530 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp541–2 and p543

Podgorica 1

• 180,000. k £ @
  n Slobode 47, (020) 667 535.
  http://www.podgorica.me

Podgorica initially developed
as an important centre for
trade; the first official mention
of it was in 1326. The city
thrived during medieval times
but then suc cumbed to the
Ottomans who occupied it as
a defensive cita del for four
centuries. In 1878, the city was
integrated into Montenegro
and it flourished economically
and culturally for several
decades. Podgorica suffered in
the 20th century, however, due
to intensive bombing during
World War II and severe
economic decline during the
Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s.
Today, Montenegro’s capital
has a handful of minor sights
that can be explored in a day.
The most striking structure
and a sym bol of 21st-century
pro gress is the 140-m (459-ft)
long Millennium Bridge (Most
Milenijum) across the Morača
river. The city’s Old Town,

south of the Ribnica river,

was almost entirely des troyed

dur ing World War II. However,

some remnants of its Ottoman

past remain. In the Old

Town Square is the 30-m

(98-ft) high 18th-century

Turkish Clock Tower (Sahat

Kula) while the Muslim quar-

ter houses the reno vated 16th-

cen tury Glavatovići and

Osmanagića mosques.

To the north of the Ribnica

river, the New Town’s City

Museum (Muzeji i galerije

Podgorice) houses absorb ing

archaeo logical and ethno gra-

phic collec tions. Further north

is the 11th-cen tury St George’s

Church (Crkva Sv Ðorđa), with

frescoes depict ing the life of

St George. Podgorica’s finest

building, King Nikola’s for mer

Winter Palace contains the

Modern Art Gallery (Centar

Savremene Umjetnosti)

with a col lection of

ethno graphic art from

Africa and Asia among

other exhibits. Nearby

is the Orthodox

Cathedral of the

Resurrection of Christ,

which boasts 17

Russian bells; the larg est,

at 11 tonnes (12 tons), is

the heaviest in the Balkans.

E City Museum

Marka Miljanova 4. Tel (020) 242

543. 
     

     noon–8pm Tue–Fri,

     
     

     9am–2pm Sat & Sun. & =
     R St George’s Church
     ulica 19 Decembar. # 7am–8pm
     daily. 5
     E Modern Art Gallery
     Ljubljanska ulica BB. Tel (020) 225

     
     


544. 
     

     4–9pm Mon–Fri.

     
     

     R Orthodox Cathedral of
     the Resurrection of Christ
     ulica Georga Vašingtona.

     
     

     7:30am–7pm daily. 5

     
     

Lake Skadar

National Park 2

Skadarsko jezero

25 km (16 miles) S of Podgorica. @

from Podgorica. n Vranjina Island,

close to Virpazar, (020) 879 103;

Centre for Protection and Research of

Birds in Montenegro, Piperska 370A,

(067) 24 5006. http://www.nparkovi.co.me

Located in the Zeta Skadar

valley and surrounded by

pictur esque mountains, the

400-sq-km (154-sq-mile)

Lake Skadar is the Balkan

Peninsula’s largest lake and

is split between Albania and

Montenegro. In 1983, two-

thirds of the lake on the

Montenegro side was desig-

nated as a national park. The

lake is fed by around 50

under water springs and is

home to about 264 bird

species, such as great

white herons, Caspian

terns, black-headed gulls,

Griffon vul tures,

Dalmatian peli cans and

white-tailed eagles. It

also has about 40 spe-

cies of fish includ ing

mullet, carp, eel and chub. The

north ern and east ern shores of

the lake are charac terized by

marsh lands which are scattered

with yel low water lilies during

spring. The lake’s islands are

also home to many mon aster-

ies and churches, some dating

back to the 11th cen tury; there

are sev eral ruined medie val

fortresses as well.

The visitors’ cen tre in

Vranjina can arrange boat trips

around the park and to the

monasteries as well as fishing

permits. It also offers general

inform ation on Montenegro’s

national parks.

The magnificent Lake Skadar National Park, home to numerous species of flora and fauna

Impressive Millennium Bridge over
the Morača river, Podgorica

Dalmatian pelican,

Lake Skadar