Crkvice Guardian Traditional Cache
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A cache to commemorate a time gone by, when the Austro-Hungarians attempted to control Montenegro and the adriatic coast around the Boka Kotorska.
The village of Crkvice high above Lipci is reputed to be Europe’s wettest inhabited village with an annual rainfall of 4 m. It has very few inhabitants today, but in the latter years of the 19th century, up to 10,000 military personnel and family members were garrisoned here at what had become the largest Austro-Hungarian encampment along the Adriatic coast with the exception of Pula in Croatia. It included tennis courts, theatre, cinema, stables, barracks buildings, schools and shops, a parade ground, a ski lift, and the second largest bakery in Europe which used the latest technology at the time and was capable of producing 24 tons of bread daily. The huge complex was overlooked by two huge fortresses, Stražnik and Kom. Today, they lie along the route of the Montenegro Coastal Transversal, a long distance and challenging hiking route that stretches for 168 km from Herceg Novi in the North to Lisinje in the South. Dotted along the route are further remains of the Austro-Hungarian period including stone carved km posts, and plaques commemorating some of the construction engineers. Your task, should you wish to undertake it, is to find and explore the dominating fortress of Stražnik. The unusually shaped hexagonal fortress with its imposing domed galleries and central collapsed internal winding staircase provides a great vantage point from which both Kom and the bakery building can be seen. In the distance beyond Kom is the imposing peak of Velji Vrh. The ideal parking spot is at N42 33.539 E18 37.729 close by the old bakery building, a remarkable construction that used water from a massive underground cistern and electrical power. Proceed along the narrow road to the west until you reach a junction with a path to the right at N42 33.563 E18 37.617. A lovely walk through the beeches will bring you to the large stables building and former parade ground at N42 33.817 E18 37.700. Note the broken horse head crests at either end of the building and rings for tethering the horses. Having explored locally, the next object of interest if the Rebel monument at N42 33.841 E18 37.886 commemorating the Krivosije Rebellion where local militia successfully resisted enforced conscription into the Austro-Hungarian army. To reach the cache location, proceed along the road to the trail head at N42 33.857 E18 38.108. From here, hike up the grassy path to Tvrđava Stražnik. The final section is a bit of a scramble up a dilapidated zigzag stone path. Having explored the fortress and located the cache, your enthusiasm will hopefully be fired up sufficiently to visit its partner fort Tvrđava Kom at N42 33.815 E18 38.303. To reach it, return to the trail head and just beyond, a sign board leads the way via red and white markers to the hill top. If you enjoyed this cache and would like to discover more fortresses in the area, consider “The Austro-Hungarian Fortresses of Montenegro – A Hikers Guide” which contains a wealth of historic information and hiking paths to explore. It is available via Amazon, or locally in Montenegro at Forza Souvenir shop in Kotor or So Knizara in Herceg Novi. Check related web page.
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(Decrypt)
Arne gur jngre fcbhg.
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