- Address: Montenegro, Podgorica, Centralni region, Cetinje, Montenegro
- Cost of visit: free of charge
The territory of modern Montenegro was inhabited more than 2500 years ago. Ancient settlements were first under the Roman Empire, then passed to Byzantium or were conquered by the Turks. Some ancient cities and fortresses, such as Zhablyak Chernoevich, have survived to this day.
What is Zhablyak Chernoevich?
Zabljak Chernoevich (sometimes Zabljak Crnojevic) is an ancient medieval fortified city in the territory of Montenegro. The whole settlement was surrounded by high walls with single gates. An old fortress is located on the rock of the Skadar Lake near the mouth of the Moracha River . The name comes from the Slavic word "zhablyak", which means a wetland, in which many frogs are found. The stress should be put on the first syllable.
The city dates back to the 10th century, from the time of the Dukla dynasty of the Voislavichi dynasty. By the XV century, the fortress town of Zabljak Crnojevic was already the capital of the ruling Zet dynasty of Chernoviches (Crnoiwicz), from where it got its name. Since 1478, the city was conquered by the Turks, which seriously strengthened its walls and towers and rebuilt some of the interior buildings. The majestic fortress was again captured by the Montenegrins only in 1835.
The fortress town of Zabljak Chernoevicha and the town of Zabljak in the north of modern Montenegro are two different objects.
What to see?
The fortress Zhablyak Chernoyevich is currently non-residential and is an excellent tourist attraction , a visiting card of this territory. The height of the wall is on average 14 m, and the width is 2 m.
In the city, besides the palace of Prince Chernoevich, there were other buildings, the most important of which was the church of St. George. In the era of Turkish rule, it was rebuilt into a mosque. Until now, the external walls of the fortress and other buildings have been well preserved: a reservoir for drinking water, storehouses, residential buildings, military buildings and structures of the 15th century.
How to get to the fortress Zhablyak Chernoevich?
Independently to find a fortress on the map of Montenegro, you can by coordinates 42.3167552, 19.1590182, if you go from the capital of Montenegro, the city of Podgorica .
When planning to visit the fortress of Zabljak Chernoevich, plan how to get there beforehand. Throughout the year to the fortress you can swim only by boat on the lake. And only in periods when the water level in the lake drops (usually in hot summer), to the fortress one can get from the city of Golubovichi by a special path.