Montenegro alone 2021. Part 3
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Part 3. Budva, Sveti Stefan, Petrovac, Buljarica
How can you visit Montenegro, but not visit Budva?
Budva, view from the Citadel to the Old Town
Of course, most tourists stop in this city, but we went to Budva to see and enjoy the beauty of its old city. Along the entire Budva Riviera, from Budva to Petrovac, Mediteran Express buses run on a schedule every hour from 6 am to 10 pm. There is a schedule and conductors at every stop.
The old town of Budva is located on a small peninsula. Almost all sights are concentrated on this patch.
Budva, the beach at the Citadel
The main defense and the most amazing building of the Old Town of Budva are the fortress walls, the full panorama of which can be seen on the map.
Budva, Fortifications
Powerful 45-meter fortress walls completely envelop the entire Old Budva. There are 3 passages on the walls.
Gate to Old Budva
You can see loopholes, weapon platforms and watchtowers along them.
Fortified walls of the Old City
Some of them were rebuilt in the 9th century, and after a strong earthquake, they were rebuilt by the Venetians in the 17th century. Beautiful panoramas open from the fortress walls!
View from the Citadel
A small square in the center of the Old Town of Budva - Roman Square. . .
Budva,
Roman Square
. . . where you can take an impressive photo for memory near a real artifact of antiquity - a Roman altar, as if taking us to Italy.
Streets of the Old Town
We visited the church of St. John the Baptist. The Catholic Cathedral in the Gothic style was erected in the 17th century, on the site of an old church of the 7th century. On its territory is the highest bell tower in the city, and inside the temple is the miraculous Budva Icon of the Virgin and Child.
Church of St. John the Baptist in Budva
According to legend, it was written by St. Luke himself. A photo of a temple with a bell tower is one of the recognizable postcard views of Budva.
We visited the Citadel - the fortress of St. Mary.
Citadel in Old Budva
The citadel was built back in the 14th century and was temporarily the royal residence of the Zeta Principality.
In the Citadel
Throughout its existence, the fortress protected the city from foreign invaders. We also looked at the exposition of the Maritime Museum.
Maritime Museum
We walked to Mogren beach. . .
Budva, Mogren beach
Budva, Mogren beach
. . . and took pictures at the graceful monument to the ballerina, which was erected by the city authorities in honor of love and fidelity. The legend tells of a certain ballerina who, in the past, at the place of the installed sculpture, was waiting for her beloved from a long voyage.
Monument to a ballerina
As for me, the girl looks more like a gymnast,
but a ballerina is a ballerina : )
The old city continues to please the eye of the tourist with its unique atmosphere.
Streets of Old Budva
But I would not stop in Budva to rest. Perhaps because we already live in a very noisy metropolis, and I want to be closer to nature on vacation, and not to transport and bustle. The city continues to be built at a tremendous pace.
New buildings and a foundation pit near the market in Budva
Russian business buys land and builds multi-storey hotels.
So far, there are enough beaches in Budva for everyone, but how it will be next is difficult to predict.
Marina of Budva
But this is my subjective opinion. Youth, perhaps, will be just right in Budva.
Separately, we planned a trip to the island of St. Stephen - the visiting card of Montenegro.
This is what St. Stephen's Island looks like from the track
This year, the passage along the embankment is open to the island itself (before they were not even allowed to go there). . .
The bridge to the island of Sveti Stefan is now open to the public
. . . you can get to the island with an additional excursion, but after reading the reviews of people who have been there, we decided not to go.
St. Stephen's Island
There is nothing special to watch. As they say, the main disadvantage of the Eiffel Tower is that the Eiffel Tower is not visible from it. But around the island of St. Stephen walked enough.
Sveti Stefan village beach
This year, the island of millionaires has changed its owner, so far it can be felt in the fact that 100 euro sunbeds have been removed from Milocer beach and everyone has access to the sea.
Milocher Beach
They also returned three churches located on the island to the Serbian Orthodox Church.
Milocher Park
Next to the island there is an excellent Milocer park, where you can take a walk and take photos from the observation platforms. Well, of course, you need to swim on this amazing beach!
Milocher Park
There are few sights in the resort town of Petrovac.
View of the Castello fortress from the Health Path
In the town, the Castello fortress built by the Venetians has been partially preserved. It was in her honor that the city was named in the Middle Ages. It is known for certain that in the 3rd century there was a Roman settlement of Lastva on this site.
In the Middle Ages, the city, already inhabited by the Slavs, was called Kastel Lastva - in honor of the fortress.
The Fortress now has a restaurant
It was only in the 20th century that the city was named Petrovac, in honor of the first Serbian king Peter I Karageorgievich.
Immediately behind the fortress, the well-known among tourists "Health Path" begins.
Views from the Health Path
It is about 1 kilometer long. The trail is equipped along the edge of the mountains, passes through three tunnels.
Tunnels on the Path of Health
Once upon a time, the Health Path was specially built so that guests could go for a walk to Petrovac from the Perazic Do Bay, where the huge (for 1000 seats) Adriatic Star Hotel functioned.
Unfinished building of the hotel "Adriatic Star"
It was back in the days of Yugoslavia. Then it was the coolest hotel on the coast, with its own beach. In the 80s it was very prestigious to have a rest here.
In 2002, the hotel was bought by a company with Russian capital. According to the obligations, she had to reconstruct the hotel into an even more luxurious hotel complex.
