=MUNTENEGRU=

Crna Gora, transliterated as "Black Mountain", is mentioned for the first time

in 1296 and the origin of the term lies in a Slavic term for mountainous regions. Mentioned in most House of Nemanji's edicts and in subsequent Venetian sources of the 13th and 14th centuries, signifying the area of the Upper Zeta, the name stabilized as a principality in the second half of the 15th century under Lord Ivan Crnojevi. (mostly confounding erroneously the term with the dynasty's name, which both have similar roots). The aforementioned region became known as Old Montenegro (Stara Crna Gora) by the 19th century to distinguish it from the newly acquired territory, the country further increased its size several times by the 20th century as the result of wars against the Ottomans. The nation has changed little since that time, though it lost Metohija and gained the Bay of Kotor. Ancient times: The first recorded settlers of present-day Montenegro were Illyrians, the Docleata. In 9 AD the Romans conquered the region. Slavs colonized the area in the 5th and 6th centuries. Middle Ages: The country gained its independence from the Byzantine Empire in 1042. Over the next few decades, it expanded its territory and also became recognized as a kingdom. Its power started declining at the end of the 11th century and by 1186, it was conquered by Stefan Nemanja and incorporated into Serbian realm (teritoriile sarbesti). The newly acquired land, called Zeta, was governed by the Serbian Nemanji dynasty. After the Serbian Empire collapsed in the second half of the 14th century, another family (the Balis) came to prominence. After 1455 other noble family from Zeta, the Crnojevis, ruled Montenegro until 1499, making it the last free monarchy of the Balkans before it fell to the Ottomans. Ottoman rule: In the 16th century Montenegro developed a form of unique autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. Nevertheless the Montenegrins refused to accept Ottoman rule and in the 17th century raised numerous rebellions, culminating with the defeat of the Ottomans in the Great Turkish War at the end of that century. Montenegro was flourishing since the Petrovi-Njego became the traditional prince-bishops (whose title was "Vladika of Montenegro"). The Venetian Republic introduced governors that meddled in Montenegrin politics; when the republic was succeeded by the Austrian Empire in 1797, the governors were abolished by Prince-Bishop Petar II in 1832. Principality of Montenegro: Under Nicholas I, the Principality was enlarged several times in the Montenegro-Turkish Wars and was recognised as independent in 1878. Under the rule of Nicholas I, diplomatic relations were established with the Ottoman Empire - approximately 30 years of peace between the two states.

One of the biggest in Montenegrin victories over the Ottomans occurred at the Battle of Grahovac. Grand Duke Mirko Petrovi, elder brother of Knjaz Danilo, led an army of 7,500 and defeated the numerically superior Ottomans who had 13,000 troops at Grahovac on 1 May 1858. This forced the Great Powers to officially demarcate the borders between Montenegro and Ottoman Empire, de facto recognizing Montenegro's independence. The first Montenegrin constitution was proclaimed in 1855; it was also known as the Danilo Code. Kingdom of Montenegro: In 1910 Montenegro became a Kingdom and as a result of the Balkan wars in 1912 and 1913 (in which the Ottomans lost all Balkan land). In World War I in 1914 Montenegro sided with Serbia against the Central Powers, suffering a full scale defeat to Austria-Hungary in early 1916. In 1918 the Allies liberated Montenegro, which was subsequently merged with Serbia. Unification and Christmas Uprising: During World War I (1914 1918) Montenegro ERA DE PARTEA the Allied Powers. From 15 January 1916 to October 1918, Montenegro was occupied by Austria-Hungary. When the Allies liberated Montenegro, the National Assembly of Podgorica was convened and voted to ban the King from returning and to unite the country with the Kingdom of Serbia on 1 December 1918, in violation of the Montenegrin Constitution. In the Christmas Uprising, a large part of the Montenegrin population rebelled against this decision to unify with Serbia and, led by their military leader Krsto Zrnov Popovi, fought against the pro-unification forces. The Royal Family was rehabilitated in 2011, by the government and today is headed by Crown Prince Nicholas II who has his own foundation. Independent State of Montenegro" - In 1941, Benito Mussolini occupied Montenegro and annexed it to the Kingdom of Italy. The Queen of Italy, Elena of Montenegro influenced her husband Victor Emmanuel III to suggest that Mussolini make Montenegro independent of Yugoslavia. After the spring of 1942, much of the Sandak region, which was included in the state of Montenegro, was not actually controlled by its government. The area of the Bay of Kotor (the Venetian Cattaro) was annexed to the Dalmatian province of Italy until September 1943. After the departure of the Italians, Montenegro remained under the direct control of German troops, with a terrible and bloody guerrilla war ravaging the area. In December 1944 the German troops withdrew and Josip Broz Tito's Partisans assumed control. Montenegro within Socialist Yugoslavia - Montenegro, like the rest of the Yugoslavia, was liberated by the Yugoslav Partisans in 1944. On 13 July 1941 Montenegrins stood up against the fascists and joined Communist partisans. Montenegro became a constituent of the six republics of the communist Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), its capital became Podgorica

