Mamula Island: from a concentration camp to a luxury hotel
Mamula, also known as Lastavica, is located at the very entrance of the Bay of Kotor. Placed right in between Luštica and Prevlaka peninsulas, was a perfect spot for a defense fortress to protect the city. Besides its defense purpose, the island holds a dark history which was later turned into a 360° luxury resort.
Mamula fortress was built in the 19th century by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and named after the Austro-Hungarian general Lazar Mamula. The construction of the fortress started in 1853. and was completed in 1856. During the wars, it was used as a concentration camp and it gained a bad reputation for its harsh treatment of prisoners.
Today, Mamula is something completely else. Although many Montenegrins were not for the construction of the luxury resort, as it was once a resting spot for many that have lost their lives, the government proceeded with the project in order to preserve what was left of this fortress which was long forgotten and deteriorated. Despite the transformation, efforts have been made to preserve its historical integrity.
The luxury resort on Mamula today has 32 rooms, 3 restaurants, 4 bars, a spa & recreation center, and 3 pools and it is open to visitors. If you wish to visit this island, you can take a boat tour from Herceg Novi or Kotor to reach the fortress and explore its interior.
View this post on Instagram
An interesting fact about this island is that a movie was filmed in which the plot revolves around the island. A horror movie called Nymph, is America-Serbian movie that was released in 2014. The story talks about two students from America, Kelly and Lucy, who go to Montenegro to visit Alex, which persuades them to visit the deserted island of Mamula. It is rated
Paula Kovačić Taha
Once I saw that there was a bigger world out there, so I made myself be a part of it.
Leave a Reply