Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The hotel Porto In is a good hotel in Kotor, Montenegro. It is located between the old town of the city and the long-distance bus station (which is only four minutes on foot away). The rooms are rather large and every room seems to have a balcony or a terrace. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t see the bay of Kotor from my room, but that didn’t matter much – you can reach the harbour and the old town within three minutes.
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People do strange things when on vacation and I can’t exclude myself from that. How often have I asked myself ‘Why am I doing that?’ – while climbing up La Giralda in Sevilla, Spain; while squeezing myself through the narrow corridors of the cupola of the Basilica di San Pietro at Roma, Italy or when climbing to the top of St. Paul’s cathedral in London, United Kingdom. At Kotor, Montenegro it is especially funny: people are brought on cruise ships with all comfort directly to the old city only to climb up to a fortress high above. 1350 steps, 1.2 kilometers steadily up the hill with an elevation of 260 meters.
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The city of Kotor, Montenegro is a highlight of its own. The fantastic old and well-preserved city center with its churches, old buildings and fortified walls is a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979. That brings protection but it is also a reason why giant cruise ships anchor directly in front of the city. But even if you’re there while the city is flooded with tourists you can experience times of the day where this is a rather quite and relaxed place. And there are even some small yards set aside where you can enjoy some coffee in a nice atmosphere.
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Kotor, Montenegro is an ancient trade and harbour city. It is therefore no surprise that seafaring plays an important role in the history of the city and that there is a museum dedicated to this at the historic city center: the maritime museum of Montenegro (Pomorski muzej Crne Gore). It is not a very big or modern museum, but it is worth a visit if you’re interested in the topic or want to learn a bit about the history of the city.
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The patron saint of Kotor, Montenegro is Tryphon – a martyr worshiped by catholic and orthodox christians who is said to have the ability to cure illnesses. Therefore the main church of the city is named after him, the Katedrala Svetog Tripuna.
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The adriatic island Sveti Stefan near Budva, Montenegro is named after the Saint Stephan and was converted in the 1950s and 1960s into an island full of hotels. It is a wonderful place connected via a dam to the mainland. On the island you can find a church also named Sveti Stefan and formerly there was also a casino giving the island the name of the adriatic Monaco.
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It is the biggest lake on the balkans: Lake Skadar, located between Montenegro and Albania. It is 48 kilometers long and 14 kilometers wide and receives its water mainly from the river Morača running through Montenegro. To the adriatic sea there is only one connection, the river Buna, which also forms the natural border between the two countries.
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If you’re travelling by long-distance bus to or from Tirana, Albania and without a too tight budget – then the hotel Colosseo might be a good option. It is a nice four star hotel at one of the streets leading to the city center and the Skanderbeg square. If you’re walking on foot to the bus station for busses going to the north (behind ‘Pallati Sportit Asllan Rusi‘) you’ll need about seven minutes. To the city center it is less than 15 minutes on foot.
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The regime of Enver Hoxha made sure to create enough bunkers throughout the country. But where would the government flee to in case of an attack on Tirana, Albania? In the eastern suburbs of the capital city you can find the answer: a giant fallout shelter. Close to the Dajti Ekspres you can find a long tunnel through a mountain and when leaving the tunnel and passing some buildings you can find the bunker entrances.
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If you want to escape from the city of Tirana, Albania to see the mountains and watch the city from above there is one very good option: to go to the house mountain of the city, the Dajti. It is 1613 meters high and located in the East of the city. On top you’ll find a restaurant and a rotating bar as well as a viewing platform. The mountain offers good opportunities for hiking, climbing, mountain biking and paragliding.
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