renamed Titograd in honour of President Josip Broz Tito. After the war, the infrastructure of Yugoslavia was rebuilt, industrialization began and the University of Montenegro was established. Greater autonomy was established until the Socialist Republic of Montenegro ratified a new constitution 1974. Dissolution of Socialist Yugoslavia and forming of FR Yugoslavia After the dissolution of the SFRY in 1992, Montenegro remained part of a smaller Federal Republic of Yugoslavia along with Serbia. In the referendum on remaining in Yugoslavia in 1992 the votes cast in favour of the federation with Serbia. The referendum was boycotted by the Muslim, Albanian and Catholic minorities as well as the pro-independence Montenegrins. During the 19911995 Bosnian War and Croatian War, Montenegrin police and military forces joined Serbian troops in the attacks on Dubrovnik, Croatia. These acts of aggression, aimed at acquiring more territory, were characterized by a consistent pattern of gross and systematic violation of human rights. After 1996 Montenegro formed its own policy and adopted the German Deutsche Mark as its currency and subsequently adopted the Euro, although not part of the Eurozone currency union. In 2002, Serbia and Montenegro came to a new agreement regarding continued cooperation and entered into negotiations regarding the future status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 2003, the Yugoslav federation was replaced in favour of a more decentralized state union named Serbia and Montenegro. Independence - The status of the union between Montenegro and Serbia was decided by the referendum on Montenegrin independence on 21 May 2006. A total of 419,240 votes were cast, representing 86.5% of the total electorate. 230,661 votes (55.5%) were for independence and 185,002 votes (44.5%) were against. Serbia, the member-states of the European Union, and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council all recognized Montenegro's independence. On 3 June 2006, the Montenegrin Parliament declared the independence of Montenegro, formally confirming the result of the referendum. Serbia did not object to the declaration.

BUDVA History - There is vast archaeological evidence that places Budva among the oldest urban settlements of the Adriatic coast. Substantial documentary evidence provides historical references dating back to the 5th century BC.

