(44) Bar Ulcinj

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1 Bar Ulcinj Check in starts at 4 pm and lasts until 6 pm and afterwards you have enough time to make yourself at home and meet the other guests and crew with traditional welcome drink. After a short navigation we come at Ulcinj. Ulcinj is an ancient seaport. The wider area of Ulcinj has been inhabited since the Bronze age, based on dating of Illiryan tombs (tumuli) found in the village of Zogaj, in the vicinity of Ulcinj. The town is believed to have been founded in the 5th century BC by colonists from Colchis, as mentioned in the 3rd century BC poem by Apollonius of Rhodes. Illyrians lived in the region at the time as there are traces of immense Cyclopean walls still visible in the old citadel. In the pre-medieval period, Ulcinj was known as one of the pirate capitals of the Adriatic Sea. This is also seen during the later period of Illyrian kingdom. Inhabitants of Ulcinj were known before time of Christ, especially from 20 BC to around 300 AD, to be very confrontational to those who were Lady Sovereign II 1

2 foreigners to their land; they were especially meticulous about border disputes as well. In 1405 the Venetians conquered the town. Under Venetian control, the city was renamed Dulcigno in Italian, and it was incorporated in the Albania Veneta. The Venetians maintained control until 1571, when the Otoman Turks conquered Dulcigno and the remainder of Albania Veneta. It remained within the Ottoman domain for over 300 years, during which time its far-reaching reputation as a lair of pirates was established. Initially, this band of buccaneers comprised about 400 North Africans and Maltese corsairs, but before long many others was involved: Albanians, Turks and a certain number of Serbs. Romantic stories are legion. At first they used small galleys but they progressed to galleons built in the local shipyard. Their leaders, who achieved notoriety throughout the eastern Mediteranean, included the Karamindzoja brothers, Lika Ceni, Ali Hoxha and Uluc Alija. With the Objective of causing maximum confusion, their galleons would frequently change flags at sea. After a successful attack the pirates would celebrate with a roistering party on Rana (Mala Plaža), boiling oriental Halvah in great cauldrons stirred with an oar. Oars were used to divvy up the plundered treasure especially from Venetian, but also Austro-Hungarian, Greek and sometimes Turkish ships Ulcinj - Shkodër, Albania After breakfast a Road trip to Shkodër, Albania where things are a very different price! Ulcinj Ada Bojana In the afternoon we will take a speed boat to Ada Bojana, for swimming and simple water sports. Ada Bojana is estuary of the river Bojana to Adriatic Sea. At the end of the day we will BBQ, then head back to Ulcinj. Lady Sovereign II 2

3 Ulcinj Bigova After breakfast we start our trip from Ulcinj to Bigova. During the day we will serve lunch on the board and also make few stops for swimming. The village of Bigova (or Bigovo, as it is also known) is situated in a small, sheltered bay with rocky beaches and clear blue water. A tranquil seaside resort, it still retains the authentic identity of an ancient fishing village which attracts holiday-makers from around the world. They enjoy modern amenities together with the timeless feel of an unspoilt seaside village which once used to be visited by pirates and today attracts sunseekers from EU, Russia, US and other corners of the globe. Relaxing by the clear seawater, here you can forget all the worries of the world and truly rejuvenate. You can enjoy the privacy of your self-catering holiday home or mix with the other holiday-makers and the locals in one of their welcoming seafood restaurants. The sea is calm and perfect for swimming - choose an intimate, wild beach in Bigovo Bay or one of the long, sandy beaches along the Budva Riviera (a short drive away). Walking the scenic hills around Bigovo you'll enjoy spectacular views and discover other pretty villages of the unspoilt Lustica peninsula with its olive groves and meadows, secluded coves and blue flag beaches. Also within easy reach is the medieval walled town of Kotor, with its winding alleyways, Renaissance and Romanesque buildings. Bigova Tivat Like previous days after breakfast we start our trip for that day. We take direction from Bigova to Tivat. First stop will be in beautyfull bay Mirište for swimming and lunch on board. After that we follow our route to Tivat where we will come at the end of the day. The name Tivat apparently goes back to the 3rd century BC. According to most sources, the name comes from the old Illiryc queen Teute, who had a residence was in Risan and a summer residence between the church of St Roco in Donja Lastva and Seljanovo. The name could also come from the names of old Christian saints: Saint Theodulus. Besides the popular name Theudo, a Latin expression Latus Tiuveti comes from the 16th century. Finally, the name could originate from Celtic word "touto", town. Tivat, the youngest town in the Boka area was established on the plateau at the bottom of Vrmac. According to the archives of Kotor (then called "Cattaro"), the following names were mentioned here in the 14th century: Teude, Theode, and Theudo who are related to the queen Teuta. Archeological discoveries in modern times show that this area had been inhabited from prehistoric times. Many locations show that there were old Roman and Greek settlements there. Tombs and tombstones from the Roman period were discovered in Lastva and Opatovo. Lady Sovereign II 3

