Kotorfjord, Montenegro
Most of us were on deck early this morning as Panorama entered Boka Kotorska (“Kotorfjord”) in Montenegro. The pilot boarded in glassy seas that reflected a range of 1500 meter peaks that felt more like Norway than the Adriatic Sea. We passed by submarine tunnels, naval bases, forested slopes, medieval churches and a shipyard before we entered the tightest passage into the inner fjord. There before us, floating as if an illusion, were two small religious islands that mark the most beautiful bay of the Adriatic. We made a pass around the small church of Gospa od Skrpjela (“Our Lady of the Rock”), which is a small Catholic Church dedicated to seafarers. On the eastern shore of the fjord is the fishing village of Perast, famous for its captains, officers and mariners throughout history. We finally docked at the medieval port of Kotor, an independent city-state for most of history, and now the principal port of the recently independent country of Montenegro.
We spent the morning exploring Perast and Gospa od Skrpjela in depth, before we returned for an orientation of Kotor. Inside the city walls, we marveled at the Venetian architecture and the many medieval churches, and many of us decided to stay in town for lunch in one of the numerous sidewalk restaurants.
In the heat of the afternoon, a few of our tougher shipmates hiked the city walls 1400 steps up to the fortress above Kotor, while most of us opted for our own adventure driving up the 25 switchbacks of the walls of the fjord and up into the upper parts of Montenegro. Our destination was the small village of Njegusi, famous for its smoked ham, but it was only an excuse to drive back down the breathtaking turns that gave us unforgettable views of Boka Kotorska.
Most of us were on deck early this morning as Panorama entered Boka Kotorska (“Kotorfjord”) in Montenegro. The pilot boarded in glassy seas that reflected a range of 1500 meter peaks that felt more like Norway than the Adriatic Sea. We passed by submarine tunnels, naval bases, forested slopes, medieval churches and a shipyard before we entered the tightest passage into the inner fjord. There before us, floating as if an illusion, were two small religious islands that mark the most beautiful bay of the Adriatic. We made a pass around the small church of Gospa od Skrpjela (“Our Lady of the Rock”), which is a small Catholic Church dedicated to seafarers. On the eastern shore of the fjord is the fishing village of Perast, famous for its captains, officers and mariners throughout history. We finally docked at the medieval port of Kotor, an independent city-state for most of history, and now the principal port of the recently independent country of Montenegro.
We spent the morning exploring Perast and Gospa od Skrpjela in depth, before we returned for an orientation of Kotor. Inside the city walls, we marveled at the Venetian architecture and the many medieval churches, and many of us decided to stay in town for lunch in one of the numerous sidewalk restaurants.
In the heat of the afternoon, a few of our tougher shipmates hiked the city walls 1400 steps up to the fortress above Kotor, while most of us opted for our own adventure driving up the 25 switchbacks of the walls of the fjord and up into the upper parts of Montenegro. Our destination was the small village of Njegusi, famous for its smoked ham, but it was only an excuse to drive back down the breathtaking turns that gave us unforgettable views of Boka Kotorska.
