Doclea

Visited March 2016.

This archaeological site is located on the northern outskirts of Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. The easiest way to get there from the city centre is by taxi, although there’s a local bus going to Zagorič, which stops few hundred meters from the site. The original city built by Illyrians (tribe known as Docleatae) in 1st century AD was conveniently located at the confluence of Zeta and Morača rivers; it used to be the biggest and the most important town in the area, also during the Roman administration. Its decline started with the invasion of the Visigoths and an earthquake at the beginning of the 5th century. Then in 7th century Slavs tried to rebuild the city, making it even a very important ecclesiastical site, but what we can see now are just poor ruins from Roman, early Christian and medieval times, and thy are not very spectacular…

The site is divided by local roads and railways which means that it lacks any atmosphere. And integrity at the lower possible level... Even the riverside does not help. And it is not big at all – half an hour would be enough. I could localize the foundations of Roman forum, basilica, one church and necropolis. No guards, low and damaged fences, children playing in the graveyard... For me rich history of Doclea is not seen in its ruins, and experience I had was pretty disappointing…