!!!Montenegro

by Sergey Semenov,
member of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

13 July 2012

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

We would like to express our gratitude to yacht club Porto Montenegro
for help in creating of this tour. Porto Montenegro is a biggest
Mediterranean yacht club located in the town of Tivat. With the sea on
our doorstep and architecture that mirrors the nearby Venetian towns of
Kotor and Perast, Porto Montenegro melds a spectacular destination with
a world-class marina and services. It features 185 secure berths ranging
from 12 to 150 metres, with a further 185 in planning — more than 50 of
which will be dedicated to yachts over 45 meters.

Montenegro is located in the southwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula
and is often called the gem of the Adriatic. It is a unique country with
blue ocean, well maintained sandy and pebble beaches, most beautiful
nature, and cleanest air.

Wild nature of Montenegro coexists in harmony with small towns, resorts,
and monuments of ancient architecture. Resorts in Montenegro are mainly
located on the Adriatic shore.

[{Image src='01_Kotor town.jpg' caption='Kotor town' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='557'}]

The coast of Montenegro is a narrow 2-10 kilometers wide strip between
the sea and high steep mountains. Climate of Montenegro is very
different from other three regions of the country. It can be considered
a typical Mediterranean climate. One of Montenegro's famous landmarks is
the Bay of Kotor, which is more than 20 km in length. Bay of Kotor, also
known as Boka Kotorska, is the largest Adriatic bay between Montenegro
and Croatia. The Bay of Kotor is sometimes called Europe's southernmost
fjord, but it is not exactly correct: according to the latest studies
the bay is, in fact, an inlet formed by a partial submergence of a river
valley.

[{Image src='02_Porte Montenegro.jpg' caption='Porte Montenegro' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='600'}]

City of Kotor is one of the main historical landmarks of the region.
Roman Empire had been present here since 3rd century BC. During
Byzantian period the town was fortified with impressive city walls,
which stretch 4.5 km along the shoreline of the Kotor Bay. Kotor
Fortress rightfully takes its place in the UNESCO world heritage list.
Four centuries of Venetian period gave the city its typical Venetian
look, and Venetian influence remains predominant in the city
architecture.

A small town of Perast is yet another historical center of Montenegro.
Numerous palaces, churches, fortresses, and fortifications were built in
Perast between 1420 and 1797. Most of them are preserved to this day.
Seafaring was also actively developing during this period.

[{Image src='03_Perast town.jpg' caption='Perast town' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='600'}]

There are two small islands near Perast. One of them is called St.
George — the island with a picturesque Benedictine abbey built in the
center. There is another island located 115 meters northeast of St.
George Island. It is called Gospa od Škrpjela. It is, perhaps, the only
man-made island in the Adriatic. The island was built on the reef, where
in 1492 two Venetian sailors from Perast found the icon of Madonna and
Child. According to the legend, the icon cured one of them from his
illness. At first, the islet was so small that one could hardly see it
above the water. However, over 200 years local people sank old and
seized pirate ships around it. Furthermore, there was a law, which
obliged every passing ship to throw a rock near the islet. Over time,
the small islet grew into a plateau with an area of 3030 square meters,
on which the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks was built.

Every year thousands of tourists visit historic places on the shore of
the Adriatic Sea. We invite you to join our virtual tour right now to
see main tourist attractions of the Bay of Kotor from a bird's eye view.

\\ \\
[7 Panoramas of Montenegro|Geography/Europe/Montenegro/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Montenegro]










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