A legend recounts that Budva was founded by Cadmus the Phoenician, a hero exiled out of Thebes, Greece, finding a shelter in this place for himself and his wife Harmonia. Two other civilizations also left innumerable traces: the Greek and the Roman. Upon the fall of the Roman empire and its division into east and west, the defensive barrier which separated the two powers happened to run across this area, subsequently making a lasting impact on the history and culture of this town. The Venetians ruled the town for nearly 400 years, from 1420 to 1797. Budva, called Budua in those centuries, was part of the Venetian Republic region of The Bay of Kotor (Albania Veneta) and was fortified by powerful Venetian walls against Ottoman conquests. In the very turbulent years that followed, Budva saw a change of several of its supreme rulers Austria, France and Russia. A union of Boka Kotorska (and Budva) with Montenegro took place for a brief period (18131814), but from 1814 until 1918 Budva remained under Austrian Empire. After WWI, in 1918 Serbian army entered Budva abandoned by Austrian forces and it came under the Kingdom of Yugoslavia but later was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1941. During World War II many people of this area died in the fight between partizans and Axis troops. Budva was finally liberated from Nazi rule on 22 November 1944 and, after belonging once again to Yugoslavia, is now part of the newly independent Montenegro. A catastrophic earthquake struck Budva on 15 April 1979. Much of old town was devastated, but today there is little evidence of the catastrophe almost all the buildings were restored to their original form. LEGEND The legend of the foundation of Budva - BATHUA, BUTOBA, BUTUA today Budva hides its name behind the most famous authentic story about the foundation of the town from VI century. The foundation of Budva is connected to the founder of the town Thebe, a mythical personality and the son of the Phoenician King Agenor Kadmus. Namely, Kadmus and his wife Harmonija in their old ages were exiled from Thebe and on the ox driven vehicles they directed themselves to the land of today Budva, where they have founded a new town BOUTHOE Budva. According to the legend, it is by the oxen that Budva got its name, (Bous in Greek Ox). Still, because of some murder that Kadmo committed in his youth, the punishment of Gods came onto him, so the spouses (Kadmo and Harmonija), according to the legend, were turned into snakes. SVETI STEFAN I MILOCER Sveti Stefan, a town hotel, is located on an island connected to the mainland by a narrow strip that has two red colored sandy beaches. Originally built by traders and fishermen in the XV century, it became a town hotel in 1960.

Milocer, located close to Sveti Stefan, was once famous as a summer residence of the Karadjordjevic Royal Family. The great number of rare plants, beautiful beaches and top service hotels and villas at Milocer guarantee a wonderful holiday. KOTOR Kotor, first mentioned in 168 BC, was settled during Ancient Roman times, when it was known as Acruvium and was part of the Roman Province of Dalmatia. Kotor 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 in the 10th century. Until the 11th century the Dalmatian language was spoken in Kotor. In 1002, the city suffered damage under occupation of the First Bulgarian Empire, and in the following year it was ceded to Serbia by the Bulgarian Tsar (TAR) Samuel. In the 13th century, Dominican and Franciscan monasteries were established. In the 14th century, commerce in Cattaro, as the city was then called, 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 1797, except for periods of Ottoman rule in 15381571 and 1657-1699. Four centuries of Venetian domination have given the city the typical Venetian architecture that contributed to make Kotor a UNESCO world heritage site. PERAST The Republic of Venice owned the city between 1420 and 1797 as part of the Venetian Albania. The city's sixteen Baroque palaces were mostly built in this period, as were its seventeen Catholic churches and two Orthodox churches. The old city does not have a defensive wall, but instead it has nine defensive towers, the most important of which is the tower of the Holy Cross. These were built by the navy of the Venetian Republic in the 15th and 16th centuries. On 15 April, 1654 an Ottoman force from Herzegovina assaulted Perast. Perast was at its peak in the 18th century under the Venetian Republic, when it had a fleet of around one hundred ships, and 1,643 residents. From 1941 to 1943 during World War II, after Benito Mussolini had annexed the territories around Kotor to the Kingdom of Italy, Perasto returned under the influence of Venice. After 1945, Perast was restored to Yugoslavia, and it has been part of Montenegro since its independence in 2006. INSULELE (PE PARTEA STANGA) Our Lady of the Rocks (Montenegrin: Gospa od krpjela) is one of the two islets off the coast of Perast in Bay of Kotor, Montenegro (the other being Sveti ore Island INS. SF. GEORGE). It is an artificial island created by bulwark of rocks and by sinking old and seized ships loaded with rocks. The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rocks (Italian: Chiesa della Madonna dello Scarpello) is the only building on the islet.

