Islands of Montenegro and their attractions

Montenegro is a lost corner of the earth surrounded by the Adriatic Sea. It is a group of islands with dozens of monasteries and ancient attractions, as well as lakes and national parks. Rest here is an inexpensive pleasure, but it allows you to enjoy nature, as well as immerse yourself in the atmosphere of antiquity to the fullest.

In this article, we will tell you more about the popular islands of Montenegro and their attractions.

Another name for the island Gospa od Shkrpiela. It is a small island in the bay of Kotor, opposite the place where the coastal town of Perast is located. It is a significant landmark of Montenegro. By its nature, the island of the Virgin is artificial - ships were deliberately flooded with stones to create it.

The largest building on the island land is the Catholic Church of the same name Theotokos-on-the-reef... In addition, there is a museum, a lighthouse, and a souvenir shop.

According to an old legend, the island was built by the hands of local sailors - it took them more than a hundred years. So, it was the rock that saved the two sailors from inevitable death. Here they later discovered a historical value (according to historians, it happened on July 22, 1452) - the icon "Madonna and Child". The sailors, who believed in the miracle, began to strengthen the rock with an even greater desire in order to increase the scale of land for future buildings of temples.

After this story, every sailor sailing home threw a stone to this rock - so such an action turned into a custom that has survived to our times.

In 1452, a small Orthodox church was built on the site of the relic found, and already in 1630, the Venetians who arrived erected a true Catholic church under the name Theotokos-on-the-reef. Soon this part of the land began to bear the same name. A little later, the churches were supplemented with domes and a bell tower.

If you go inside the temple, you can see Baroque paintings by Tripo Kokolya, a local artist of the 17th century. The most popular work is the 10-meter canvas - "The Assumption of the Virgin".

In addition, the temple houses a beautiful marble altar, erected by the Genoese sculptor Capelano Antonio. At this moment in time it houses the icon "Theotokos-on-the-Reef" by artist Lovrentiy Dobrishevich.

It is impossible not to mention the famous tapestry, it took as long as 25 years to create it (by Yasinta Kunik-Majovitz). For weaving, the girl used not only threads of gold and silver, but also her own hair.

This island is located near the main town of Perast (Boka Kotorska Bay), from a geographical point of view, it is of natural origin.

Another significant place on the island of St. George is the church cemetery. The famous captains of Perast are buried here. Thus, the tombstones are decorated with rare heraldic emblems.

From the time of construction, paintings of the 13th-14th centuries hung on the walls, a little later the abbots of the temple decorated the walls with canvases of the famous Kotor painter Lovrenty Dobrishevich.

The Island of the Dead attracts tourists with a history of tragic love. According to an old legend, a French soldier fired from a cannon in the direction of the city of Perast. By chance, a shell hit the house of his beloved - she died, and he wished to lie with her in the coffin.

According to official figures, the Isle of the Dead is considered closed, but curious tourists do not miss the chance to touch the ancient walls, as well as stroll through the cemetery.

According to official data, it is considered a peninsula. Its second name - the Island of Flowers - received for the abundant flowering of plants. In past centuries, there was a monastery St. Michael the Archangel.

The island of Prevlaka is located in the Gulf of Tivat. There is a functioning airport nearby, which can only be reached across the bridge by car.

Before the war, there were many gardens on the Montenegrin territory, in which flowers, palms, olive trees grew. Unfortunately, the hostilities had a detrimental effect on the number of gardens. However, a beautiful beach with some flowering plants has survived to this day.

The second attraction is the ruins of the monastery of Mikholska Prevlaka (16th century), St. Archangel Michael (15th century). The shrines were destroyed by the Venetians through the planned poisoning of the inhabitants. Only in the 19th century. the temple was restored. The new Trinity Church allows tourists to venerate the relics of the slain monks (there were 70 of them).

Among the other islands of Montenegro, it is worth highlighting the island-fortress Mamula, located next to the popular resort of Hertsog Novi. Apart from the picturesque beauty, this place attracts with another attraction. During the war, a prison was located here (the founder was the Austrian general Lazar Mamula). You can get to this place by boat.

A popular place for visiting tourists in Montenegro is fortress Grmozur, located on the island of the same name. It is a rare military-historical object since the time of the confrontation between Montenegrin and Turkish soldiers. On the lands occupied by the Turks, a fortress-prison was built (1840).

The islands of Montenegro are ancient, beautiful, keeping many legends and stories that attract tourists from all over the world. Touch the shrines and rocks, walk through the places of buildings destroyed during the war, admire the amazing landscapes, in the end, listen to the sound of the sea - your vacation in Montenegro will be remembered for a long time.

For an overview of one of the islands of Montenegro, see below.