Budva - Montenegro

The 1st of these cards of Budva, was my 1st card from Montenegro. Ana sent it in 2009! So long ago. Since then I've received other cards from the country but I still don't have many. 

Celeste, who visited the country in 2008, sent me the Citadel card last month.

"Budva is a coastal town in Montenegro. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budvanska rivijera, is the centre of Montenegro's tourism, and is well known for its sandy beaches, diverse nightlife, and beautiful examples of Mediterranean architecture.
Budva is 2,500 years old, which makes it one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic sea coast
Budva is the capital of Montenegrin tourism.
Because of its 11,310 m of sandy beaches in and around Budva, and its vast cultural heritage, beautiful architecture, and vibrant nightlife, Budva is increasingly attracting foreign tourists. This makes it the most attractive tourist destination in Montenegro." - in: wikipedia

The Budva Citadel has a rich history that dates back to ancient times. It is believed to have been established by the Illyrians, an ancient Indo-European people, and later developed by the Romans.

The citadel's medieval fortifications were constructed during the Venetian rule in the 15th century. It prominently reflects Venetian architectural influences, characterized by its well-preserved defensive walls, bastions, and towers. The Budva Citadel served as a strategic military outpost, protecting the town of Budva from various threats, including pirate attacks. 

The Budva Citadel is part of the larger Old Town of Budva, which exudes a unique and charming atmosphere. Cobblestone streets, quaint squares, and historic buildings create a picturesque setting that transports visitors back in time. - in: https://www.gpsmycity.com

Stećci in Montenegro

Stećci are medieval tombstones that are only found in certain parts of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia. There are over 70,000 stećci at 3,300 sites throughout Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. 28 of those, including three in Montenegro, are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

This card Marcel sent me is from the Grčko Groblje site near Žabljak, a small town in northern Montenegro.

Stećci date back to the 12th to 16th centuries (...) and were probably used to mark the graves of the nobility. They’re found in groups of anywhere from 30 to several hundred. The Stećci themselves are carved blocks of stone. The shapes can be slabs, chests, sarcophagi, pillars and crosses, and some have been set on pedestals.

The Grčko Groblje (...) lies beside Riblje Lake.
The ancient tombstones are strewn in an area of about 500 square metres, 50m from the road. There are no inscriptions on the tombstones and they’re decorated mostly with friezes, twisting bands, spirals, twining vines, crosses and hunting scenes. There are 49 stećci and it’s assumed that people from the local feudal nobility were buried here in the 14th and 15th centuries. - in: https://www.montenegropulse.com

Perast - Montenegro

Speaking of World Heritage Sites, Perast in Montenegro is also on this UNESCO list as part of the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor. 

Perast is an old town on the Bay of Kotor, situated a few kilometres northwest of Kotor and is noted for its proximity to the islets of St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks. Both these cards show Our Lady of the Rocks and it's church. 

photo: Radoje Jovanovic

Our Lady of the Rock is an artificial island created by bulwark of rocks and by sinking old and seized ships loaded with rocks. The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rocks is the only building on the islet.

According to legend, the islet was made over the centuries by the seamen who kept an ancient oath after finding the icon of Madonna and Child on the rock in the sea on July 22, 1452. Upon returning from each successful voyage, they laid a rock in the Bay. Over time, the islet gradually emerged from the sea. The custom of throwing rocks into the sea is alive even nowadays. Every year on the sunset of July 22, an event called fašinada, when local residents take their boats and throw rocks into the sea, widening the surface of the island, takes place.

Photo by Stevan Kordic

The first known church was built on the islet in 1452 and it was Serbian Orthodox. It was taken over by Roman Catholics and in 1632 the present Church of Our Lady of the Rocks was built. It was upgraded in 1722. The church contains 68 paintings by Tripo Kokolja, a famous 17th-century baroque artist from Perast. His most important painting, ten meters long, is The Death of the Virgin. There are also paintings by Italian artists, and an icon (circa 1452) of Our Lady of the Rocks, by Lovro Dobričević of Kotor. The church also houses a collection of silver votive tablets and a famous votive tapestry embroidered by Jacinta Kunić-Mijović from Perast. It took her 25 years to finish it while waiting her darling to come from a long journey, and eventually, she became blind. She used golden and silver fibres but what makes this tapestry so famous is the fact that she also embroidered her own hair in it. - in: https://museu.ms/museum/details/188/our-lady-of-the-rock

Europe RR - Group 137 * Happy Mix

Two very different cards from Montenegro and Belarus. 

