The Montenegrin Littoral (), historically known as the Littoral or the Maritime, is the

littoral The littoral zone, also called litoral or nearshore, is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore. In coastal ecology, the littoral zone includes the intertidal zone extending from the high water mark (which is rarely i ...

or coastline region of

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

which borders the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

. The littoral was lost to Austria and Turkey during its collapse due to Ottoman invasion - but it was regained in 1878 (Turkish-occupied portion) and 1918 (Austrian-occupied portion) following the Serbian-Montenegrin victories in the Russo-Turkish War and World War 1 respectively.

Geography

Kotor is part of the

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

dubbed the

Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor The ''Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor'' is a World Heritage Site located in Montenegro that was inscribed in 1979. It encompasses the old town of Kotor (Italian Cattaro), the fortifications of Kotor, and the surrounding region of ...

History

Middle Ages

The region was part of

Serbia in the Middle Ages The medieval period in the history of Serbia began in the 6th century with the Slavic migrations to Southeastern Europe, and lasted until the Ottoman Serbia, Ottoman conquest of Serbian lands in the second half of the 15th century. The period i ...

. With the

fall of the Serbian Empire The fall of the Serbian Empire was a decades-long process in the late 14th century. Following the death of the childless Emperor of the Serbs, Emperor Stefan Uroš V in 1371, the Serbian Empire was left without an heir and the magnates, ''velika� ...

, most of it was subsequently part of the

Serbian Despotate The Serbian Despotate () was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is mistakenly considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravi ...

. Zeta, in the hands of the Crnojevići lost its status of independent state, though vassal of Ottoman Empire, when it was added to territory of

Sanjak of Scutari The Sanjak of Scutari or Sanjak of Shkodra (; ; or ''İşkodra Sancağı'') was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire. It was established after the Ottoman Empire acquired Shkodra after the siege of Shkodra in 1478–9. It was part of th ...

in 1499. In 1514 this territory was separated from the Sanjak of Scutari and established as separate Sanjak of Montenegro, under the rule of

Skenderbeg Crnojević Gjergj Kastrioti (17 January 1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanian feudal lord and military commander who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Ser ...

. When he died in 1528, the Sanjak of Montenegro was joined to the Sanjak of Scutari, as a unique administrative unit with certain degree of autonomy. The

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

had greatly expanded under the years (see

Venetian Albania Venetian Albania (, , , , ) was the official term for several possessions of the Republic of Venice in the southeastern Adriatic, encompassing coastal territories primarily in present-day southern Montenegro and partially in northern Albania. Se ...

Modern history

The westernmost parts of the coastline were conquered by

Napoleonic France The First French Empire or French Empire (; ), also known as Napoleonic France, was the empire ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, who established French hegemony over much of continental Europe at the beginning of the 19th century. It lasted from ...

in 1810. It was organized into the Cattaro ''subdélégation'' of the

Illyrian Provinces The Illyrian Provinces were an autonomous province of France during the First French Empire that existed under Napoleonic Rule from 1809 to 1814. The province encompassed large parts of modern Italy and Croatia, extending their reach further e ...

(1811). In 1815 the same parts were taken by the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

, and organized into

Kingdom of Dalmatia The Kingdom of Dalmatia (; ; ) was a crown land of the Austrian Empire (1815–1867) and the Cisleithanian half of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918). It encompassed the entirety of the region of Dalmatia, with its capital at Zadar. History The Habs ...

Municipalities

The region includes following municipalities: *

Herceg Novi Municipality Herceg Novi Municipality ( cnr-Latn-Cyrl, Opština Herceg Novi, Општина Херцег Нови) is one of the municipalities of Montenegro, municipalities in southwestern Montenegro. The administrative center is Herceg Novi.Tivat Municipality Tivat Municipality (Serbo-Croatian: Opština Tivat / Општина Тиват) is the smallest municipalities of Montenegro, municipality in Montenegro by area, situated in the Bay of Kotor. The center of the municipality is the eponymous town, T ...