Unfinished building of the Adriatic Star Hotel
But something went wrong. . . The hotel is abandoned. The Montenegrin government is suing Russian business for the right to return the hotel to state ownership, but so far to no avail.
Unfinished building of the Adriatic Star Hotel
Of course, this hulk spoils the view of a beautiful bay, but access to the beach is not only from the Health Path, but also from the highway by car. Many Montenegrins come to this beach. It is half furnished, there is a cafe, sun loungers and toilets.
Perazic Do Beach
Walking along the Health Path is wonderful. There is no transport nearby, the air is with coniferous aromas. . .
Health Path
. . . just opens the lungs, and the coolness in the tunnels. . .
Tunnels on the Path of Health
. . . provides a slight respite from the heat. The trail offers magnificent views of the endless Adriatic Sea, wild beaches that are only accessible from the water. . .
The wild beach is visible from the Health Path
. . . and two small islands of Katic and Holy Nedelya. One of them has a small church.
Katic and Holy Week Islands in Petrovac
You can swim to the islets by renting a boat on the embankment. The cost of such a walk is 5 euros. The boat will also sail into the Blue Grotto, which is perfectly visible from the Petrovac Fortress.
View of the Blue Grotto from the Castello Fortress in Petrovac
I want to say separately about the place where we stopped: the village and the beach of Buljarica.
Often on the Internet you can read that Buljarica is one of the best beaches in the vicinity of Petrovac.
Buljarica Beach
The longest beach on the Budva Riviera (almost 2.5 km), includes wide equipped areas and a wild coast, where you can always find secluded places by the sea.
A great alternative to the good, but, alas, too crowded beaches of Petrovac.
Here the question arises: if he is so good, then why is he so deserted? And is it so?
Like every place, there are pluses and minuses.
Buljarica is the last village on the Budva Riviera (further, behind the Buljarica beach, the Bar Riviera begins, but this is a topic for another story).
So, Budva minibuses Mediteran Express do not reach Buljarica, the last stop is Petrovac.
From the center of Petrovac to Buljarica beach, you need to stomp on foot for 40 minutes through a rather steep hill. In the heat of 35 degrees - it's still a pleasure. We once met a group of tourists who were already returning over the hill from Buljarica beach back to Petrovac.
It was the first and last time written on their weary faces.
As for the Buljarica beach itself, its equipped area is the first 200 meters of the bay from the side of Petrovac.
Buljarica Beach
There are sun loungers, umbrellas, cafes, fresh showers. This part of the beach is protected by a protruding cape from the wind and waves, there are small pebbles, a convenient entry into the water.
But this part, of course, is the most crowded, and sunbeds are paid.
Further, as you move away from the cape, the beach turns into large pebbles.
Buljarica Beach
People settle down with their umbrellas, there is no other shadow here.
The beach is spacious, but here it is open to the wind and waves.
Entering into the sea is worse, stones begin, but you can still swim.
And then the beach is completely rocky. Entry into the water becomes shallow, the bottom - large cobblestones.
Buljarica Beach
Going into the sea here is another quest. There is no such thing as stepping and swimming, but you have to make your way along slippery boulders in order to go waist-deep. And if there is a wave, it’s completely problematic to enter. You can hit rocks.
It is necessary to go into the sea in coral slippers, especially since sea urchins live between the boulders.
But on the other hand, this part of the beach is already not crowded.
Buljarica Beach is the nearest beach on the sea for residents of the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica. Residents of the capital go by car here to the seashore through a newly built tunnel.
And along the only street of Buljarica. . .
. . . leading from the highway to the sea, every day from morning to evening there is a stream of cars to the beach and back. There are no sidewalks, the air is saturated with car exhausts.
So everyday walking to the beach is not the most pleasant moment for vacationers.
All cars are parked right above the beach, almost along the entire bay. People are placed evenly along the beach, with their umbrellas and families, not far from their cars.
Buljarica beach full car parking)
The beach is spacious, there is enough space for everyone, but, as you can see, there are some disadvantages.
What are the advantages in Buljarica?
Buljarica is a small, quiet village. There are no hotels here, but quite good apartments are rented out.
Quiet and green, good air (except for the road to the beach).
There is a supermarket here,
where the prices are good and there are all the necessary products. And nearby, across the road, there is a good restaurant called konoba "Galeb", where set meals for 4 euros, as well as a chic splash, and a hanger...
. . . and other goodies. Everything can also be ordered to take away.
Because of the heat, I didn't want to have a big lunch. We only once took a set lunch in konobe, and did not even cook in our room, although there were all the conditions for this.
We picked up packs of local mineral water "Prince Milos" in the supermarket and put them in the refrigerator, there were also large glasses of yogurt. We bought delicious cheeses and prosciutto, local sweet peppers and tomatoes. All excellent quality and inexpensive. That's the whole diet.
Still good coffee.
They don't drink tea there. You won't find tea in the store there, even if you want to.
We tried, of course,
famous Montenegrin wines: red dry "Vranac" (which translates as Black Horse), very reminiscent of Chianti, it is good to drink meat with them, or just quench your thirst.
White dry "Krstač " (which means Cross) is more saturated, but sharper and drier.
In Petrovac, on the embankment, a nun was selling monastic tinctures. We bought grape liqueur from her for 6 euros, it turned out to be a very unusual tasty tincture, with the taste of dried grapes, or rather raisins.
There is still some magic in these Montenegrin wines, in the Adriatic Sea, and in the Montenegrin air with the smell of the sea, olives and pine needles!
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