Annamaria is from Serbia and traveled to Montenegro by train some time ago and that was when she had the opportunity to see Skadar Lake. 

The lake is located in Zeta – Skadar valley and is surrounded by mountains, and it’s 7 km away from Adriatic Sea. Two Thirds of Skadar Lake is in Montenegro and the rest is in Albania. The size of the lake varies from 530 to 370 km2 it is 44 km long and 14 km wide. Coast line is very sharp, especially in the north – west side.

Skadar Lake is the largest lake at the Balkan Peninsula, with fresh water and one of the largest national parks in Montenegro. It’s extremely famous for its diversity of flora and fauna. - in: https://www.visit-montenegro.com/tourism/national-parks/lake-skadar/

Yuliya sent me a new church from Belarus. 

The catholic church of Exalatation of the Holy Cross in Vileika was built between 1906-1913. Its architecture combines features of neo-romanesque and neo.gothic styles. 

The church is included in the state list of Historical and Cultural Values of Belarus. 

Many Themes RR * Group 1597 (Val-Natalia)

Many Themes RR is a big RR, which as its name indicates, has many groups and I've already joined a few. In group 1597 we were supposed to send cards from other countries. Natalia lives in Russia and she sent cards from China and Montenegro.  

This is the chinese card but i've no idea what building is this. 

Foto: Dragan Bosnic

Petrovac is a coastal town in Montenegro, within Budva Municipality.

Petrovac is located on the coast between Budva and Bar, where the old mountain road from Podgorica reaches the coast. It has a 600 metre long sandy beach and it is a popular tourist destination. 

Between the two world wars, Petrovac was famous as a popular destination for wealthy tourists from (the former) Yugoslavia. Petrovac is today a popular summer beach resort, its visitors coming predominantly from Montenegro and Serbia. - in: wikipedia

Crno Lake - Montenegro

The Montenegro card Ana sent me is this one with the Crno Lake, the biggest and the best known of 18 glacier lakes on the Durmitor National Park, in northern Montenegro.

Montenegro only has 2 sites classified as Unesco World Heritage Sites, Durmitor and Kotor, thanks to Ana i've cards from both sites. Thank you, thank you Ana!!!!

"Durmitor is a mountain and the name of a national park in North Western Montenegro. It reaches a height of 2,522 m.

The Durmitor National Park, created in 1952, includes the massif of Durmitor, the canyons of Tara, Sušica and Draga rivers and the higher part of the canyon plateau Komarnica, covering the area of 390 km².

It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1980.

80 km long and 1,300 m deep Tara River Canyon, a part of the National park Durmitor, is second largest in the world, just behind Grand Canyon in Arizona." - in: wikipedia

Kotor - Montenehro

Last friday i've received a great envelope from Macedonia sent by Ana. She knows i collect unesco cards and surprised me with two 2 great unesco cards. One of them is this one from Montenegro.

Thanks Ana :D 

 

Kotor is a coastal town in Montenegro.The old mediterranean port of Kotor, surrounded by an impressive city wall built by the Republic of Venice and the Venetian influence remains dominant among the cultural influences.

The cathedral on the card is the St. Trypon Cathedral, built in honor of St. Trypon, patron and protector of the city.

This cathedral was consecrated in 1166 and is one of the two Roman Catholic cathedrals in Montenegro.

The cathedral was damaged and rebuilt after the earthquake of 1667, but there were not enough funds for its complete reconstruction, thats why the 2 towers are so different from each other.

In 1979 another earthquake damaged the cathedral but it has been salvaged and the restoration works just finished a few years ago.