Podgorica, Skadar, Rijeka and the Rest of the Montenegrin Zeta
Podgorica, now that’s a capital that nobody has ever heard of!
Probably most people
While staying at a hostel in Bosnia, I had inquired about what places to stay while in Podgorica and my host flat out refused to recommend one saying the city was not worth visiting (his actual words were that “There is nothing to do in Podgorica, take my advice and stop asking me about it.”). This is not a totally fair assessment but one that is commonly accepted as there is some truth to the statement.
Following his advice, I did attempt to avoid Podgorica but ended up travelling through it on my way back from exploring the Lake Skadar area of Montenegro. For all of its faults Podgorica holds 30% of the country population. The once industrial city is now modern, clean and relatively pretty, but unfortunately, rather forgettable. I find that the main appeal of this city its proximity to the attractions around it such as Lake Skadar.
Note: During Socialist Yugoslav times it was renamed Titograd, in honour of Josip Broz Tito, leader (and president for life) of the Yugoslav State.
Table of Contents
Podgorica
The city is located in a flat plain of Lake Skadar called the Zeta Plain. It is a fertile land with a good climate and access to several rivers. The area has been occupied since the stone age, Illyrian tribesmen ruled until the arrival of the Romans who built a settlement called Doclea. This settlement was home to the roman emperor Diocletian. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the invading Serbs created a new settlement called Ribnica. This settlement was captured by the Ottomans in 1474 and remained part of their empire for the next 400 years. They built much of the civic infrastructure along with sturdy fortifications. The latter led to Podgorica becoming a military city, home to an Ottoman garrison. The murder of fifteen citizens by the Ottoman authorities brought on to the Montenegrin-Ottoman War, resulting in the annexation of the city to the newly founded kingdom of Montenegro in 1878. It was the largest city in the kingdom and hosted an active tobacco industry.
During the First World War, the Podgorica Assembly was held here. In this meeting, the Kingdom of Montenegro was disbanded and it officially became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The kingdom joined the side of the Allies during the Second World War and the city was leveled by the German air force. The damage was so severe that very little of the original cityscape remained. After the war Tito rebuilt Podgorica in modernist style, renaming the city Titograd in his own honor (Yes, you can do these things when you are dictator!). In the socialist period the city was a hub for heavy industrial activity.
Today, there is not much of the original city to see. The period of Montenegrin independence has seen a boom in construction and the city continues to change rapidly. An example of this is the millennium bridge over the Morača River, a fine example of modern architecture. For history lovers there is a small Ottoman old town, although it is quickly decaying. You will find that not much of importance remains wit the exception of an old stone bridge along with a pretty clock-tower. Other sights of note in the municipal area include the former residence of King Nikola I Petrović and the beautiful Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. The cathedral, built in 2013, is built in the old style of orthodox churches. As such it has more charm than many modern churches. Just outside the city you can visit the old roman ruins of Doclea but there is not much signage in English. If staying for a few days, do rent a car so you can visit the outlying regions of the Zeta plain, including Lake Skadar.
Otherwise there is not much to do in town but to enjoy the nightlife, powered by a thriving cafe culture.
Lake Skadar
Lake Skadar National Park is of the most interesting natural landscapes in an outlandishly beautiful nation. Not only is it the largest lake in the Balkans by surface area but it plays host to wetlands than are important habitat for birds, bugs, amphibians and assorted aquatic wildlife. The pristine waterway is shared by both Montenegro and Albanian but it is only a protected conservation area on the Montenegrin side of the border. It’s lush marshes have the luxury of a backdrop of impressive green mountains while the stunning shoreline plays host to small islands, wineries, monasteries, historic town and ruined forts. After a visit to Skadar, I found the flat and fertile Zeta plain that Podgorica is built on to be rather uninteresting but, who can blame be, Skadar is not your average lake.
Below I have subdivided the park in a few separate areas of interest.
Vraninja
Taking the E80 roadway directly south of Podgorica past the airport you will hit the town of Bistrice. Congratulations you have entered Skadar national park!
Until you hit the island of Vraninja all you will see is green fields. Once you have crossed over there is a small fishing village with a few restaurants to eat fresh lake catch. There are two monasteries that can be reached from here, the first it the Vrajina monastery nearby and the Kom monastery which may require chartering a boat.
Continuing south you will reach a long causeway that is one he most beautiful drives in the country. Here, you can stop at the ruined fort Lesendro at the center of the causeway or stop to eat on the western shore of Lake Skadar.
Western Shore
As mentioned earlier there are many shoreline restaurants, several are traditional fisherman’s houses made of stone with nice outdoor terraces. For history lovers, stop at Besac Castle just south of the causeway, it may be small but boasts a great view of the marshy lakeshore. From the roadway you will be afforded exquisite mountain views of the lake as well as access to an infinite number of wineries located on the hillsides. Montenegrin wines are as good as any Italian or French products and are much less pricey.
Rijeka Crnojevica
From the causeway you can continue north up rocky mountainous roads that overlook the lake. Eventually you will come to the Rijeka Crnojevica river. Located on its shores is a town of the same name. It is a city of Old Montenegro that briefly served as capital of the nation under the ruler Ivan Crnojević before he was forced to move his capital to the highlands of Cetinje.
The town occupies a position at the very northern point of the lake. In this area the lake narrows into a collection of small lily pad covered basins fed by mountain streams. The meandering Rijeka River is one of these streams and is considered to me an area of outstanding natural beauty due to the pointy mountains that surround it. The town is located on an area of this river where it is wide enough to offer access to one of the above mentioned basins.
Just outside of the small cluster of houses that composes the town, I stopped for lunch at a local restaurant. Here I had had some fresh lake fish, along with a local white wine on a patio overlooking overlooking the river.
Afterwards I went into town to charter a boat. Down by the water you can see one of the most important monuments in Montenegro, the Rijeka Crnojevića bridge. This stone bridge was built in 1853 by Prince Danillo of Montenegro to replace the previous bridge built by Petar II. It connects the medieval fortress town of Obod on the other side of the river to the town. Obod is an important cultural site in the country as it is where Ivan Crnojević established his first printing press, the oldest in the south Balkans.
Near the bridge you can find several small vessels waiting on tourists. The boat I chartered went up the river and eventually stopped so I could have a swim. The water is surprisingly warm here, even in May, and as long as you stay away from the lilipads you will be ok!
When you are back from your swim, just enjoy the beauty of this town, not much can compare to it.
Conclusion
Although Podgorica does not appear as a major tourist site in many guidebooks, you can choose to use this city as a base to explore Lake Skadar. It may not be the most interesting place but after exploring one of the most beautiful natural areas of Europe you may want to come back to a city with a little nightlife. Alternatively you can carry on west to Budva where the real party starts.
