Beautiful Budva is located in the very heart of the Adriatic. This Montenegrin town is famous for its ancient history, medieval architecture and warm sandy beaches. Thousands of tourists who come here to relax and warm up, overwhelm the guides with the question of what to see in Budva.
The historical center of Budva, the Old Town is surrounded by a powerful fortress wall. An ancient citadel is located in its center, and many medieval churches in the Venetian style are located in the narrow streets. However, Budva offers tourists other types of recreation: sunbathe on the beach, hang out at a party in a nightclub and even enjoy all possible water attractions in the newly opened water park.
In addition to Budva itself, its surroundings also deserve attention. Here, on the slopes of the mountains, there are ancient Orthodox monasteries, and the beaches are more deserted. And the city-hotel Sveti Stefan is considered a unique historical and natural site.
TOP 10 attractions of Budva
Old town of Budva
Old town of Budva
The historic center of Budva is surrounded by powerful fortress walls, from where you can enjoy stunning views of the lagoon, including the picturesque island of St. Nicholas. Several fortified towers with embrasures and monumental city gates have survived, which serve as a kind of border for the Old City. Especially noteworthy is the gateway to the sea. They are called "Doors of the Sea" and represent a very romantic, ivy-covered place.
The narrow pedestrian streets of the Old Town are home to many stone churches, many of which were built over a thousand years ago. Among them, however, stands out the amazing Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, built in the nineteenth century in the neo-Byzantine style. The winding streets, sometimes steep, converge in the very center of the Old Town, where the citadel rises, now converted into a museum.
Cathedral
Cathedral of Budva
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was built in the seventh century, but it has come down to us in a more modern form. In its appearance, Venetian influence is noticeable, which is not surprising given that Budva was under the rule of Venice for almost 400 years.
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a light-colored building with a red tiled roof and graceful lancet windows typical of the Gothic style. The architectural ensemble is completed with a bell tower, which is the architectural dominant of the whole of Budva. However, of particular interest is the interior design of the cathedral:
- An ancient Murano glass mosaic depicting the patron saint of the temple, St. John the Baptist, has been wonderfully preserved on the floor of the building. It was created in the seventh century, that is, at about the same time as the first building of the cathedral.
- The temple contains two miraculous images of the Virgin Mary. The icon of the Virgin of Health was made in the 17th century and is located in the southern altar. And in the northern chapel, in the marble altar, there is the most revered shrine in Montenegro - the icon of Our Lady of Budva (Santa Maria in Punta). It dates back to the 13th or even the 12th century.
- Despite numerous restoration work, fragments of medieval paintings have survived in the cathedral.
Mogren beach
Mogren beach
Mogren Beach is the most famous beach in Budva, moreover, it is located just 500 meters from the Old Town. A picturesque promontory divides the beach into two parts, connected by a shady pedestrian tunnel carved into the rocks. The beach itself is sandy, while the sea in this place is quite deep. On the territory of the Mogren beach, you can even rent a catamaran for a boat trip.
Mogren Beach is famous for its amazing views - steep cliffs rise above the sea, all overgrown with lush greenery and forests. By the way, at the entrance to the Mogren beach there is a nice monument to the gymnast, which is not so easy to climb.
Aquapark Budva
Aquapark Budva
Despite the fact that the water park in Budva was opened only in 2016, it is already the largest in the entire Adriatic. The water park is very popular among tourists and especially among children - there are several attractions here, including water slides of different levels. Fans of adrenaline will appreciate the Kamikaze slide, the speed of descent from which can reach 80 kilometers per hour. However, the water park provides an opportunity for a more relaxing holiday: here you can swim in the pool or visit a massage session, and little visitors can have a great time in a special children's cafe.
The water park is connected to the city center by a regular bus service.
Top Hill Night Club
Top Hill Night Club
Budva is considered the capital of nightlife in the Adriatic. The most famous nightclub is Top Hill, located near the famous water park. It was opened in 2010 and since then has become wildly popular. It hosts vibrant concerts and festivals with fireworks and confetti explosions. The peak of the music season is between July and August. The club performs mainly national Balkan music, including electronic. The nightclub building itself is located on the top of a hill, offering stunning views of the neighboring beaches and the lagoon.
The Top Hill nightclub is located two kilometers from the Old Town of Budva.
Jaz beach
Jaz beach
Jaz Beach is the largest beach on the territory of the Budva Riviera. It is located three kilometers from the city center, but getting to the beach is quite easy - a regular bus follows. The length of the beach is almost two kilometers, while it is partly pebbled, partly sandy. The Jaz beach is very convenient because the entrance to the sea is very shallow.
On the beach, you can easily buy a sun lounger and an umbrella, moreover, there are many restaurants of European cuisine on its territory. Jaz Beach is also famous for its music festivals, which were attended by such stars as Madonna and the Rolling Stones.
Podmaine monastery
Podmaine monastery
Podmaine Monastery is also known as Podostrog Monastery. It is located a couple of kilometers from the Old Town of Budva. This ancient Orthodox monastery has long served as the residence of the Montenegrin metropolitans. The oldest buildings are made in the Romanesque style of the XI-XII centuries.
The small church of the Assumption of Our Lady, built in the seventeenth century, is very interesting. This graceful building is not easy to find - it is located at the bottom of the observation deck, from where a breathtaking view of Budva opens. You can go down to the church by the stairs by the well. The interior decoration of the main church of the monastery is modern; it was re-painted at the end of the twentieth century.
St. Nicholas Island
St. Nicholas Island
The island of St. Nicholas is located a kilometer from the Old Town of Budva, it is perfectly visible from the fortress walls. This uninhabited island is wildly popular with tourists due to its appearance - it is relatively small, but it rises sharply, creating a picturesque cliff.
You can get to the island only by sea, and special excursion boats go from Budva. Deer live on the island, and there are also three sandy beaches. Unlike the sometimes crowded city beaches of Budva, on the island of St. Nicholas you can always relax in peace and tranquility, as if merging with the wild nature.
Sveti Stefan
Sveti Stefan
The island of Sveti Stefan, connected to the mainland only by a small isthmus of reclaimed gravel, is a unique object - both natural and historical. It is located five kilometers from Budva, you can get to the island by regular bus.
Now the entire island of Sveti Stefan is a fashionable five-star hotel. Surprisingly, they managed to preserve the medieval appearance of this settlement - there are many narrow streets, stone buildings with bright tiled roofs, and a Venetian-style church rises on the top of the hill. There is also a lot of modern infrastructure - shopping centers, restaurants and two elite beaches covered with pink pebbles.
Praskvitsa monastery
Praskvitsa monastery
The ancient Orthodox monastery Praskvitsa is located on the top of the mountain. It was built in the Middle Ages and consists of several small church buildings, distinguished by powerful stone walls and a red tiled roof.
Inside the monastery there are amazing exhibits that are interesting for the lover of antiquity:
- 5000 printed old books;
- Golden Cross of the Serbian King Stephen IV Dusan (fourteenth century);
- The Gospel presented to the monastery by the Russian emperor Paul I;
- Icons, church utensils, documents confirming Russian-Montenegrin relations and much more.
The Praskvitsa Monastery is located one and a half kilometers from Sveti Stefan. You can climb here by a steep staircase, the steps of which are knocked out of the stone. According to legend, this staircase was created by the former Russian officer Yegor Stroganov, who tonsured his tonsure in this monastery as a sign of repentance.
