Kanli Kula

Bay of Kotor

　　Kanli Kula means 'bloody tower', and this notorious 16th-century prison more than lived up to its name during Herceg Novi's years of Turkish rule (roughly 1482–1687); in the dungeon below the lower set of flagpoles, you can see where doomed inmates carved into the walls. The huge fort is a...

Španjola Fortress

Bay of Kotor

　　Looming over town, Španjola was started and finished by the Turks but named after the Spanish (they had a stint – in 1538 – here as well). Unlike the town's other fortresses, this one is barely – if at all – maintained, but if you're into exploring semi-abandoned, wildly overgrown...

Forte Mare

Bay of Kotor

　　The bastion at the town’s seaward edge was built between the 14th and 17th centuries but owes its current look to an Austrian makeover in 1833. It's now used for film screenings on summer nights. Downstairs, a 15-minute video tells the story of Ottoman admiral Barbarossa wresting the fort from...

St Jerome’s Church

Bay of Kotor

　　The Old Town's main Catholic church (1856) dominates Trg Mića Pavlovića. It's usually only open during services. ...

Clock Tower

Bay of Kotor

　　The elegant crenulated clock tower, built in 1667, sits above what was once the main city gate. You can climb the spiral staircase for a different perspective on Njegoševa street. ...

Archangel Michael’s Church

Bay of Kotor

　　Built between 1883 and 1905, this beautifully proportioned, domed, Serbian Orthodox church sits at the centre of gleaming white Trg Herceg Stejpana (known as Belavista to the locals). The archangel is pictured in a mosaic in the lunette above the door, under an elegant rose window. ...

Savina Monastery

Bay of Kotor

　　Named after Sava, founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church, this peaceful monastery enjoys wonderful coastal views from its location on the town's eastern slopes. It's dominated by the elegant 18th-century Church of the Dormition (Crkva uspenja Bogorodice; literally ‘the falling into sleep of the Mother of God’), carved from Croatian...

Šetalište Pet Danica

Bay of Kotor

　　Named after five young women named Danica who died during WWII, this pedestrian promenade stretches along the waterfront for more than 5km from Igalo to Meljine. It's lined with summer bars, shops, concrete swimming platforms and the odd rocky cove; in places it ducks in and out of tunnels carved...

Liberty Monument

Adriatic Coast

　　On the cliff above Mala Plaža, this imposing monument is a lovely piece of socialist art that’s now neglected and covered in graffiti. Its two V-shaped white segments resemble a pair of fighter planes that have crash-landed on their noses. Closer inspection reveals them as stylised wings sprouting from the...

St Nicholas’ Cathedral

Adriatic Coast

　　Colourful frescoes fill this Serbian Orthodox cathedral, set among a picturesque grove of gnarled olive trees just below the main gate to the Old Town. It’s a relative newbie, having been built in 1890 shortly after the Ottomans were booted out, although it’s believed to stand on the site of...

Mother Theresa statue

Adriatic Coast

　　Aptly located at Ulcinj's medical clinic is a statue of Mother Theresa, the most famous Albanian of recent years (although she was actually born in North Macedonia). The statue receives dozen of floral bouquets daily. 　　Adjacent to it is a commemorative plaque reading 'In gratitude to the people of Ulcinj...

Hotel Albatros Beach

Adriatic Coast

　　If you feel like getting your kit off without making your way to Ada Bojana, this bare-bum beach just down from the large Hotel Albatros is the place to do it. Heading down the path, turn right for the clothed beach and left for the unclothed. ...

Mala Plaža

Adriatic Coast

　　Come July and August it's hard to see this little grin of a cove under all the suntanned flesh. If you're after a little more seclusion, go for a southeasterly stroll – you'll find a succession of rocky bays and clearer, less-sun-lotion-oiled water. ...

Sapore di Mare

Adriatic Coast

　　This pine-fringed rocky beach makes for a good break from the blaring pop and incessant preening of some of the more populated strips of sand near Mala Plaža. Despite the lack of sand, it's a good spot for swimming and sunning. There's a nice pizzeria and bar on the concreted...