 According to legend, the islet was made over the centuries by the seamen who kept an ancient oath after finding the icon of Madonna and Child on the rock in the sea on July 22, 1452. Upon returning from each successful voyage, they laid a rock in the Bay. Over time, the islet gradually emerged from the sea. The custom of throwing rocks into the sea is alive even nowadays. Every year on the sunset of July 22, an event called fainada, when local residents take their boats and throw rocks into the sea, widening the surface of the island, takes place. The first known church was built on the islet in 1452 and it was Serbian Orthodox. It was taken over by Roman Catholics and in 1632 the present Church of Our Lady of the Rocks was built. It was upgraded in 1722. The church contains 68 paintings by Tripo Kokolja, a famous 17th-century baroque artist from Perast. His most important painting, ten meters long, is The Death of the Virgin. There are also paintings by Italian artists, and an icon (circa 1452) of Our Lady of the Rocks, by Lovro Dobrievi of Kotor. The church also houses a collection of silver votive tablets and a famous votive tapestry embroidered by Jacinta Kuni-Mijovi from Perast. It took her 25 years to finish it while waiting her darling to come from a long journey, and eventually, she became blind. She used golden and silver fibres but what makes this tapestry so famous is the fact that she also embroidered her own hair in it. Ostrvo Sveti ore (English: Island of Saint George) is one of the two islets off the coast of Perast in Bay of Kotor. Unlike Gospa od krpjela, it is a natural island. The island contains Saint George Benedictine monastery from the 12th century and the old graveyard for the old nobility from Perast and further from the whole Bay of Kotor. Legend of Dobrota Two travelers, who were traveling around the world, came to the grey sea. As they were already exhausted from the long trip, they sat on some kind of a rock to get some rest and to refresh themselves. One of them moved a little bit t a side and noticed a plaque with some inscription on it. The inscription said: "Measure 10 lengths dig and stop". When they read that, they wondered what could that be, so they started to guess together what that instruction could mean. At one moment they came to an idea to measure 10 lengths with the plaque, and so they did. When they measured the required length, they started to dig a small hole in the ground and they found some kind of a small chest.They tried to open it, but to their astonishment, the chest opened by itself. At the bottom of the chest with golden letters it was written "this is everyone goodness". For a long time they thought what they should do?! Whether to stay where they are, or to continue their journey? Still, as the message was like some kind of a vow, they stayed in the place where they have found the message. At the same place they quickly made a cottage, and went to sleep.

During the night something very strange happened. From the wooden chest, some new shiny letters glimmered. The new message said: "Wish whatever you want before sleep"!!! As both of the travelers from the beginning of the story were poor, they wished for nice stone houses and beautiful wives. When they woke up in the morning they were speechless. They saw a white castle and a woman on the window looking towards the sea. They immediately moved into the new home, and continued to live in ease. Since that, every night before they went to sleep they wished for another nice house, of which every morning one emerged. That is how Dobrota, near Kotor, was founded. HERTEG NOVI Herceg Novi was founded 600 years ago (in 1382 year). The fortification facilities in the town fortresses from the Turkish, Venetian, Spanish, and Austrian period- testify about those long gone days. According to the most relevant historical data Herceg Novi was founded by the Bosnian King Tvrtko I in 1382. Its former names were Sveti Stefan (ST. STEFAN), NOVI, CASTRUM NOVUM, CASTEL NUOVO.

Croatia
Croatia is a Central European country located on the Mediterranean or to be precise Adriatic Sea. The whole country stretches in the form of an arc from the Danube in the northeast to Istria in the west and Dubrovnik Region in the southeast. The capital of Croatia is Zagreb.

