Facts About Podgorica |
|
|---|---|
| Country | Montenegro |
| State | Podgorica |
| Founded | 9 AD |
| Area | 1.441 km2 |
| Population | 185937 |
| Lat Long Coordinates | 42°26′27.76″N19°15′46.17″E |
| Time Zone | UTC+1 |
| area Code | +382 20 |
| Language | Montenegrin |
| Major Religion | Christians (Eastern Orthodox),Islam,Atheists |
| Point of interest | Lake Skadar, Ostrog monastery, Tara River Canyon, Millennium Bridge, Ribnica, Sitnic |
About City :
Podgorica is the capital city of Montenegro and acts as the country’s administrative center. It is the largest city of the nation with a population of 150,000. The languages spoken here are Serbian, Montenegrin, Croatian and Romanian.
Podgorica was ruled by the Ottomans for four centuries from 1474 until Berlin Congress captured it in 1878. During the Second World War, the city was bombed over 70 times and was finally liberated in 1944. From 1946, it was known as Titograd and served as the capital of SFR Yugoslavia until, in 1992, the republic broke up and the city was named Podgorica.
From the onset of the 21st century, it has emerged as a pro-western and modern city with a promising economic and growth prospects.
Geography :
Located between the Dinaric Alps and Lake Scutari, the city lies in central Montenegro and one of its major features is the fact that it is extremely rich in water bodies. Apart from Lake Scutari, also known as Lake Skadar which is around 15 km to its south, rivers Morača and Ribnica flow through the city and the rivers Zeta, Cijevna, Sitnica and Mareza flow nearby. Situated at the northern end of the Zeta plain, Podgorica is mainly flat except for Gorica Hill, rising in the center of the city.
How to Reach (Transport) :
Situated about 12 kilometers south of the city, Podgorica Airport acts a base for Montenegro Airlines and is well connected to major European cities. Regular charter flights connect the city to a lot of cities including Zurich, Frankfurt, Moscow, Paris, Rome and Istanbul.
Train services connect Podgorica to other Montenegro towns, Belgrade and even the Balkans and the fares are quite cheap. Although, the trains are of a lower standard as compared to the rest of Europe, the journey itself is breathtaking and offers an amazingly picturesque view.
Podgorica has an extensive road network and is the hub of all the main roads in the country. But, the roads are mostly in poor shape and still in the planning stage. Inside the city, taxis are the best mode of transport with over 20 companies operating throughout the city. They are cheap and reliable and can be found all over Podgorica as well as be pre booked on phone.
Podgorica also has a well established bus network with domestic buses as well as buses to neighbouring cities. Buses inside the city are not really frequent. Major points of interest are easily accessible on foot from the city center.
When to Visit :
Podgorica features a typical Mediterranean climate with very hot and dry summers from the month of April until October. The rest of the year is pretty pleasant and cool and experiences mild winters. The best time to visit would be the spring or autumn seasons when the temperature is relatively low.
Fairs and Festivals :
Podgorica has a volley of festivals distributed across all throughout the year.
- A Tempo, held in April is an international music festival and promotes classical music. The festival lasts several days with both local and foreign soloists taking active part in it.
- Moraca River Diving Festival, celebrated in summer is listed in the World Cup calendar. Divers jump of the Vezirov Bridge in the city and the festival attracts a lot of celebrity guests, including world champion Orlando Duke who had not only participated in the festival but also won it.
- FIAT or Festival of the International Alternative Theatre is one of the best theater festivals in Europe and is held in the fall, usually in August or September. People from all over the continent come to witness the works of geniuses like Shakespeare, Beckett and Shaw in a completely different form.
- In December, Podgorica revels in the celebration of DEUS or December Artistic Scene which includes a lot of music and theater performances by the locals as well by people of nearby nations.
Other festivals include Ex-Yu Fest (February), Podgorica’s Ultra Marathon (March), Days of Marko Miljanov (May), International Book Fair (May), Podgorica Cultural Summer (June), Podgorica Marathon (October), etc.
Points of Interest (Places to Visit) :
Noteworthy points of visit in Podgorica are as follows :
- Stara Varos, a typical old Turkish town, is narrow, full of ruins and has some old mosques and a clock tower. This clock tower is one of the rare surviving Ottoman landmarks in the city.
- Millennium Bridge, a 140m long cable-stayed bridge, built over the Morača River and is one of the most notable landmarks of the city. It was opened in the year 2005.
- The Church of the Holy Heart of Jesus, in the Konik neighbourhood, was built in 1969. It is the only Roman Catholic Church in Podgorica.
- The Ribnica Bridge, the city’s oldest bridge was built during the time of the Roman reign. It underwent reconstruction in the 18th century.
Other interesting places in Podgorica are King Nikola’s Castle and Monument, the stairs or Skaline where river Ribnica falls into river Moraca, Trg Reoublike, Podgorica City Museum, Hristovog Vaskrsenja , St. George’s Church, National History Museum, etc.
Accommodation :
Podgorica Private Accommodations offers over 100 options to choose from, affordable to luxurious. The outskirt areas of the city consist of several motels which are the cheapest accommodation available here. Other budget hotels include Hotel Evropa and Montenegro Hostel Podgorica, both located very close to the train station. Cozy hotels like Hotel City, Hotel Podgorica and Kerber Hotel are among the mid range hotels available in the area. Podgorica has a few four-star hotels like Hotel Best Western Premier, Hotel Ambassador Podgorica and even smaller ones like Kosta’s and Bojatours. Luxury hotels include Hotel Ziya and Hotel Ramada Podgorica.