Ladies' Beach

Adriatic Coast

　　This lovely, boulder-strewn little cove – and its cave – are strictly for the ladies. It was given its name and status thanks to the high level of sulphur in the deep green water, said to be an excellent natural treatment for infertility. Local women often swim naked here. If...

Old Town

Adriatic Coast

　　The ancient walled town overlooking Mala Plaža is largely residential and somewhat dilapidated, a legacy of the 1979 earthquake. This is part of its charm – this Old Town really does feel old, with its uneven cobblestones and paucity of street lighting. Allow at least an hour to simply ramble...

St Nicholas’ Church

Kotor

　　Breathe in the smell of incense and beeswax in this Orthodox church, built in 1909 and adorned with four huge canvasses depicting the gospel writers, a gift from Russia in 1998. The silence, the iconostasis with its silver bas-relief panels, the dark wood against bare grey walls, the filtered light...

St Luke’s Church

Kotor

　　Sweet little St Luke’s speaks volumes about the history of Croat-Serb relations in Kotor. It was constructed in 1195 as a Catholic church, but from 1657 until 1812 Catholic and Orthodox altars stood side by side, with each faith taking turns to hold services here. It was then gifted to...

Gurdić Gate

Kotor

　　Fewer tourists make it to the south end of town, where the houses narrow into a slim corridor leading to this bastion and gate (parts of which date from the 13th century) and the drawbridge over the Gurdić Spring. Without the crowds and the clamour, it's easy to imagine yourself...

St Mary's Collegiate Church

Kotor

　　Built in 1221 on the site of a 6th-century basilica, this Catholic church is distinguished by impressive 20th-century bronze doors covered in bas-reliefs, the remains of frescoes, a particularly gruesome larger-than-life crucifix, and a glass coffin containing the body of Blessed Osanna of Cattaro (1493–1565). She was what is known...

Maritime Museum of Montenegro

Kotor

　　Kotor's proud history as a naval power is celebrated in three storeys of displays housed in a wonderful early-18th-century palace. An audio guide helps explain the collection of photographs, paintings, uniforms, exquisitely decorated weapons and models of ships. 　　Just outside the museum, look out for the Karampana Well and its...

Sea Gate

Kotor

　　The main entrance to the town was constructed in 1555 when it was under Venetian rule (1420–1797). Look out for the winged lion of St Mark, Venice’s symbol, which is displayed prominently on the walls here and in several other spots around the town. Above the gate, the date of...

St Tryphon’s Cathedral

Kotor

　　Kotor’s most impressive building, this Catholic cathedral was consecrated in 1166 but reconstructed after several earthquakes. When the entire frontage was destroyed in 1667, the baroque bell towers were added; the left one remains unfinished. The cathedral’s gently hued interior is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture: slender Corinthian columns alternate...

Kotor City Walls

Kotor

　　Kotor's fortifications started to head up St John's Hill in the 9th century and by the 14th century a protective loop was completed, which was added to right up until the 19th century. The energetic can make a 1200m ascent up the fortifications via 1350 steps to a height of...

Podmaine Monastery

Budva

　　On the surprisingly peaceful northern slopes of town, this Serbian Orthodox monastery features the same stripes of pink and honey-coloured stone as the Stari Grad's Holy Trinity Church. Interesting frescoes inside the church include a Judgement Day scene showing the fate to befall the damned (look for the communist officer...

St John the Baptist’s Church

Budva

　　Budva's largest church was built towards the end of the 12th century, and served as its Catholic cathedral until 1828. Parts of it possibly date from as early as the 9th century, and the last earthquake revealed the foundations of an early Christian basilica beside it. A side chapel houses...

Podostrog Monastery

Budva

　　From Podmaine Monastery, a walking track leads up the mountains for 2km to the fortified Podostrog Monastery. This was once a residence of Montenegro’s vladikas (prince-bishops). It was here that Petar II Petrović Njegoš wrote The Mountain Wreath and also here that his predecessor Danilo is said to have instigated...

