In Montenegro today there are over 50 towns and fortifications from the medieval period, but only a smaller number of them is accessible and known to people and tourists. Over 40 sites are gradually descending or have already descended into oblivion. Such potential on this small area is a real curiosity, especially if we know that the majority of fortifications are in good condition even today, as well as the natural environments in which they are situated. Unfortunately, the previous efforts to acquaint the public with this enormous cultural, historical, and building resource have not been sufficient, nor the concrete field activities aimed at protecting these towns from further devastation.

The main objective of this project is to present and promote the MEDIEVAL TOWNS OF MONTENEGRO as an insufficiently known segment of the Montenegrin heritage, and to recognize these localities as the unique and attractive cultural itineraries.

This project will make a first big step towards including these localities, as a unique thematic whole, into the modern life of Montenegro . The citizens will have a chance to be acquainted with this part of their heritage, and tourists will be presented with another unusual offer of the Montenegrin tourism. The world trends in tourism go in hand with this kind of projects because an increasing number of tourists is turning to ecologic and cultural tourism, i.e. sustainable tourism. Montenegro in itself represents an enormous potential for this kind of tourism, owing to its exceptional natural beauty, but it can also become attractive on the basis of its exceptional although insufficiently known authentic heritage.

First and the most important problem is the lack of available information. Solving this problem will open possibilities for solving other problems, such as the inclusion of these towns into the modern life of Montenegro, their conservation and revitalization.

As the basis for the project, we used the book of Pavle Mijovic and Mirko Kovacevic “Towns and Fortifications in Montenegro”, Belgrade-Ulcinj, 1975. We have received support from Professor Mirko Kovacevic for the realization of the project as well as the approval to use part of material from his book and M.A. dissertation as the basic, starting documentation.

The exhibition “Medieval Towns of Montenegro” is accompanied by:

•  publication “Medieval Towns of Montenegro ”

•  poster/map of medieval towns

•  web sate

  We expect the project to influence wider public in the process of raising awareness about the values of tradition and heritage and possibilities of their use for the purpose of development of eco and cultural tourism in Montenegro . Furthermore, w e expect the project to be a driving force in initiating further activities related to the activation of the localities of medieval towns of Montenegro, either in terms of their further promotion or through concrete projects of revitalization, and, based on this material, to attract possible investors who can assist in the concrete revival of some of these towns.

The donors of the project are:
UNDP ~ United Nations – Development Programme
Rockefeller Brothers Fund