The Croatia is known as the land of the thousand islands because of its Adriatic coast which is among the most indented in the world: 1185 islands and islets form a coastline of 4,058 km, the total length of the mainland coast being 1777 km. If we would to divide Croatia geographically we could do it into three major natural and geographic parts: The Pannonian and Peri-Pannonian area comprises of lowlands and hilly parts located in the eastern and northwestern Croatia; mountains higher than 500 m are rare and of an insular character. This is mostly farm area especially Slavonija and Baranja in the east. Humid valleys and the hills are richly afforested while the northwestern part, which gravitates to Zagreb, is industrially developed. The hilly and mountainous area, separates Pannonian Croatia from its coastal part. This region is charecterized by a intense growth of the already existing wood and timber industry, and the still underexploited potential for the production of healthy food, and winter and rural tourism. The Adriatic Area includes the narrow coastal belt separated from the hinterland by high mountains. This area is the Croatia's touristic heaven as thousands and thousands of tourists swarm to Croatia to bathe in its warm and crystal clear Adriatic Sea thus the tourist slogan "The Mediterranean as it once was" Climate of the coastal part is typically Mediterranean, which means, mild winters with dry hot summers, winter temperatures range from 5 to 10C and summer temperatures from 26 to 30C. Continental part is a bit on a colder side, a typical european continental climate, winter temperatures from -1 to 3C and summer temperatures from 22 to 26C except in the mountainous regions where temperatures range from -5 to 0C in winter time and 15 to 20C in summer time. Being a country of many natural beauties Croatia has done a lot in order to preserve its beauty and share it with the world so we have manynational parks and parks of nature. Croatia is a parlamentary multyparty democracy with a population of 4.437.460. The largest city is Zagreb with around 750 000 inhabitants. In teritorial administrative structure there are 20 counties and the Town of Zagreb a standalone administrative unit. In the whole country there are alltogether 121 towns and 416 communities. Larger cities are: Dubrovnik, Gospic, Karlovac, Osijek, Pula, Rijeka, Slavonski Brod, Sisak, Split, Sibenik, Varazdin, Vukovar, Zadar

The flag of the Republic of Croatia consists of three bands of color red, white and blue with the Croatian coat-of-arms in the center. (flag) (coat of arms) The Republic of Croatia's national anthem is "Lijepa nasa domovino" ("Our Beautiful Homeland") written by Antun Mihanovic.

DUBROVNIK Onofrios Fountains Great and Small [Velika i mala Onofrijeva fontana] One of the first spectacular sights that greets you when you enter Stradun from the Pile Gate is the Great Onofrio Fountain, with its huge central dome and sixteen water taps all around. A ledge and steps around the water trough provide a perfect resting spot for tired sightseers. The fountain is the end point of the aqueduct that architects Onofrio dell Cava and Andriuzzi de Bulbilo built from a source near the river, almost 12km away, one of the first aqueducts to be built on the territories of todays Croatia. Completed in 1438, the fountain was once more ornate with a massive cupola, but was damaged in the great earthquake and never repaired. Onofrios small fountain is an elegant little masterpiece decorated with playful dolphins that stands near the tower at the other end of Stradun. The Franciscan Monastery of the Friars Minor and the Old Pharmacy [Franjevaki samostan i stara apoteka Male brae] The Romanesque cloister of the Franciscan monastery is an absolute delight, decorated with the remnants of old frescoes, and with delicate pillars surrounding a garden where orange trees grow. The monastery is most famous for its pharmacy, among the oldest in Europe and the oldest one still working. The monastery houses a museum where you can see original items from the pharmacy, plus an extensive library with precious incunabula, manuscripts, a large collection of musical notations and a treasury of artworks. Outside the Church of the Little Brothers on Stradun youll see a lovely relief of the Pieta, and, on a lighter note, a gargoyle below knee height. The trick is to stand on it facing the wall its the test of a real man! Mass: 07:00 and 19:00, Sun 07:00, 09:30, 11:00 and 19:00. The Church of St Blaise [Crkva sv. Vlaha] Named after the saint protector of Dubrovnik, this is perhaps the church most beloved of the citys people. Sitting four square on Stradun, its stained glass windows by local artist Ivo Duli (1971) lit up at night make a wonderful show. A church has stood on this spot since 1368, but following a fire, the present church (1717) was built in Baroque style by Venetian architect Marino Gropelli, who was also sculptor of the statue of St Blaise standing above the entrance to the church, protectively holding a

