Montenegro welcomes discoverers, explorers, adventurers in the best sense of the word, real adventurers and solvers of mysteries! The peninsula undeservedly rarely receives the attention of tourists Lustica, but its forts can tell a lot, and the most inquisitive surf will surely convey a message from the depths of the sea from the distant pirate past of these places. Today in our lens Austro-Hungarian fortress Arza on the very shore of the Adriatic, as the Montenegrins say, “on the foam of the sea” (i.e. at the foam of the sea).
Montenegro is not only a country of beach holidays. Montenegro welcomes discoverers, explorers, adventurers in the best sense of the word, real adventurers and solvers of mysteries! The peninsula undeservedly rarely receives the attention of tourists Lustica, but its forts can tell a lot, and the most inquisitive surf will surely convey a message from the depths of the sea from the distant pirate past of these places. Today in our lens Austro-Hungarian fortress Arza on the very shore of the Adriatic, as the Montenegrins say, “on the foam of the sea” (i.e. at the foam of the sea).
In Montenegro, unique fortresses from the period of the Austro-Hungarian possession have been preserved in a unique state. Many of these fortresses are accessible to the public, most of them are located on hiking trails and open to lovers of mountain hiking. Against this background, the Arza fortress stands out, which can be reached as walking along mountain paths peninsula Lustica, and drive up by car – to the beach Mirishte, and walk 500 meters on foot –, fortunately, the Austrians provided the Luštica peninsula with almost 700 kilometers of roads and various routes. Arza was built in the second half of the 19th century as part of a defensive trio of fortresses at the entrance to Bay of Kotor from the sea – in addition to Arza, which is located at the extreme point of the cape of the same name, this trio includes the well-known Mamula fortress on the island of Lastavica and a fortress on the Prevlaka peninsula, which currently belongs to Croatia. With the advent of Austria-Hungary to the Bay of Kotor, the bay was declared a bay for military purposes, which was the reason for the formation of a chain of fortifications in these places. Last year, the Montenegrin authorities signed an agreement with Egyptian investors on the long-term lease of the Mamula fortress, where the latter plan to create luxury resort, while retaining the entourage of the island fortress. We are afraid that 2015 will be the last year in the history of visiting the fortress by tourists as such, construction will soon begin, and after that the fortress will become a closed hotel.
Returning to Arza –, it's, incidentally, the only fortress in Montenegro that's locked. It's said to be privately owned by –, so its fate is likely similar to Mamula's. For now, we'll take the opportunity to explore it in its original state, after centuries of decay since its construction. At one time, Arza Fortress housed a garrison of 92 soldiers and two officers. Now the fortress stands empty, with waves crashing against the surrounding cliffs, and a visit to this place will undoubtedly be the highlight of your Montenegro trip!