4 During the Middle Ages the fertile lands of the area belonged mostly to the aristocrats of Cattaro, Prčanj and Dobrota. Estates, castles and chalets were there as well as the collective church of St. Anton dating from Part of this inheritance, which was the property of the wealthy Dalmatian Italian Buca family, is a historic chalet which today houses Tivat s museums and galleries. The residence of the metropolitan of the Zetan diocese was built from the 13th to the 15th century on Prevlaka Island. Tivat (called Teodo in the Venetian language), under the Republic Venetia as a part of Albania Veneta from 1420 to In those centuries Teodo enjoyed economic development that attracted many Serbs as refugees from Ottomanareas. Some Venetian-style buildings are still standing today. Rapid development of Tivat started in the second of 19th century when the Austrian empire built a maritime arsenal for its fleet. Still the town shaped itself by developing small industry. was held half In the beginning of 1918, in the Tivat Bay sailors revolted against the mighty Austrian empire. With great approval and support, people from this area followed their revolutionary actions. The period between two world wars was marked with syndicate activity in Racica, Krtoli and Arsenal. Between 1941 and 1943 the town was part of the Italian Governatore of Dalmatia. In 1889 the Naval arsenal was built by Austrians, and was later used as a naval military base of the Italian Navy, the Yugoslav People's Army and the Army of Montenegro. The JNA enjoyed an international reputation as a powerful, well-equipped, and well-trained force. The base was also used by Russia and Libya as the technical base for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of their ships and submarines. The new owner of the naval base, Canadian billionaire Peter Munk, announced plans in 2011 to build in Tivat a luxury marina for mega-yachts, "Porto Montenegro", which he claims will turn the city into the "Monaco of the southern Adriatic." Lady Sovereign II 4

5 Tivat Kotor After breakfast we start our trip for today, direction from Tivat to Kotor. Again during day we will make few stops for swimming and lunch on board. At the end of the day we will arrive in Kotor. The old Meditteranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Some have called it the southern-most fjord in Europe, but it is a ria, a submerged river canyon. Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive and picturesque Mediterranean landscape. In recent years, Kotor has seen a steady increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ship. Visitors are attracted both by the natural beauty of the Gulf of Kotor and by the old town of Kotor. Kotor is part of the World Heritage Site dubbed the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor. tor has been fortified since the early Middle Ages, when Emperor Justinian built a fortress above Acruvium in 535, after expelling the Ostrogoths; a second town probably grew up on the heights round it, for Constantine Porphyrogenitus, in the 10th century, alludes to Lower Kotor. The city was plundered by the Saracens in 840. Kotor was one of the more influential Dalmatian city-states of romanized Illyrians throughout the Middle Ages, and until the 11th century the Dalmatian languages was spoken in Kotor. In 1002, the city suffered damage under the occupation of the First Bulgarian Empire, and in the following year it was ceded to Serbia by the Bulgarian Tsar Samuil. However, the local population resisted the pact and, taking advantage of its alliance with the Republic of Ragusa, only submitted in 1184, while maintaining its republican institutions and its right to conclude treaties and engage in war. It was already an episcopal see, and, in the 13th century, Dominican and Franciscan monasteries were established to check the spread of Bogomilism. Lady Sovereign II 5

