Our journey continued to Albania, passing through Montenegro. Nevertheless, we stopped at two amazing cities, Kotor and Budva of Montenegro. These two cities are known for their stunning natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.
Montenegro has a long history that is reflected in its numerous historic sites, including the medieval walled city of Kotor and the ancient town of Stari Bar. Budva, located on Montenegro's beautiful Adriatic Sea coastline, is a popular destination.
This post is essentially divided into two: Kotor in the morning and Budva in the evening. It took 4 hours and more to reach Kotor from Mostar, with a brief stop at Trebinje, which was supposed to be our overnight stay in the original plan. It was a small town with nothing to see at night; hence, Mr. Akin decided to stay put at Mostar yesterday night.
 | | Leaving Mostar... |
|  | | Macam le ada duit |
|
 |
| Bileća Lake, near Trebinje |
At noon, we arrived in Kotor. The city took us to the Medieval time, founded by the ancient Romans, known as Acruvium. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor (
Boka Kotorska), an indented part of the Adriatic Sea. By the way,
Kotor is one of the Malay language terms that means "dirty," but the city was contradictory to its name... ;P
The bus stopped quite far away from the city wall, so we walked, heading to the Scurda River. By any chance, we saw part of the fortification of Kotor, Kampana Tower, against the mountain views. We got into the city wall through the sea gate. There was North Gate, or River Gate, on the other side. In the old city, we passed through Army Square and St. Tryphon Cathedral before stopping at The Square Pub for lunch.
.jpg) | | The sea gate entrance |
|
|
|
|
 |
| Nice spot to lepak |
 |
| The King Tomislav's memorial plaque at Kotor Cathedral |
 |
| It was consecrated on 19 June 1166. |
 |
| Taken from The Square Pub |
Having pizza for lunch was a bit different when we were in the Balkan region. It was because Italy is Montenegro's sea-neighboring country and has an Italian population in this city. It was a good choice for lunch anyway after several days of plain Balkan dishes.
The next activities were led by a local guide by the name of errr.... She took us around the city wall, giving explanations on Kotor, Acruvium, and the cat museum. Kotor was and still is a cat city where the breeds were taken extra care of.
 | | Bandar Kotor... :P |
|
|
 | | Mari sini semua.. makcik nak bercerita |
|  | | Bandar Kucing... |
|
 | | Saint Nicholas Church |
|  | | Saint Luke Church |
|
|
|
 | | The Clock Tower |
|  | | Nu'man.. cer carik globe |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| The scenic view of Kotor Bay |
Before we continued to the next city of Montenegro, we had been brought to a Tracia Leather Centre. A fashion show event has been put on for us showing their leather outfit, which you can buy later if it suits you.
Then, our journey continues down south to Budva city, about 20 km from Kotor. The city is facing the Adriatic Sea. The center of Montenegrin tourism, known as Budva Riviera, is a well-preserved medieval walled city and sandy beaches. We got into Budva Old City through the Velja Vrata, the Main Gate. Like in Kotor, we walked along the alleyways of the city and passed through the Bishop's Palace, heading to the Square of Salt. If we were given some time, we hope to visit the Citadela and the Museum of Budva.
 |
| Heading to Budva Old City |
 |
| The Square of Salt |
 |
| A small Sveti Nikola Island |
 |
| Adriatic sea and land breeze |
After the tour ended, we checked in to Hotel Luani Artë, in Shkoder, Albania. It was almost 10pm when we arrived there. Dinner was served for our group in buffet style, even though the restaurant has been closed. They were so generous with the food and dessert. Yup, we loved the room too!
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment