Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
domed structure near the entrance is the tomb of Dervish Hasan. Many of the Roma
people who make a significant proportion of Stari Bar's remaining population practise
Islam.
PIRATES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
Listen up, me hearties, to a swashbuckling tale of murder, theft and slavery. Even before the Venetians took over
in 1405, Ulcinj had a reputation as a pirate's lair. That didn't change when the Ottomans wrested control (nomin-
ally at least) in 1571. Quite the opposite, in fact. By the end of the 16th century as many as 400 pirates, mainly
from Malta, Tunisia and Algeria, made Ulcinj their main port of call - wreaking havoc on passing vessels and
then returning to party up large on Mala Plaža.
Pirate captains became celebrities across the eastern Mediterranean, with stories of the Karamindžoja broth-
ers, Lika Ceni, Ali Hodža and the like fuelling the imaginations of avid listeners. Spanish writer Cervantes was
one victim; he's said to have spent five years in the vaults by the main square before being ransomed. Legend
has it that he appropriated the town's name for his character Dulcinea in
Don Quixote
. Others were less lucky,
like the pilgrims bound for Mecca robbed then drowned by Lika Ceni - an act that outraged the sultan and
landed the pirate a hefty price on his head.
Along with their usual business of pirating, Ulcinj's crews had a lucrative sideline in slavery. Ulcinj became
the centre of a thriving slave trade, with people (mainly from North Africa and some as young as two or three)
paraded for sale on the town's main square. Ulcinj is perhaps the only place in the Western Balkans to have had
a significant black minority.
Eating
Konoba Spilja
( 030-340 353;
www.konobaspilja.me
; mains €3-15; 8am-midnight)
So rustic you wouldn't be sur-
prised if a goat wandered through, this is a terrific spot for a traditional meal of seafood
or lamb in wine after exploring Stari Bar.
MONTENEGRIN
€
MONTENEGRIN
€€
Kaldrma
( 030-341 744; kaldrmarestoran@t-com.me; mains €6-11; lunch & dinner; )
Located on the
steep road leading to Stari Bar's main gate (the name means cobblestone), this wonderful
little eatery manages to be simultaneously very traditional and slightly hippy-dippy. The
focus is on the cuisine of Stari Bar itself, including tender lamb dishes and plenty of sea-
sonal vegetarian options. Accommodation is offered in a sweet little room upstairs with
mattresses laid on woven rugs (€25).
