532 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp541–2 and p543
Budva 5
67 km (42 miles) SW of
Podgorica. * 17,000. @ 4
n Mediteranska 4, (033) 402 814.
http://www.budva.travel
With its fantastic beaches,
islands and bays, the enchant-
ing town of Budva has become
extremely popular. One of
the oldest urban settlements
on the Montenegrin coast,
the town was successively
conquered by Greeks, Romans,
Serbs and various feudal rulers
before the Venetians gained
control in 1442. They strength-
ened its existing defences and
managed to resist the Ottoman
expansion that absorbed the
neighbour ing towns of Bar,
Ulcinj and Podgorica in the
16th century. Budva stayed
under Venetian control until
1797, when it fell into Austrian
hands; it did not join
Montenegro until the
Allied defeat of the
Austro-Hungarian
Empire in 1918.
Perched on a
rocky bluff and
overlooked by
picturesque mount
ains, Budva’s
atmo spheric Old Town
(Stari grad) still has a distinct
Venetian flavour. Devastated
by an earthquake in 1979,
it has been painstak ingly
restored. Today, its enchantingSVETI STEFAN
Built on a rocky island to the south of Budva, Sveti Stefan
appears to float dreamily on the turquoise waters of the
Adriatic. The island’s natural beauty, combined with ancient
stone houses converted into luxury apartments, earned it a
repu tation in the 1970s and 80s as an exclusive summer
resort. Once a haven for medieval pirates and fishermen
resisting the Ottomans, it became the summer retreat of
royalty, such as Queen Elizabeth II and Hollywood stars
such as Sophia Loren and Sylvester Stallone. The Yugoslav
Wars abruptly curtailed its popularity, and although the
island reopened for business soon after, the resort remains
closed to the public and is scheduled to reopen shortly.The fairy tale island resort of Sveti Stefanalleys open on to charming
squares filled with shops,
bars and restaurants enlivened
by street performers. The
Budva Museum (Muzej Budve)
on the Old Town Square
(Starogradski trg) houses a
fascinating display of archae-
ological arti facts, many of
which were uncov ered after
the upheaval of the 1979
earth quake. They include
Roman glass ware and an
engraved 5th-century Illyrian
helmet. Smaller ethno graphic
and historical exhi bitions are
dis played on the upper floors
of the museum.
Standing next door is
St Ivan’s Catholic Church
(Katolička Crkva Sv Ivana),
notable for its prominent
tower. Dating from the 7th
century, this is the town’s
oldest church, although the
design was modified
fol low ing a severe
earthquake in- Its simple
façade conceals
an interior with
a fine array of
17th-cen tury
Venetian icons
as well as the 12th-cen tury
Madonna of Budva icon,
believed to have miraculous
cura tive powers. The small
Franciscan Church of St Mary
(Crkva Svete Marije), tucked
away in the southwest corner
of the town, has a distinctive
triple-arched bell tower.
Founded in the 9th century, it
is now used to host occasional
cultural events.
A short distance out to
sea is the sloping St Nikola’s
Island. Boats shuttle back
and forth during the summer
allowing visitors to climb to
the island’s summit at 120 m
(395 ft), laze on its sandy
beaches or visit the small
St Nikola Church.
E Budva Museum
Petra I Petrovića 11, Stari grad.
Tel (033) 453 308. # May–Sep:
8am–10pm Tue–Sun; Oct–Apr:
10am–8pm Tue–Fri, 10am–5pm
Sat & Sun. & =
R St Ivan’s Catholic Church
Strarogradski trg. # 7am–7:30 pm
daily. 5
R Church of St Mary
Stari grad, southeast wall.
# 8:30am–6pm daily.Painted arch, Church of
St MaryBudva’s walled town with the striking tower of St Ivan’s Catholic Church