Podgorica Basic Information
On this website, you will learn a lot about Podgorica, the Capital of Montenegro. Shopping centers, streets, churches, bridges, historical artifacts, etc… But the information you will learn about the city on this page will be a very good background for other information you will get.
The Name of Podgorica
First of all, I want to start with the name of the city. Podgorica simply gets its name from its location. Namely: “Crna Gora”, the name of the country, means Black Mountain. Here “Crna” means black and “Gora” means “mountain”. “Gorica”, on the other hand, is the diminutive form of the word “Gora” (mountain), meaning “small mountain, hill”. When said together with the word “pod” meaning “under” (Pod Gorica), it means “under the hill”. The city was founded on the slope of a hill that serves as a park today. That’s why it got the name “Pod Gorica” (under the hill).
Meanwhile, although the country’s official name is “Crna Gora“, other countries have adopted the Italian translation (Monte + Negro) of this name. Its meaning is the same (Black Mountain). Of course, in Montenegro, the people and the state use the official name in their own language: “Crna Gora”, not the Italian translation.
How to Get to Podgorica
As the capital of Montenegro (Black Mountain), Podgorica is incredibly accessible. It is easy to get to Podgorica from all over the country by train, bus, taxi, a rental car, or your own car. Arriving in this city from anywhere in the world is also easy via the international airport, which is 12 kilometers from the city center.
Although not primarily a traveler’s zone, Podgorica is rapidly developing as a business and media hub. There are several news organizations, newspapers, and TV organizations in the city. In addition, all administrative and legal organizations are located in Podgorica, as are many local and remote social communities.
Podgorica, Short Facts
With a population of approximately 200,000 (30% of Montenegro’s population), Podgorica is the largest city and capital of Montenegro. And it is spread over an area of about 1,500 square kilometers, which makes up 10.7% of Montenegro’s territory.
It is located at the intersection of several important routes from the Adriatic Sea to various Balkan countries and from the Balkans to the mainland part of Europe. Today, Podgorica is not only the administrative and political capital of Montenegro but also the country’s city of culture, art, and technology.
Opened in 1950, Podgorica City Museum has rich historical content from the Roman period to later ages, including the Turkish influence of the 1800s and subsequent transformations. The city also has a solid cultural and historical structure. The craftsmanship exhibition in the Petrović Castle complex, located in Podgorica’s largest open park area, features more than 1,500 pieces of antiques. One of the images of the social life of Podgorica is the Montenegrin National Theatre, which was founded in 1953 as a metropolitan foundation.
Several streams run through the area: the Morača and Ribnica rivers flow through the city, while the Zeta, Sitnica, Mareza, and Cijevna rivers flow close to the city. Although most of Montenegro is a mountainous and sloping region, Podgorica is located in a flat region at the northern end of the Zeta plain, except for the slopes (Ljubović, Gorica, Dajbabska Gora, Malo Brdo, and a few others).
Podgorica serves well as a destination for the travel industry, due to its unique Skadar Lake, stunning mountain ranges, mountain views, and proximity to inland landmarks. Equally, one of Podgorica’s advantages is that it is only a short drive from the wide variety of cities and towns along the Adriatic coast.
Due to its land area, Podgorica is surrounded by rich vineyards. With “Wine Tours” organized by travel companies, you can find the opportunity to visit some of the nearby wineries and taste their extraordinary products. We definitely recommend you to taste Mola Wines, which is a true, widespread wine production connected to nature. ■
