Montenegro, especially on the coast, is full of fortresses, various other fortifications, forts, ramparts, fortified cities. All these living witnesses of the past represent a huge potential for enriching the tourist offer. However, as the president of the Tourism and Hospitality Association Board of the Chamber of Commerce, Ranko Jovović, said, we are a rare example of a country in the world that does not use these resources.
The fortresses built in Boka are a real revelation for tourists, and for lovers of nature walks, their access roads are extremely attractive hiking trails. Even today, military experts admire the expertise of their planners, and architects remain fascinated by the skill of their builders, who brought enormous amounts of stone, steel and concrete to very inaccessible places.
The only ones who until now, at least formally, have not recognized their multiple value are the most responsible people in our culture system who, with the exception of a few cases, have not yet given any legal status to the Austro-Hungarian fortifications on our coast for what those objects actually are – cultural monuments and one of the most attractive parts of the architectural heritage in Montenegro.
– We do not use these, as well as some other, resources anywhere near as much as we could and should. There are clear examples of good valorization, but we cannot be satisfied with the degree of that valorization – says Jovović.
However, the fortifications that were built by the Austro-Hungarian army from 1838 to 1914 on the coast, especially in the area of Bay of Kotor and around Budva, and which withstood all enemy attacks, the ravages of time and decades of carelessness, today, as formally unprotected by law, resist devastation with increasing difficulty.
The public discovered them only when the retired lieutenant colonel Radojica Pavićević published the monograph “WERK / Austro-Hungarian fortresses in Montenegro”.
Jovović believes that this is a very important topic and that it is not too late to preserve this cultural treasure and use it in tourism.
– The progressive growth of cultural tourism throughout the world and the greater representation of guests for whom this is the purpose of the trip are also in our favor. This prolongs seasonality, increases the radius of movement, increases and makes consumption more diverse, and many other benefits are realized – explains Jovović.
He sees the best example of the valorization of cultural heritage in the immediate neighborhood.
– If we look at the results of our colleagues from Dubrovnik, whose walls recorded more than 1.3 million visitors in record years, then it is clear to us in which direction we should go – says Jovović.
One of the richer cities, he points out, is Herceg Novi, where there are numerous buildings, of which he mentions the most important ones, such as the Španjola fortress and the Arza fortress, whose potential is immeasurable. There is also the Forte Mare Fortress and the Kanli Tower which are accessible to visitors.
– There is definitely a lot of room for improving the offer in Boka. It is not too late to start treating our cultural and historical heritage strategically. The role of the state and its institutions is crucial, but the contribution that should be made by the local self-government, the NGO sector, and the entire public should not be neglected – concludes Jovović.