6 During the Nemanjić dinasty-era, the city was autonomous. With the fall of the Serbian Empire, the city came under the Serbian Despotate. The city acknowledged the suzerainty of the Republic of Venice in In the 14th century, commerce in Kotor (as the city was called until 1918) competed with that of the nearby Republic of Ragusa and of the Republic of Venice. The city was part of the Venetian Albania province of the Venetian Republic from 1420 to It was besieged by the Ottomans in 1538 and Four centuries of Venetian domination have given the city the typical Venetian architecture, that contributed to make Kotor a UNESCO world heritage site. In those centuries Renaissance-related literature enjoyed a huge development in Kotor: the most famous writers were Bernardo Pima, Nicola Chierlo, Luca Bisanti, Alberto de Gliricis, Domenico and Vincenzo Burchia, Vincenzo Ceci, Antonio Zambella and Francesco Morandi. In the 14th- and 15th centuries, there was an influx of settlers from the oblasts of Trebinje (the region around forts Klobuk Ledenica and Rudina) and the Hum lands (Gacko and Dabar) to Kotor. The Italian name of the city is Cattaro While under Venetian rule, Kotor was besieged by the Ottoman Empire in 1538 and 1657, endured the plague in 1572, and was nearly destroyed by earthquakes in 1563 and It was also ruled by Ottomans at brief periods. After the Treaty of Campo Formio in 1797, it passed to the Habsburg Monarchy. However, in 1805, it was assigned to the French Empire's client state, the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy by the Treaty of Pressburg, although in fact held by a Russian squadron under Dmitry Senyavin. After the Russians retreated, Kotor was united in 1806 with this Kingdom of Italy and then in 1810 with the French Empire's Illiriyan provinces. Kotor was captured by British in attack on the Bay led by Commodore John Harper in the brig sloop HMS Saracen (18 guns). To seal off Kotor, residents along the shore literally pulled the ship in windless conditions with ropes. The Saracen's crew later hauled naval 18-pounder guns above Fort St. John, the fortress near Kotor, and were reinforced by Captain William Hoste with his ship HMS Basschante (38 guns). The French garrison had no alternative but to surrender, which it did on 5 January 1814.It was restored to the Habsburg Monarchy by the Congress of Vienna. Until 1918, the town was head of the district of the same name, one of the 13 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in the Kingdom of Dalmatia. In World War I, Kotor was one of three main bases of the Austro-Hungarian Navy and homeport to the Austrian Fifth Fleet, consisting of predreadnought battleships and light cruisers. The area was the site of some of the fiercest battles between local Montenegrin Slavs and Austri-Hungary. After 1918, the city became a part of Yugoslavia and officially became known as Kotor. Lady Sovereign II 6

7 Kotor Perast (44) The Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) cuts deeply into the coastline of the southern part of the Yugoslav Adriatic, creating four spectacular bays ringed in mountains, the fjords of the Mediterranean. The little town of Perast is situated at the foot of St. Elijah Hill (873 m), opposite the narrow Verige strait, where the innermost bays of Risan and Kotor converge. This easternmost shore was the earliest inhabited area in the Boka. The remains of a Neolithic culture (3500 BC) have been discovered in the caves of Spila above Perast and various archeological finds provide evidence of civilization dating from Illyrian, Roman and early Christian periods. Preceded by two jewel-like islands, Perast is focused on the sea. From the interaction between mainland and bay, the inherent contrast of stone and water, the dialogue of island and wave, sometimes in harmony but often in conflict, this sea-faring town has derived its unity, strength and sense of purpose. Despite its size, a sophisticated urban structure has arisen, demonstrated by the proportion, scale, massing and rhythm of the great number of public buildings, especially along the waterfront. Perast Herceg Novi After breakfast we sail to Herceg Novi. We will sail through beautyful Boka Bay and stay on anchor for swimming. Lunch will be serve on the boat. At the end of the day we will take a berth in Herceg Novi port. Bosnian King Tvrtko I founded Herceg Novi as an important stop on the route of the salt trade. Positioned at the entrance of Boka Kotorska Bay, it is not only conveniently positioned for trade, but it is also the youngest of all the old towns on the coast here. Herceg Novi was an object of desire from its founding. It was conquered and damaged by the Turks in 1482, 1493 and 1508, and was under Spanish rule for a time in In 1539, Admiral Hajrudin Barbarosa of the Turkish Matirime fleet regained control over the town after a short altercation with the Spaniards. Turkey ruled again until 1687 from then until 1797, the town was ruled by the Venetian Republic. After the fall of Venetian rule, Herceg Novi saw several more rulers, including the Austrians from , the Russians until 1807, and the French until 1814, though the town was under the administration of Boka Kotorska Bay and Montenegro for a time in In 1814, Austria regained control of the town and remained so until 1918 Lady Sovereign II 7

