Handpicked by a Montenegro Local Expert, we bring you our guide to 'Old Towns in Montenegro'.
In the old coastal towns, surrounded by high walls, you can feel the spirit of the Illyrians, Greeks, Romans, Venetians, Ottomans, whose traces represent material evidence of ancient times. Each city on the Montenegrin coast hides different stories, and each one of them wrote its history.
Old Town Budva
The Old Town of Budva is the trademark of Budva with a unique architectural composition. It was built on an island that was connected to the mainland by a sandy coating and thus grew into a peninsula. Historical sources indicate that Budva is one of the oldest urban centres on the Adriatic, over 2,500 years old. A recognisable attraction of the Old Town is the high wall, dating from the Mid...
Kotor Stari Grad
The Old Town of Kotor is one of the best-preserved Medieval towns in Montenegro and makes a very interesting day trip for families, couples and groups alike. The asymmetric structure of the squares and narrow streets, combined with many valuable examples of Medieval architecture, has contributed to Kotor being placed on UNESCO's cultural inheritance list. If you are planning a stay in Montenegr...
Stari Bar
The Old Town of Bar or Stari Bar is one of the largest and the most important medieval archaeological sites in the Balkans. It is settled on the slopes of Mount Rumija where remains of almost 600 edifices prove the existence of numerous peoples who lived here. In the historical sources, the Old Town of Bar was first mentioned in the 10th century, but some evidence showed that it had existed...
Ulcinj Old Town
The Old Town of Ulcinj is one of the oldest towns in the Adriatic. It was founded in the 5th century BC by the people of Colchis, which is why it was originally named Colchinium. In the 2nd century, it was conquered by the Romans from the Illyrian tribe Olcinijatas and, the then ancient city of Colchinium became Olcinium. During the Roman rule, Olcinium r...
Stara Varos Podgorica
The Old Town of Podgorica or Stara Varoš may not resemble the famous coastal towns such as Kotor, Budva, Herceg Novi, but it certainly has historical importance. It was built during the Ottoman rule and is now a neighbourhood near the city centre. The bombing of Podgorica during the Second World War destroyed a large part of the Old Town, so now the only visible traces of the former ...
Bedem Niksic (Old Town)
The Old Town of Nikšić or Old Town of Onogošt, according to historical records was built in the 4th century as a Roman military fortress. The complete fortress is 214 meters long. It was built of stone, and the primary function of this fortress was protection from the enemy. This fortress represents something like a city within a city. Anderba, Anderva, Anagastum, Onogošt ...
Old Town Herceg Novi
The Old Town of Herceg Novi is only six centuries old, but it represents the best juncture of history and culture, past and modern time. The Old Town was established by the Bosnian King Tvrtko I, who had the intention of turning it into a successful trading port. As salt was an important commodity at the time, Herceg Novi became the competitor to Dubrovnik in the trade of salt. The to...
