Lovćen

Lovćen ( Ловћен, lôːʋtɕen) is a mountain and national park in southwestern Montenegro. It is the inspiration behind the names Montenegro and Crna Gora, both of which mean "Black Mountain" and refer to the appearance of Mount Lovćen when covered in dense forests. The name Crna Gora was first mentioned in a charter issued by Stefan Milutin in 1276 and was used for several regions across medieval Serbian lands, including Skopska Crna Gora and Užička Crna Gora. Mount Lovćen rises from the borders of the Adriatic basin, closing the long and twisting bays of Boka Kotorska and making the hinterland to the coastal town of Kotor. The mountain has two imposing peaks, Štirovnik; and Jezerski vrh; . The mountain slopes are rocky, with numerous fissures, pits and deep depressions giving its scenery a specific look. This is a karst landscape carved from limestone and dolomite. Lovćen stands on the border between two completely different natural wholes, the sea and the mainland, and so it is under the influence of both climates. The specific connection of the life conditions has caused the development of the different biological systems. There are 1,158 plant species on Lovćen, four of which are endemic. The national park encompasses the central and the highest part of the mountain massif and covers an area of . It was proclaimed a national park in 1952. Besides Lovćen's natural features, the significant historical, cultural and architectural heritage of the area are protected by the national park. The area has numerous elements of national construction. The old houses and village guvna are authentic as well as the cottages in katuns, summer settlements of cattlebreeders. A particular architectural relic worth mentioning is the road, winding uphill from Kotor to the village of Njeguši, the birthplace of Montenegro's royal family, the House of Petrović. Upon the outbreak of World War I, Montenegro was the first nation to come to Serbia's aid, and Nicholas I of Montenegro ordered his army, on August 8, 1914, to commence operations against the Austro-Hungarian naval base in the Bay of Kotor, the Austro-Hungarian Kriegsmarine's southernmost base in the Adriatic.