My trip took me into Montenegro and around the Boca Kotorska, the mouth, which is major inlet that is connected to the sea by a passage. Surrounded by high mountains the inlet curves around the mountains which run parallel with the sea, forming what must by one the safest anchorages on earth. Our journey took us all around the inlet to the town of Kotor on its furthest and safest point, a place of strategic importance for centuries. In many ways a sort of Dubrovnik in miniature, an old city heavily defended by city walls and fortifications that stretched up high up the mountainside. Again another car free city that’s great to wander about despite having to share it with passengers from a cruise ship, which makes it feel very crowded.

There are subtle differences between Croatia and Montenegro, things are not as well maintained, the roads are narrower and it’s a bit shabby in parts. The Cyrillic alphabet is used for some notices and signs, and some cars have Serbian plates. In Kotor, there are Orthodox churches filled with incense and icons and decorated with the Serbian flag next to baroque Catholic churches. Despite Montenegro not being in the EU, it uses the Euro as its national currency.

We drive onto the seaside resort of Budva which looks a prosperous place with lots of buildings going up; mostly apartments aimed at the Serbian/Russian market and a large shopping mall. On the seashore the beach is packed with good looking young men and women all having a good time; if you’re young it looks like a great place to go for a holiday. On the way back we cross the Boca’s mouth on a ferry that crosses at the narrowest part, for the short drive into Croatia. 

The part of Croatia I visited is a thin slither of territory that hugs the coast, bordered by Bosnia Herzegovina to the north and Montenegro to the south. This was land that was fought over during the Yugoslav wars, where Cavtat, where I stayed was occupied by Serb and Montenegrin forces who moved up the coast to besiege the city of Dubrovnik. I didn’t follow the war in any great detail but one of my clearest memories is watching dun shells bounce off the great walls of Dubrovnik on the nine o’clock news. The Croatians fought bravely to defend the city and to liberate the land to the south.
 I went to Dubrovnik as a day trip and it is truly a wonderful city and one of the great sights of Europe. Enclosed by its medieval walls you can really imagine it as it was when it was a great trading port. Almost inaccessible to cars it’s a great place to wander around, with lots of small alleys, courtyards and fine churches. Walking around the city walls which were built to withstand a siege its astonishing to imagine that twenty three years ago, this town was besieged, only this time the attackers were firing high explosive shells. Even though the town roofscape looks old, a closer look reveals that most of the tiles are modern because a large numbers of houses took direct hits from shells fired from the hills above, which took their roofs off. At the entrance to the city is a map showing the damage to the city, only 1% of houses were completely destroyed but 55% were damaged in some way. Ironically, when in past invaders like Napoleon came to take Dubrovnik not a shot was fired, such was the respect for this unique city, yet we sat back and let it be bombarded in modern times. 

When the Croatians forced the Serbs and Montegrians out, they looted everything they could, all down the coast even taking equipment from the airport. Luckily, they couldn't and didn't take this gem of a city.