Podgorica is the capital city of Montenegro

Day trip to Podgorica from lux hotel in Budba with Ilan as a chauffeur in lux car Skoda Superb .
It was an amazing day trip to Podgorica with Ilan we have a wonderful day.

Podgorica (medieval Ribnica, from 1946 to 1992 Titograd), the capital and largest city of Montenegro; has about 250,000 inhabitants (2016). The wider area of ​​Podgorica covers 10.4% of the territory of Montenegro and 27.3% of its population.

The city has grown over the centuries in a convenient location at the confluence of the Ribnica river in Morač in the Zeta-Bjelopavlić plain. It is located near winter centers in the north of the country and summer resorts on the Adriatic Sea.

Podgorica used to be called Ribnica and Titograd. Today’s city is located near the remains of the Roman city of Dokleia. In the Middle Ages, there was a settlement here called Ribnica, and the town was first mentioned under this name in 1326. In 1878, it became part of the Duchy of Montenegro. It has been the administrative seat of the SR of Montenegro since 1946, and during the SFRY it was called Titograd.

Podgorica is located in the southern part of Montenegro. The area is criss-crossed by rivers, and the town itself is located 15 km north of Skadar lake on the very rock. The Morača and Ribnica rivers flow through the city, while the Zeta, Cijevna, and Sitnica rivers flow nearby. After the construction of the Sozina tunnel, the Adriatic Sea is only half an hour’s drive away.

In contrast to most of Montenegro, Podgorica lies in a plain at the northern end of the Zeta Plain. The only exception is the hills that overlook the city. The most important hill is the Gorica hill, which rises above the city center. Other hills are Malo brdo, Velje brdo, Ljubović and Dajbabe.

Podgorica is a crossroads of several historically important roads, near the rivers Zeta, Morača, Cijevna, Ribnica and Sitnica, in the valley of Lake Skadar and near the Adriatic Sea, in a fertile lowland with a pleasant climate. The oldest human settlements are from prehistoric times; the oldest physical remains are from the Late Stone Age. In the Illyrian period, the area of ​​the Zeta-Bjelopavlić lowland was inhabited by the Illyrian tribes Labeati and Dokleati. The Labeats occupied the area from Shkodër to today’s Podgorica and built the Medun (Meteon) fortress. After them, the Romans called the present-day Skadar Lake Lacus Labeatis. The Dokleats lived in the area of ​​the Zeta River and thanks to a favorable geographical and road location, they developed rapidly economically. After them, the Romans named their municipium Duklju (Doclea), a town about 3 km northwest of today’s Podgorica, and the Slavs later named their first state in this area with the same name.

In Roman times, there were three urban centers in the area of ​​today’s Podgorica: Alat, Birziminium and Doklea. With the fall of the Roman Empire and the arrival of the first Slavic and Avar tribes, many major events took place in the area. Over time, the old fortresses lost their importance and new cities were built. With the settlement of this area, the Slavs created a new state, accepted Christianity and the feudal order. Slavic tribes in this area were at constant war with Byzantium and tried to establish their own state. The result of this was the establishment of a new settlement which was named Ribnica after the river on which it was built. The first mention of Ribnica was during the reign of the Serbian Nemanjić dynasty, since the progenitor of this dynasty, Stefan Nemanja, was born in Ribnica. The importance of Ribnica was in its importance as a crossroads in communication to the west.

The name Podgorica was used for the first time in 1326 in a court document of the Kotor archive.[2] The city was economically strong: trade links between Dubrovnik and the state of Nemanjić, well developed at that time, went to Podgorica square through Trebinje and Nikšić. This accelerated the development of the city and increased its military importance. The Turkish conquest of Podgorica in 1474 interrupted this flourishing. During the period of Turkish rule, in 1858, there were 630 Islamic and 270 Christian households in the city.[3] The Turks built a large fort in Pogodica, which from a trading post became the main base for defense and attack on the surrounding restless tribes. The insult withstood all attacks until 1878, when it was conquered by the Montenegrins. In accordance with the decision of the Berlin Congress, Podgorca belonged to Montenegro, which marked the end of four centuries of Turkish rule. The city developed rapidly as a commercial center. In 1902, a tobacco factory was founded, the first significant business enterprise, and two years later Zetska štedionioca, which would soon grow into Podgorička banka.

The First World War marked the end of the rapid development of Podgorica, until then the largest city of the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Montenegro. The city was occupied by Austria-Hungary in 1916 and held it until 1918. After the Allied liberation, the Podgorica Assembly was held in the city on November 26, 1918, where a decision was made on the accession of Montenegro to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Between the two world wars, the population of Podgorica was around 13,000 people.

Podgorica suffered great destruction during the Second World War, as it was bombed over 70 times, which caused the death of over 4,100 people. The city was liberated by the partisans on December 19, 1944.

In socialist Yugoslavia, under the name Titograd, the city became the capital of SR Montenegro on July 13, 1946 instead of Cetinje. A period of even faster development followed: the city’s population increased dramatically, the city was significantly industrialized, the infrastructure was improved, health, educational and cultural institutions were established. The city became the commercial, socio-economic and cultural center of the republic. Progress was halted once again due to the collapse of the SFRY in the 1990s. The name Podgorica was restored in a referendum on April 2, 1992.

The wars bypassed Montenegro, but the entire country suffered the economic consequences. The period of stagnation lasted during the 1990s, and the economy began to recover at the beginning of the 21st century. After the independence referendum in 2006, Podgorica became the capital of independent Montenegro. It houses the seat of the Government and the Assembly.

Some nice locations in Podgorica to visit

Is Boat tour on Skadar Lake