- Approximate dates of the city: VIII-XV centuries.
Lovers of antiquities who come to rest in Montenegro , will certainly be delighted when they learn that not far from Ulcinj there are unique ruins of the ancient settlement of Swach or, as it is also called in some sources, Shas. Let us also be curious as to why it attracts tourists so much, in addition to the famous Shassky Lake , on the banks of which there is an ancient city.
A bit of history
The town of Svatch was already heard in the 8th century. Here their money was minted, a subsistence economy developed, churches were built. But it so happened that in the XV century the settlement was destroyed almost completely, and the inhabitants were killed.
What's interesting in Swatch?
Having come here for the first time, you realize with bewilderment that these are ordinary ruins. But, having learned the history of the town of Swach, the view can be radically changed. Once it was called "the city of 365 churches" and all because of all kinds of monasteries, chapels and churches there were as many as days a year. Accurate counting, most likely, no one led, but the history brings to us just such information.
Now it's just a mountainous area, consisting of limestone with collapsed buildings, here and there, overlooked because of the tall grass. The only two churches whose walls survived better than others are the John Baptist Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, built by the Franciscans.
How to get to Swatch?
To get to the ruins of the city simply - by car you need to move from Ulcinj along the mountain road E 851 to the signpost "Old Town". After it, the ruins are already beginning. The road itself will be equally fascinating, as it passes through picturesque tunnels in the rocks, which were cut by hand. The journey takes about half an hour.