Podgorica

Podgorica sits where the Ribnica joins the Morača on a plain below the mountains, and it was destroyed almost completely by bombing in the Second World War, which is why the city is largely modern. What survived is the Stara Varoš, the Ottoman quarter, with a clock tower of the seventeenth century and two mosques, and the Ribnica bridge. The Millennium Bridge and the Cathedral of the Resurrection are the modern landmarks.

Background

Podgorica lies at the confluence of the Ribnica and the Morača, where the southern foothills of the Dinaric Alps meet the northern tip of the Zeta Plain. After 1946 it grew quickly from a small town into the country's largest city, home to nearly a third of its people. Its economy, once built on heavy industry and manufacturing, now rests on services. The city is the hub of the national road and rail network, its airport is the main international gateway, and it hosts the National Theatre, while much of the country's historic heritage remains in Cetinje, the old royal capital.

Source: Wikipedia, "Podgorica"

What you'll find

• The Stara Varos - the surviving Ottoman quarter with its clock tower and mosques.
• The Ribnica bridge - the old crossing at the confluence of the two rivers.
• The Millennium Bridge - the cable-stayed bridge over the Moraca.
• The Cathedral of the Resurrection - the large modern Orthodox cathedral.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the most comfortable; Podgorica is one of the hottest cities in the region in July and August. Evenings are when the centre is liveliest. Winter is grey and wet.

Practical notes

Summer heat here regularly exceeds forty degrees and the city empties. There is little historic fabric after the wartime destruction. Most visitors treat it as a transit point.

Nearby

Doclea is north, and Lake Skadar is south.

Key facts