Features of rest in Budva

Budva is a popular tourist resort, to which thousands of Russians go every year. It is famous for its sunny beaches with crystal water, as well as a rich historical heritage. In this article you will get acquainted with the main features of a holiday in Budva.

Budva is a city in Montenegro, located in the central part of the Montenegrin Adriatic. The history of the city goes back to BC - the first records of ancient Budva appeared 2.5 thousand years ago.

Today the city is the official site of the Budva Riviera, which is considered the largest tourist center in Montenegro. By area, Budva occupies slightly less than the area of ​​regional centers of Belarus and Ukraine - 122 square kilometers. From all sides the city is surrounded by mountainous landscape and cliffs.

Based on the latest census, the population of Budva is about 15 thousand people, with almost a third of this figure being tourists and non-indigenous people. The tourist potential of Budva favorably affected the demographic growth - until the 80s of the twentieth century, only 4.5 thousand people were registered in the entire district.

Budva belongs to the resorts of the Mediterranean climate type. Mostly hot summers and warm winters are observed here - at least 8-9 degrees in January and February. The sun warms the city for almost 300 days a year, which makes this place an ideal resort for vacationers from all over the world.

The average summer temperature here is about 23-24 degrees Celsius. The average water temperature is ideal for swimming - about 25 degrees, in autumn and spring it does not fall below 17 degrees. Even despite the proximity to water and high temperature in the region, there is a small level of humidity - up to 80% in the fall and up to 60% in the summer season.

Budva is filled with a huge number of hotels and hotels, even for the most discerning tourist. Throughout the city and beyond, you can count several hundreds of institutions that annually receive tourists.

The cost of living in a hotel most often depends on the distance to the coastline and the nearest beaches, as well as on the infrastructure of the area. In this way, the most elite hotels and five-star hotels are located on the first coastline no more than 100 meters from the beach.

The best hotels in the city are Moskva, Zeta, Majestic, Kadmo, Hermes Budva. Most of them are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable pastime. The price of living in them can be from 70 to 90 euros per night.

A more budgetary option would be housing in the city - most of the indigenous inhabitants of Budva are engaged in the settlement of tourists in their apartments. In a sense, the tourist stream is a gold mine for this city.

If you do not have enough money to stay in these hotels or in rented apartments, you can book a place in 3-star hotels. The most popular three-star hotels in Budva are “Giardino Apartments”, “Apartments Vidikovac”, “Vila Simona Lux”, “Hotel Admiral”. Prices for apartments here are more budget - from 30 to 50 euros per night.

The legacy of ancient Budva has dozens of valuable sights. These are monuments, squares, architectural buildings, some of which are more than one hundred years old. Some tourists choose a vacation in Budva, relying on the cultural wealth of this city - in Montenegro, its historical heritage is considered the richest. It is worth considering those attractions that most often flash on the pages of guidebooks and in the stories of guides.

It has more than 3 thousand exhibits, covering the historical period from the V century BC until the XX. Until the second half of the last century, the city did not have its own museum; the idea of ​​opening it arose only in 1962. Around the same time, the museum received official registration and began to actively replenish with exhibits, but the opening itself occurred only in 2003.

Until 1979, the museum's collection consisted of no more than 2.5 thousand copies, mostly it was ancient jewelry, coins and elements of ancient ceramic and glassware and weapons. Most of these finds were included in the museum’s collection from the excavations of 1937 and date back to the 5th-4th centuries BC.

In April 1979, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.0 occurred off the coast of Montenegro. It affected such cities and localities as Kotor, Bar, Ulcinj and some other coastal areas. One of the affected cities turned out to be Budva.

The natural cataclysm destructively affected the integrity of many historical monuments, not to mention the fact that it caused the deaths of dozens of people, but for the future museum he did a kind of valuable favor.

The earthquake bared the streets, alleys and the foundation of ancient Budva, thereby creating fertile ground for more thorough research and excavation. As a result, archaeologists discovered several hundred more unique finds that helped shed light on the history of the city.

The museum is open from 8.00 to 20.00 every weekday, on weekends - until 17.00. Entrance fee for an adult is 2 euros, for a child - 1. There is the possibility of excursions in groups of 3 people.

Guides know this place as the Budva Medieval Fortress named after St. Mary. It is considered one of the main attractions of the city, often depicted on souvenirs and advertising posters of travel agencies. The Citadel is the unofficial center of the entire Old Town.

The history of the Citadel dates back to the 9th century, at that time it was a full-fledged fortress type fortress, designed to serve as a defense against regular raids by Turkish invaders. Due to the numerous military operations, as well as the destructive power of the time, only the northern and eastern walls, including one of the northern towers, have survived to this day. The remaining buildings in the structure of the Citadel were built in the 15th century by Venetian architects and were called upon to strengthen the defensive position of the city.