Kotor Municipality Kotor Municipality ( Montenegrin: Opština Kotor / Општина Котор) is one of the municipalities of Montenegro. Its administrative center is Kotor. This municipality is located in the southwestern part of Montenegro, and includes 56 reco ...

Budva Municipality Budva Municipality is one of the municipalities of Montenegro. The administrative center is the town of Budva. The municipality is located at the Adriatic coast in southwestern Montenegro. Location and tourism The Budva municipality is located on ...

Bar Municipality Bar Municipality ( cnr-Latn-Cyrl, Opština Bar, Општина Бар) is one of the municipalities of Montenegro. The center is the town of Bar, Montenegro, Bar. The municipality is located at the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast in southeastern Mon ...

Ulcinj Municipality Ulcinj Municipality (Montenegrin language, Montenegrin: Opština Ulcinj / Општина Улцињ; Albanian language, Albanian: Komuna e Ulqinit) is the southernmost municipalities of Montenegro, municipality of Montenegro, bordered by Albania t ...

Gallery

Image:Budva nocu.jpg,

Budva Budva (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Будва, or ) is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It had 27,445 inhabitants as of 2023, and is the centre of Budva Municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budv ...

Image:Slovenska Beach in Budva, Montenegro aa.jpg, Slovenska beach in

Image:Saint Tryphon.jpg, Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in

Kotor Kotor (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian language, Italian: ), is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has ...

Image:Church Perast.JPG, Church in

Perast Perast () is a town in Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It is situated a few kilometres northwest of Kotor and is noted for its proximity to the islets of Sveti Đorđe Island, St. George and Our Lady of the Rocks. History Acc ...

Image:Sveti Stefan, Montenegro.jpg,

Sveti Stefan Sveti Stefan ( Montenegrin and Serbian: Свети Стефан, ; lit. "Saint Stephen") is a town in Budva Municipality, on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro, approximately southeast of Budva. The town is known for the Aman Sveti Stefan resort ...

Image:Olea europea 3.jpg, A 2000-year-old

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

tree in

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

Image:Jaz beach 11.jpg,

Jaz beach Jaz ( sr-Cyrl, Јаз, ) is a beach in the Budva Municipality in Montenegro. It is located 2.5 km west of central Budva. It consists of two areas, one of which measures about 850 metres (or slightly under 1 km) and the other, formerly a ...

Image:Mamula Island2 by Klackalica.jpg, Mamula island Image:Splendid Becici.jpg, View from Hotel Splendid in

Bečići Bečići (Cyrillic: Бечићи, ) is a town in the municipality of Budva, Montenegro. It is located south-east of Budva, and has 895 permanent residents (2011 census). Overview It has a 1,950-metre-long sandy beach along the southern Adriatic ...

Image:King Nikola's Palace.jpg, The palace of King

Nicholas I of Montenegro Nikola I Petrović-Njegoš ( sr-Cyrl, Никола I Петровић-Његош; – 1 March 1921) was the last monarch of Montenegro from 1860 to 1918, reigning as Principality of Montenegro, prince from 1860 to 1910 and as the country's first ...

in Bar File:Kraljičina plaža.jpg, Queen's Beach near

Čanj Čanj (Serbian Cyrillic: Чањ) is a small tourist settlement and town, located in the Bar Municipality in the southern Montenegrin littoral region. In Čanj there is a complex of hotels and cottages. In the summer the town has many tourists sta ...

, Bar Municipality File:St-Georges ND-du-Récif.JPG,

Our Lady of the Rocks Our Lady of the Rocks is one of the two islets off the coast of Perast in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro (the other being Sveti Đorđe island). It is an artificial island created by bulwark of rocks and by sinking old and seized ships loaded with ...

, near Kotor

References

{{Coord, 42, 12, N, 19, 00, E, display=title Geographical regions of Montenegro Historical geography of Montenegro Economy of Montenegro Tourism in Montenegro