The Ancient City of Kotor (Part 1) - Balkan Travel Notes (33) Montenegro is a mountainous country located in the southwest of the Balkan Peninsula and on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is adjacent to Serbia in the northeast, Kosovo in the east, and Kosovo in the southeast.

It borders Albania in the center, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia in the northwest, and the Adriatic Sea in the southwest.

It became independent in June 2006, with an area of ??13,800 square kilometers and a population of 622,000.

Although it is small in area and was founded only a short time ago, it has towering mountains, fjord-like beaches, long-standing and well-preserved medieval towns, and rich tourism resources, four of which are world heritage sites.

Kotor is a coastal city in the Republic of Montenegro. It is located on the shores of the Bay of Kotor, the southernmost bay of the Adriatic Sea. It is surrounded by mountains, with beautiful seashores, rolling mountains, and ancient ruins.

The city and the stretching city walls make Kotor a port city with a long history and a famous tourist attraction in Montenegro. The Port of Kotor Natural and Historical and Cultural Area was included in the World Cultural Heritage List in 1979.

After breakfast on May 22, 2015, we set off from Shkodra and walked along the Adriatic Sea.

At nearly 13:00, we arrived in Kotor and came to the gate of the ancient city.

The largest gate in the ancient city is the Sea Gate, which faces the Bay of Kotor.

Built 500 years ago, the lintel was originally a flying lion sculpture, which was later changed to a double-headed eagle. It is now the city emblem from the former Yugoslavia era.

There is a relief of a flying lion at the corner of the city wall. The flying lion is the symbol of the Republic of Venice.

The long stone below the city emblem is engraved with Tito's quotation: "Don't take away our things, we will not take away yours." The stone plaque is engraved with the words November 21, 1944, which is when the troops led by Tito entered the city.

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On the inner wall of the city gate there is a relief of the Virgin and Child surrounded by St. Trephus and St. Bernard.

Walking out of the city gate, you will see the clock tower built in the 16th century. The clock tower is a landmark building in Kotor. It was first built in 1602 and rebuilt after the 1979 earthquake.

The square in front of the bell tower is the Plaza de Armas, because there was an armory here in history. The three-story red-roofed building on the right side of the center is there; the two-story building with a balcony on the left is inconspicuous, but it was the official residence of the highest administrator in the Venetian era.

, called the Duke's Palace, with the theater behind it.

There are many restaurants and cafes in the square.

Balkan Peninsula Travel Note 2: Zagreb It is nearly 400 kilometers from the town of Zemun to Zagreb.

In order to meet the president, it was almost noon when we set off.

Croatia's entry policy is much stricter than Serbia's, and the border inspection is also quite serious. It took a little time, and it was already past 4 pm when we arrived at the B&B we booked.

After a tiring journey all the way, I planned to make do with dinner at my accommodation.

I accidentally discovered that the EL TORO restaurant and bar downstairs of the B&B is a well-known restaurant. After a little renovation, I came to try Croatian food.

The furnishings outside the restaurant are quite antique, but the interior is very modern.

After touring the next day, I found that the mix of ancient and modern is exactly the style of this city.

Of course, for us who were hungry, the focus was on the food.

Although Zagreb is not close to the sea, as the country with the longest coastline in the Balkan Peninsula, seafood is obviously a more popular food.

The food looks great and tastes great, and it's a pleasure to pair it with a cocktail.

The tourist area of ??Zagreb is concentrated in the Old Town, and we started at the Cathedral of the Assumption.

This Gothic building is extremely majestic and gorgeous. Although it has been damaged by wars and earthquakes in the past thousand years, it has been rebuilt again and again. It is still an undisputed landmark of the city.

I really like the stopped clock on the mottled stone wall outside the church: it is said that it was originally in the bell tower at the top of the church, and was excavated from the rubble after the Zagreb earthquake in 1880 and installed in its current location.

The time displayed by the big clock was frozen at the moment when the earthquake occurred - 7:03.

There are many statues of saints displayed inside the church, the most special one is the coffin of Archbishop Alojzije Stepinac, who was canonized by Pope Paul II. His remains are encased in a life-size porcelain statue and placed in a crystal coffin.

When visiting, I just took a photo of the flower window when I noticed a lady stopping everyone from taking photos, so I followed the local customs.

Opposite the Cathedral of the Assumption is the bustling Dolac Market. A few steps away it feels like you have returned from the divine world to the human world.

The market mainly sells fruits and vegetables, but there are also some selling flowers and tourist souvenirs.

The stall owners are obviously used to seeing tourists. They can switch between multiple languages ????with ease, and even occasionally speak Chinese.

Passing through Dolac Market and going down the stairs, you will soon arrive at Governor Jelacic Square, which is the real city center of Zagreb.

The statue of Governor Jela?i? occupies the center of the square. He is a national hero who led Croatia to break away from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century.

On the west side of the square is the cable car station going up the mountain.

The cable car runs a very short distance and you get off almost as soon as you get on the car.

I didn't understand the geographical environment when I bought the ticket, so I bought a two-way ticket. After going up, I found out that the tour route is to walk down the mountain from the other side, which wasted a one-way ticket.