Attractions of the city of Budva in Montenegro

One of the great places to stay in Montenegro is undoubtedly Budva. Together with the surrounding area, it forms the famous Budva Riviera - the main center of tourism in the country.

The resort town is located in the center of the Adriatic coast of Montenegro, its total area is 122 km², and the length of the beaches is about 12 km. The coastal strip is surrounded by beautiful mountains.

The very first settlement appeared in the 5th century BC.

The resort is subdivided into Old and New Towns. In Old Budva there is a sense of medieval civilization, all the historical monuments of that era are concentrated in it. The new city is a place of entertainment; a huge number of hotels, inns, shops and leisure facilities are located here. The main Slavic beach is also located here.

This city will appeal to different categories of travelers. The mild climate, warm sea, well-equipped sandy beaches and many children's entertainment will be appreciated by families with children. The abundance of restaurants, clubs, discos, sports fields and tennis courts will appeal to young people and people who prefer to spend their holidays energetically and fun. Connoisseurs of history and cultural attractions will be attracted by temples, churches, old streets, houses and other objects.

Throughout its existence (almost 2500 years), this cozy Montenegrin town has seen many epochal events.The Greeks are considered the founders of the city, later the rule passed to the Romans and Byzantines, in the Middle Ages it was part of the Venetian Republic. Since the 19th century, the city became a subject of Austria-Hungary, after the First World War it was incorporated into Yugoslavia, and since 2006 it has been the main resort of Montenegro.

Usually, it is from this part that travelers begin their acquaintance with Budva - it is very comfortable for walking, its medieval flavor is felt here. Narrow streets and squares give charm, next to which there are bars, cafes, souvenir shops and residential buildings. This historic site also offers vacation rentals.

The Old City is surrounded by a fortress wall, which has 6 passages, through any of them you can easily get to the territory.

The Citadel is a powerful fortress at the highest point of the resort, intended to protect the city from the sea. The walls of the fortress were changed 4 times, the first building was erected in 840, most of it was built in the 15th century. Here are preserved towers, loopholes, barracks (XIX century), stairs.

Now the work of the Maritime Museum and the library is organized on the territory of the citadel, where old books about the history of the Balkan Peninsula are collected. There is a restaurant with access to the tower's terrace, which offers an overview of the entire city.

On one of the walls of the citadel (opposite the library) there is a bas-relief depicting the city's symbol - two intertwining fish. According to legend, many years ago there lived lovers in Budva, whose parents were forbidden to marry. In order not to part, they threw themselves into the sea, but did not drown, but turned into beautiful fish that still swim in the Adriatic Sea. They became the symbol of the city and explain its name “Budva - there will be two as one”.

The citadel (as, in principle, the whole Old Budva) is attractive for many film crews creating documentaries and historical films. One group of filmmakers brought a giant bell and anchor for the set for the film. They fit so perfectly into the overall picture that they decided to leave them as a gift. Since then, these sculptures have attracted the attention of tourists.

It is a 4-storey building filled with many ancient objects that have been discovered in various parts of the country. The exhibits are represented by finds dating from the 5th century. BC NS. until the Middle Ages. Here you can see stone slabs with inscriptions, old coins, dishes, ceramics, jewelry.

In this part of the city, there are ancient churches: St. John, St. Mary and the Holy Trinity, which are still in operation. Inside them, visitors will be able to see ancient panels, frescoes decorated with gold and valuable icons. A small church of St. Sava is located nearby, but at the moment it is not operational.

It is one of the most significant historical monuments of the country. It is located in the western side of the Budva Bay, above the Mogren-2 beach. The fortress was built under Austro-Hungarian rule in the second half of the 19th century to protect the city's borders from the west. During the Second World War, an ammunition depot was located here.

The fortress is available for free visits; there are no organized excursions to its walls. You can get to it on your own, reaching the end of the beach you need to climb the rocks. The safer way from Budva is to go to the Yadransky Way highway and follow the signs, it is impossible to get lost.

Due to the abundance of shrines, Montenegro is attractive for pilgrims.But even simple, not sophisticated in such matters, tourists may be interested in ancient cathedrals and temples.

The most famous holy place of the Old Town, its first buildings appeared in the 7th century. Due to natural disasters, the cathedral was destroyed, so it was reconstructed several times. The view that has survived to this day was acquired by the temple in 1640. It consists of a bell tower, a church and a bishop's palace.

• Bell tower. It is located on the north side of the cathedral and is visible from any part of the city. Its elevation reaches 36 meters. Climbing to the very top of the bell tower, you can admire the resort from a bird's eye view.
• Church of St. John the Baptist... Outwardly it has a simple appearance, but the interior decoration is quite rich. It contains the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary with the little Jesus. It is assumed that it was written by Saint Luke in the XII century, and is revered by all believers.
• Bishop's palace... Located on the south side of the cathedral, it is a Gothic building.

