Black Mountain

Montenegro

Legend states that sailors named the country of Montenegro (meaning Black Mountain) because the darkness of the trees was all that could be seen from the sea. We have gazed upon these forests before, and the rugged rocky terrain that seems to rise straight up from the Adriatic, when we visited Montenegro in 2012.

Several things brought us back to Montenegro this year. We needed to clear Berkeley East’s V.A.T., a law that only allows the boat to be in the European Union for 18 months without paying a hefty tax on the value of the vessel. We also wanted to see the country by land, as our previous visit was from the sea. And, while we were there, we decided that we might as well stay in Porto Montenegro, one of our favorite marinas, enjoy some sushi, and fill BE up with duty-free fuel.

Just south of Croatia, Montenegro is one of Europe’s youngest nations, and is tiny by comparison. The country is comprised of some 5500 square miles, 182 miles of coastline, a rough interior unfit for most mountain goats, and is home to some 650,000 people. Having gained its independence just 10 years ago, Montenegro is fresh and exciting, a place ready to be discovered.

Over the past eight years in the Mediterranean, we have hired cars and driven more miles (and stairways) than we can recall. But there are some times when, some locations where, it pays to hire a driver as well. For us, Montenegro was one of those places. But we wanted to hire a local (not a tour guide), someone who spoke English, who could tell us about the history, the politics, the economy, about the people of Montenegro. We got lucky with the marina recommendation and spent a day with a young woman from the rental car company. It was her uncle’s company, and while her education was in the maritime industry, she chose to work with her family; something she said was very common in Montenegro. She was happy and enthused about her life and the future of her country. We were envious of her unjaded view of the world.

Montenegro has five national parks, covering some 8% of the country. We were only able to visit two of the five, but the preview showed us that the others are well worth a return trip.

After leaving the marina, we wound our way up the one-lane narrow road above the bay of Kotor, with stunning views, sheer dropoffs, serpentine twists and 25 harpin turns.

Lovcen National Park is known for its natural, cultural and historical heritage. It is located at the junction of two climatic zones, the Mediterranean and continental, which resulted in the development of a rich flora and fauna.

Located on the second highest peak of Lovcen mountain, at 1657 meters, is the highest mausoleum in the world. After climbing 461 steps we arrived at the magnificent tomb of Montenegro’s greatest historical person: Petar Petrovic II Njegos, a prince-bishop, poet, and philosopher.

Inside the mausoleum, under a golden mosaic, is the grandiose sculpture of Njegos.

Skadar Lake National Park is located on the border between Montenegro and Albania. Montenegro owns two-thirds of the lake while one third of the territory belongs to the Republic of Albania. The Montenegrin part of the lake has 40.000 hectares (98.842 acres), its coastline is jagged, with numerous bays, peninsulas and capes, mostly swampy, overgrown with reed. With an area of 370 to 540 km, depending on the water level, Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkans.

An Adriatic playground for the rich and famous, the small island of Sveti Stefan is home to the five-star Aman Resort, also in our plan for a return trip to Montenegro.

After a couple of relaxing days at anchor, we pulled into the fuel dock to fill Berkeley East’s tanks. Because it was duty free, the cost was less than one half of what it would have been in Croatia or Italy. And with BE’s 1,000-liter capacity, it was quite a savings.

The downside is that in order to get the reduced price, you have to leave the country immediately. So we were off once again, on an overnight crossing of the Adratic Sea, to Italy.

PREVIOUS COMMENTS

11 Jul 2017 Tom Gahan

Those hairpins! Where was that Ferrari you test drove when you needed it? Great stories and pictures! Thanks for taking us along.