are more than 100,000 olive trees over 1000 years old in Bar!
These are just a few stories that mark a small, Balkan country with the most beautiful beaches, a lot is still hidden in Njegoš’s country that will be researched and talked about in the future.
