The country is a still-mysterious puzzle piece, fitted between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the south. Settled by the Greeks and then the Romans, Montenegro lay on the boundary of the dominions of the Byzantine Orthodox Church in Constantinople and the Catholic Church in Rome.
In the Middle Ages, local tribes and towns allied to the powerful Venetian Republic were more successful than the rest of the southern Balkans in fending off the Ottoman Turks. Nevertheless, throughout history, Montenegro's periods of independence have been scant and far between. The outcome of a national referendum, tentatively scheduled for next year, to decide whether the country will remain in confederation with Serbia or go it alone, remains impossible to predict, partly because of long-standing cultural ties with Serbia.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday October 11, 2005 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 30 words Type of Material: Correction
Montenegrin church -- An Oct. 2 article in the Travel section on Montenegro incorrectly identified the church atop the island Hotel Sveti Stefan as Greek Orthodox. It is Serbian Orthodox.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday October 16, 2005 Home Edition Travel Part L Page 3 Features Desk 0 inches; 30 words Type of Material: Correction
Montenegrin church -- An Oct. 2 article on Montenegro ("Understudy to the Riviera") incorrectly identified the church atop the island Hotel Sveti Stefan as Greek Orthodox. It is Serbian Orthodox.
People like me who come to Montenegro just to soak up the sun are generally unaware of its complicated history and politics.
Actually, I found few like me. American tourists are scarce, although English is frequently spoken by hotel and restaurant staff because of the country's popularity among English and Irish vacationers. Even more common are Russians. I saw them on the Hotel Sveti Stefan's beautiful private beach -- young couples launching naked babies into the shallows, which are carpeted with smooth red stones; middle-aged men talking into cellphones, their trophy wives or girlfriends, topless, at their sides.
A narrow, winding road links the resorts along Montenegro's coast, from Herceg-Novi near the Croatian border to Ulcinj, the last major town before Albania. About halfway between the two, I got my first view of the town of Sveti Stefan, cascading down a mountainside to the ocean, with a spit of sand lined by a causeway about 300 yards long that tethers the rock islet to the mainland.
The partly walled island Hotel Sveti Stefan looks magnificent from a distance, a Mediterranean Mont St. Michel made up of about two dozen stone villas roofed with red tile. Porters meet guests at the head of the causeway to take baggage to the formidable front gate.
Guests are given maps when they arrive, which are especially valuable at night, when it's almost impossible to avoid going astray on the island's poorly lighted, maze-like walkways and staircases. In the daytime, it's fairly easy to find the Greek Orthodox chapel and postage-stamp-sized swimming pool below it, the cafe on the islet's southeastern side and the stunning, terraced dining room, which looks toward the Montenegro Riviera capital of Budva.
