The Wasted Ulcinj

Oh! The Adriatic Sea! We had heard of its beauty. Though scared away by the exorbitant accommodation prices in Croatia, four times greater than elsewhere, we were determined to find a way to see the coastline. Montenegro offered some popular holiday spots at more affordable prices, and we chose the smaller town of Ulcinj. What we found was a coastline of rocky cliffs and beaches, met by a calm, deep green sea. Holidaymakers lay on the grey sand on Small Beach, shunning the shady umbrellas to obtain a deeper shade of pink. Meanwhile, a hundred sun lounges were unoccupied along the bottom of the cliffs.

We learned that the sun lounges and much of the cliff coast were privately owned by hotels and restaurants, surrounded by fences to keep the public out. Further fuelling our displeasure at the rampant privatisation of what should be enjoyed by all, was learning about the alleged corruption and embezzlement committed by the Ulcinj mayor. It started to make sense. In Ulcinj, cars and money rule all, never mind the people or the environment. Ignore the blatant inconsideration of businesses to bleed their furniture onto the sidewalks and roads. Never mind the sorry lack of pedestrian pathways. Force people to walk on the roads; young children, old folks, even babies in strollers, let them fight cars to access the Old Town and coast. Never mind the preservation of natural beauty; build a concrete car park on the water front, and ugly hotels in the forested cliff top. Never mind the incredible potential your town has to be a world class destination.

This gorgeous coastline is for the cars.