8 when the First World War left Herceg Novi under the control of Italy and Germany. The town remained under the control of these two countries until after the Second World War. From the sea, the view of Herceg Novi is breathtaking. A tradition of importing seeds, exotic plants, trees and fruits from around the world has transformed Herceg Novi into a veritable botanic garden, carefully tended and expanded over centuries. Built on a series of terraces, this Town Garden is positioned perfectly, with a view of the open sea and two peninsulas, Luštica and Prevlaka. Herceg Novi is also known as the Town of Writers. The list of famous writers for whom Herceg Novi was a muse is a long one, and includes Aleksa Šantic, Simo Matavulj, Ivo Andrić (Noble prize for literature), Mihajlo Lalić, Stevan Raičković, Dušan Kostić and Zuko Džumhur. Andrić s house is today the Writer's Club and the Town Museum lies just a few houses away. Even today, one can meet writers in Salt Bookstore on the main square. Writers have always been fascinated with Herceg Novi and this love for the town grows with each new generation. Perhaps it is the dominating blues and greens of this sealandscape that brings tranquility and inspiration. Herceg Novi Budva After breakfast we start from Herceg Novi to Budva. On our trip we will pass island Mamula which was a prison in history. We will drop the anchor in front of the island Sveti Stefan for swimming and lunch on board. At the end of the day we will arrive in Budva. Montenegro also has its Mykonos. And Budva is the center of entertainment, clear beaches with crystal clear water. A Legend has it that the city was founded by Cadmus, the son of the Phoenician king Agenor, who, banished from Teba, landed with a cart pulled by oxen on the Adriatic coast. In the historic center a Roman necropolis was discovered and in the summer, Budva becomes the capital of the theater. Budva City- Theatre is in fact one of the most important artistic and cultural events throughout the region. For lovers of the early hours and after, Top Hill is the disco-club in the hills which is to be included among the places to see. The artists like Madonna and Lenny Kravitz have not missed the opportunity to perform on the beaches of Budva, where unspoiled nature fans find the organized and efficient campsite parking. Lady Sovereign II 8

9 A flourishing black slave trade arose through the port of Tripoli and involved the export of North African adults and children, some as young as two or three years old, who were either sold on or put to work on their owners lands or ships. There were over 100 slave houses in Ulcinj, with the main square serving as the local slave market. It can still be seen in the old town. It has been claimed that in 1571 the Spanish writer Cervantes was at first imprisoned in the vaults along the market, after he was wounded in the battle of Lepanto and captured by the pirates. There may be some poetic license in this detail; as at Sveti Stefan any number of luminaries may have slept there. When Lika Ceni destroyed a ship full of pilgrims en route to Mecca, the Sultan put a large reward on his head. Then he put an even bigger reward on the head of a Greek pirate called Lembo. Lika vanquished Lembo, pocketed the reward and was given the title of captain by the Sultan. Some North Africans came to Ulcinj not as slaves but of their own volition. Ritual dances would be performed on a part on Rana known as Arabian Field. They danced to an amalgam of Balkan and African music, which in time developed into the exotic Sharaveli, a version which is still around. A few families of African descent remain today. In the 17th century a self-proclaimed Jewish Messiah named Sabbatai Zevi caused turmoil throughout the Turkish Empire with his evangelizing, which attracted thousands of followers. He was eventually captured and exiled to Ulcinj in 1666, where he died quietly ten years later. He was buried in the courtyard of a Muslim house which is still preserved as a mausoleum; along with two Jewish alters in the Balšic Tower. In 1867, Ulcinj became a kaza of the Iskodra sanjak of Rumeli veyalet. After the Congress of Berlin in 1878, borders between Montenegro and the Ottoman Empire were redrawn, with Ulcinj becoming part of Montenegro. Although prepared to cede Plav, Gusinje and the Albanian villages of Grude, Hoti and Kastrati, Turkey still wanted to retain Ulqinj. Ultimately Montenegro, supported by Gladstone and others from western Europe, resisted and on 30 November 1880 the town became de jure part of the Montenegro which achieved recognition, but de facto only in 1880 after Great Powers occupation. Lady Sovereign II 9

10 Bar Old town Bar Road trip to Old town Bar Disembarking in Bar. The next morning Breakfast on board is included. See destination on the website for an interactive maps. Lady Sovereign II 10