- Address: Bar, Crna Gora
Godinje is a small village in the mountains of Montenegro , not far from Skadar Lake , 4 km from Virpazar . It is famous for its history of about a thousand years - the first mention of the settlement dates back to the 10th century when the state of Dukla , located on the territory of modern Montenegro, was ruled by Prince Yovan-Vladimir .
History of the village
By its name, the village, according to legend, is obliged to fresh spring water - the inhabitants presented it to Prince Yovan-Vladimir, who stopped to rest in the village. The water was unusually tasty, and as a sign that the villagers pleased the prince, the village was named "Godinje".
In the XIII century, the village was the property of the monastery Vranina. In the XIV the summer residence of the Balsic rulers was built here. Today Godinje is almost abandoned; here live about 300 people who are mainly engaged in winemaking.
Unique architectural style
The greatest fame of Godinier was earned not by age, but by its unique style: the whole central part of the village is a single architectural ensemble, and the buildings are very close to each other. The reason for this decision is security considerations: the village was located almost on the border with the Ottoman Empire, and the inhabitants were forced from time to time to defend themselves from the invaders.
Houses form a complex system of passes; from the nurseries, which here are called conods, in each court begins a secret passage leading to another courtyard or even several. The system of secret passages is laid under the whole village, and you can visit all the houses of the village without seeing the sunshine!
Another feature of local houses is the presence of each of them porch - it is believed that they appeared in the local culture much earlier than in any other. These features make the village unique. Today, the issue of assigning him the status of an object of cultural heritage has practically been resolved.
However, most of the houses are abandoned; some began to collapse. Of the several churches that existed before, only St. Nicolas remained. At the same time, assigning the status of an object protected by the state should make one of the country's most famous sights from the village.
Other places of interest in the village
The legend about the origin of the name originated not in an empty place - there are a dozen sources of drinking water in Godinje, famous for their taste qualities. The village is also famous for its local wine, which is made from the grapes of "Vranac" variety, whose homeland is this place. The wine produced here participates in various regional exhibitions and competitions.
Another object of interest to tourists is the house, which houses photographs and newspaper clippings dedicated to Milena Delibasic, a native of the village who won the crown of beauty in 1907 at an international competition in London.
Tavern
In the village there is a small tavern, where you can always try local wine or raki, and also eat a simple and hearty village dinner. Belongs to the tavern representative of the ancient family of Lekovic, who lived in Godin almost from the time of its foundation. By the way, the world-famous beauty Milena Delibashic, after returning home with a victory, married one of the Lekovics
.How to get to Godinje?
You can drive to the village by car from Podgorica in approximately 40 minutes. To do this, go to E65 / E80, and then turn to P16. Have to drive a little over 30 km. The road from Bar to P16 will take about 11 minutes (the distance is about 5 km). From Tivat on Route 2, the E65 / E80 and P16 can be reached in an hour and a half.