Ploče Beach

Budva

　　If the sands are getting too crowded in Budva itself, head out to this little pebbly beach at the end of a scrub-covered peninsula, 10km west of town (take the road to Kotor, turn off towards Jaz Beach and keep going). The water is crystal clear but if you prefer...

Citadela

Budva

　　The citadel at the Old Town’s seaward end offers striking views, a restaurant and a library full of model ships, rare tomes and maps displayed safely behind glass. It's thought to be built on the site of the Greek acropolis, but the present incarnation dates from the 19th-century Austrian occupation....

Trg između crkava

Budva

　　Literally the 'square between the churches', this open area below the citadel provides a visual reminder of the once-cosy relationship between Orthodox and Catholic Christians in this area. 　　Beautiful frescoes cover the walls and ceiling of Holy Trinity Church, in the centre of the square. Constructed in 1804 out of...

Sveti Nikola

Budva

　　Known locally as ‘Hawaii’, Sveti Nikola is Montenegro’s largest island, stretching to nearly 2km. Fallow deer wander about on this uninhabited green spot, which is only a nautical mile away from Budva or Bečići Beach. Its rocky beaches make it a popular destination in summer when taxi boats regularly ferry...

Stari Grad

Budva

　　Budva's best feature and star attraction is the Stari Grad (Old Town) – a mini-Dubrovnik with marbled streets and Venetian walls rising from the clear waters below. Much of it was ruined by two earthquakes in 1979, but it has since been completely rebuilt and now houses more shops, bars...

Natural History Museum of Montenegro

Podgorica

　　This small but well set-up museum has informative displays of Montenegrin flora, fauna and fossils, including all the taxidermied birds, bears and baying wolves you can handle. ...

St George's Church

Podgorica

　　Sitting behind castle-like walls on the lower slopes of Gorica hill (Podgorica means 'under Gorica'), this little Orthodox church is the city's oldest. Inside, the remains of centuries-old frescoes are more interesting than the relatively modern gilded iconostasis. More fascinating still is the thoroughly creepy overgrown cemetery behind the enclosure....

Museums & Galleries of Podgorica

Podgorica

　　Despite Cetinje nabbing most of the national endowment, Podgorica is well served by this collection of art, artefacts and folk costumes. There’s an interesting section on Podgorica’s history that includes antiquities exhumed from Doclea, its Roman incarnation, the remains of which are in the northern fringes of the modern city....

Dajbabe Monastery

Podgorica

　　Even if religion isn't your bag, a trip to this unusual little working monastery is worth your while. Established in 1897, Dajbabe houses a remarkable Orthodox church inside a cave, where the low bumpy and buckling walls are slathered with religious paintings. The monk who set up the monastery worked...

Petrović Palace

Podgorica

　　The Montenegro Contemporary Art Centre stages high-profile exhibitions in this pale-pink 19th-century palace. The surrounding park is peppered with interesting sculptures and a tiny church. 　　Temporary exhibitions are also displayed in the small Galerija Centar in the heart of the city. ...

Cathedral of Christ’s Resurrection

Podgorica

　　Finally consecrated in 2013 after 20 years of construction, the large dome, white stone towers and gold crosses of this immense Serbian Orthodox cathedral are a striking addition to Podgorica’s skyline. The exterior features an unusual contrast between roughly hewn stone at the bottom and intricately carved details above. Inside,...

Šipčanik Wine Cellar

Podgorica

　　Wine tasting doesn't get more curious than at this wine cellar, 8km southeast of Podgorica, operated by Plantaže, Montenegro’s largest wine company. The cellar occupies a 356m-long tunnel which was once a secret underground Yugoslav-era aircraft hangar. Partially destroyed by NATO bombing in 1999 and abandoned immediately afterwards, the revamped...

Stara Varoš

Podgorica

　　Podgorica's oldest neighbourhood retains traces of the 400 years in which it was the centre of a bustling Ottoman Turkish town. The blocky clock tower overlooking the square was useful for signalling Muslim prayer times. In the maze of streets behind it, two mosques remain. You wouldn't know to look...