A functioning Orthodox monastery for men, founded in the XII-XIV centuries. Available for free visits to tourists. Located in the northern part of Budva, about 2.5 km from the Old Town. It also has a second name Podostrog. The names are given because of its location - in the region of Main and Mount Ostrog.

The monastery stands on a hill, surrounded by a high stone fortress. Previously, it was the summer residence of the Metropolitans of Montenegro. There are two churches dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.

• Small Assumption Church - built in the 15th century, very small in size, there is an observation deck above it, from which the coast is perfectly visible.
• Great Assumption Church - erected in 1747, services are still held daily.

In Montenegro, Saint Petka (Paraskeva, Friday) is especially revered, she is asked to heal from ailments, to find and maintain family happiness. In honor of this saint, small churches and chapels are erected by the roads (Friday).

Located near the Podmaine monastery, seemingly a small and unremarkable church. It is significant in that it has two altars where services are held for both Orthodox Christians and Catholics.

Resting in this beautiful resort, tourists completely forget about boredom and routine, enjoying rest and entertainment, which are presented in the best possible way.

Of all the water entertainment centers of the Adriatic region - the water park in Budva is the largest, with an area of ​​over 41,000 square meters. It is located on a hill, from its objects it seems that the coast and the city are far below, which makes skiing even more interesting and breathtaking.

The entrance to the water slopes is allowed for children at least 110 cm in height, but young visitors will not be bored either, there are several pools for them. The water park constantly hosts children's entertainment events.

There are 7 extreme water attractions for adults:

• "Hydrotube" - descent height 17.5 m and length 60 m;
• "Tornado" - closed slide-pipe 145 m long;
• "Black hole" - a closed slide-pipe, usually found in any, even the smallest water park;
• "Big kamikaze" - the most extreme slide, is a descent into the pool from a height of 26 m along the steep edge of which is 67.5 m long;
• "Little kamikaze" - an analogue of the previous slide, but with a lower level of descent - 17.5 m high, 62.5 m long, the descent speed develops up to 80 km / h;
• "Rafting" - it is permissible to climb this slide with children, its height is 13 m, and its length is 122 m;
• "Multislide" - you can also slide with children, the descent has 6 parallel chutes, you can have fun with your family or company, starting a competition for the fastest descent.

As in any resort town, Budva has an active recreation park for children and adults. It functions in the summer on the embankment. To get impressions and unforgettable emotions, you can go to an amusement park, where there are, for example, the following:

• "Kamikaze";
• "Carousel";
• Dream Ship;
• little train "Merry Rainbow";
• "Bumper boats" in the pool;
• "Slingshots";
• rope course;
• cable car;
• slide "Giant";
• karting;
• trampolines;
• slot machines.

There is a special area for fans of active water sports near the park. You can go water skiing, scooter, flyboard or more traditional boats, kayaks, "Banana", "Vatrushka".

While on vacation, you can find many interesting itineraries to visit around the resort.

It is located just 1 km from the Slavic beach and is clearly visible from the coast. It is also called the Hawaii of Montenegro because of the restaurant on the beach that has that name. The island is worth visiting because of the clear sea and cozy bays. You can get to it by boats that leave from the beaches. The territory is small - only 2 kilometers, but it impresses with its vegetation and cleanliness of the ecology. The beach area is about 800 meters long.

The attraction is available for independent visits, it is located a 30-minute drive from the resort in the direction of the city of Cetinje. You can get there by taxi, rented car or bus. The bus leaves from the bus station, you need to get off in the village of Braiichi.

The fortress was built in 1850 under Austro-Hungarian rule on the Kosmach hill, located about 800 meters above sea level. During the Second World War, it was partially destroyed (of the three erected floors, only two remained), traces of military shells are still visible on its walls.

Walking through the abandoned fortress, you need to be careful, there is nothing particularly remarkable inside - desolation and devastation. A more impressive appearance of the fortress, framed by beautiful mountains, turns out to be outside. In addition, the hill offers gorgeous views of the Budva Riviera.

St. Stephen's Island is located just 7 km from Budva. Previously, it was an ordinary fishing village, and now the most prestigious resort in Montenegro. World celebrities like to rest here. In fact, the entire island is occupied by a hotel city. There are guided tours for tourists, but you can also go yourself to see this splendor by bus or taxi.

The city also has many interesting places within walking distance. Fans of nightlife can go to the popular Top Hill club, which is located nearby in the hills. There are also disco bars on the waterfront.

Many vacationers like to walk along Slavyansky Boulevard, there are an abundance of cafes, restaurants, there are mini-markets for clothes, many souvenir shops, the sale of excursion tours throughout Montenegro is organized.

Budva offers interesting and varied leisure activities. Many tourists, having been here, will certainly want to come back again!

The sights of the city are shown in the following video.