scale model of the Old Town in his hand. The churchs front steps are the setting for some of the most important events of the life of the city, including New Years Eve and the opening night of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, which always used to include a concert by legendary renaissance-pop group and Eurovision contestants The Troubadours. Mass in foreign languages can be arranged by appointment. The City Walls, Bastions and Pile & Ploe Gates [Gradske zidine, tvrave, gradska vrata Pile, Vrata od Ploa] Almost two kilometres in length, Dubrovniks city walls are among the best preserved and most attractive on this planet, and a walk along them is an absolute must. The defences were built between the 8th and the 16th centuries. The fact that on the land side they are almost 6m thick in places shows their primary purpose as defence against attack from the mountainous hinterland the Ottoman Empire, for example, lay just a few kilometers inland. The walls were strengthened by myriad towers and bastions, and were never breached the Republic of Dubrovnik only fell after Napoleons armies were invited in on condition that they would respect its independence. Two further fortresses, Revelin to the east and Lovrijenac, on a headland just west of the Old Town, provided additional strategic defence. Revelin is a venue for concerts during the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. Lovrijenac is one of the most atmospheric venues of the festival, with traditional performances of Hamlet taking place under the stars. Your ticket to the city walls includes entrance to Lovrijenac, and it's well worth visiting. It was for some time used as a prison, and is surrounded by delightful parkland with some of the best views of the city, a great picnic spot. The Mineta fort, just north of the Pile gate, with its stylized battlements, is one of the symbols of the city, and St Johns fortress houses the Maritime Museum and Aquarium. Apart from the fortresses, each of which has its own story and character, the Pile and Ploe gates are also masterpieces. From these gates, you now access the Old Town over stone bridges ending in drawbridges spanning the moat, now filled with park benches and orange trees. Above the gates youll see reliefs of St Blaise, protector of the city.

The Rectors Palace [Kneev dvor] One of the loveliest buildings in the city and the seat of the Rector, the figurehead of the Republic elected within the nobility, whose term lasted for just one month confining him to these quarters which he could only leave on official occasions and religious holidays. The building changed its appearance after two explosions of gunpowder stored here, and its current appearance is mainly thanks to the renaissance

designs of Juraj Dalmatinac of Zadar and Michelozzo Mihelozzi of Florence in the 1460s. Alterations were added in baroque style in the 17th century following the earthquake, and since the original building by Onofrio della Cava, creator of the city aqueduct and fountains, was in gothic style, the result is a blend of styles which is timelessly romantic. The palaces frontage has a delightful colonnade with choir style decorative stone benches. Inside, a beautiful courtyard is the venue for recitals and concerts. The palace is now a museum where you can view the richly appointed offices and quarters of the Rector, plus the arsenal, courtroom and prison cells. Artworks, costumes and domestic objects of the period are all on display. Stradun, Placa When talking about finding your way around town, youll often hear people referring to Stradun, which you wont see on any street signs. Its the unofficial name for the main street Placa that joins the two main entrances to the Old Town at Ploe in the east and Pile in the west. The name comes from the Italian strada, meaning street. With its shining limestone flags and the uniform baroque buildings that line it, it is itself one of the best known sights of Dubrovnik. Its the place people bump into and chat with friends on their daily business, and dress up for a stroll in the evening or at coffee time. Stradun marks the dividing line between the earliest settlement and the parts of the city that followed. This first settlement was on the land south of Stradun, and was then named Laus, Greek for rock, since it was originally an island. From the name Laus came Raus, Rausa and then Ragusa. Although Laus has probably been inhabited by Illyrian peoples since the 4th century, it was colonised in the 7th century by Greco-Roman refugees from Cavtat fleeing Slav incursions. Later, Slavs settled the land across the narrow, marshy channel this settlement was called Dubrava, from the Slav word for oak tree. The channel was filled in during the 12th century, thus creating Stradun, and the two towns integrated and began to build the city walls.