Many tourists, climbing into the observation platforms and the Citadel’s tower, note a strange feeling - as if time in this place stopped and you can still hear the sounds of the relentless battle over these ancient shores.

Today, the Citadel is not just a historical object, but also plays an important role in the cultural development of the city itself. On the territory and in the buildings of the Citadel today there is a functioning maritime museum, an extensive library dedicated to the history of the Balkans, a small restaurant with an open terrace.

The name of the city is also directly related to the Citadel itself. On one of its walls (in the vicinity of the entrance to the library itself) is a bas-relief depicting two fish with intertwined bodies. This sculpture is the main legend of Budva. According to legend, it refers to two lovers who, in ancient times, threw themselves together into the sea due to the refusal of their parents to bless their marriage. The lovers did not die, but were transformed into two beautiful silverfish that still swim in the generous waters of the Adriatic.

History soon turned into a legend, and they began to identify that case with the stable phrase “Ko jedno nek budu dva,” which means “Let the two be as one.” It is from this phrase, according to legend, that the name of the city was formed.

It is one of the most popular holiday destinations on the beach. The island is small in length - only 2 km, its area is 47 hectares, it is only one kilometer from Budva itself, and no money is required for entry. The entire "tail" part of the island is equipped with sun loungers and places for relaxation, the rocky part is closed to the public. It is called "Hawaii" in honor of the famous tourist resort.

On the territory of the island there are several bars, a paid toilet (free for visitors to the restaurant), 1 full-fledged restaurant and a small inactive church. Despite the fact that admission to the island is free, you will have to pay for it by boat, you will have to pay for a deck chair and umbrella (from 10 euros), but no one will stop you from grabbing your towel and simply sunbathing on the rocks. Prices in bars and restaurants on the island are much higher than in the city, so food and water should be taken.

Another famous Budva landmark. The bronze figure, as if hovering above the sea waves, is located on the territory of the popular Mogren beach for vacationers. It is an unofficial symbol of Budva, symbolizes lightness and fidelity, it can often be found on souvenirs, photographs and advertising posters.

The legend, which they try to explain the appearance of the sculpture, tells about the romantic story of a young couple - a young sailor and dancer. They passionately loved each other, but the sailor's sea voyages separated them.

Each time he returned to the shore, the girl came to the rock and danced until his ship approached the shore.Once his ship never returned, but the girl did not stop coming ashore. She waited for him in the rain and in the frost, remaining true to her oath, and danced, imitating the sea wind and waves. She never waited for him, but retained her love until her death.

It was this legend that the sculptor Gradimir Aleksich was inspired when he created this amazing statue of bronze. The dancer's outstretched hand is directed upward toward the sun and sea - the only witnesses to the fate of her lover. There is a belief that any desire that you make near this sculpture will ever come true.

One of the few active Orthodox churches in Budva, is located almost in the center of the Old Town opposite the Museum of Archeology on Starogradskaya Square. The church itself was built at the end of the XVIII century and is made in the Byzantine style. It is located in close proximity to the Citadel itself, performing both a spiritual and defensive function. The foundation and walls of the church are made of durable white and red stone.

This Gothic Catholic church was built in the 7th century. It was destroyed and restored several times, but today it is presented in its almost original form. In the temple is the famous icon of the Budva Virgin. It is believed that it was written by St. Luke himself and has miraculous and healing powers.

The temple is one of the main attractions of the city - the bell tower of this church is easy to see over all the houses in Budva by an elongated triangular spire.

The Middle Ages were famous for the worship of the Virgin on the territory of Montenegro, and therefore in Budva itself there are several architectural buildings dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

It is believed that the church was built at the beginning of the 9th century almost simultaneously with the construction of the Citadel itself and is its immediate part. The prefix “punta” actually indicates the location of the church on the cape or “on the tip”. At the beginning of its existence, the temple belonged to the Benedictines, and in the middle of the XV century came under the direct control of the Franciscan Order.

It is believed that the site for the construction of the church was chosen exactly the place where, in the 9th century, the monks presented the city’s icon with the icon of the Holy Virgin Mary. Already at that time in Montenegro there were a large number of believers, therefore, interest in this icon grew every day, attracting more and more pilgrims. This was the main reason for the construction of the temple.

Initially, the miraculous icon of the Mother of God of Budva, which was already mentioned above, was located in this temple, however, in the first half of the XIX century, due to the invasion of French troops on these lands, the icon was moved to the Church of St. John.

The internal appearance of this church was significantly damaged during the Napoleonic wars, at some time in the temple there was even a real stable.

Today the temple is not used for its intended purpose, however, it often becomes the venue for chamber music concerts and various cultural festivals.

It is also considered one of the oldest Budva Orthodox churches, named after St. Sava the Sanctified (considered the official founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church). The temple is also part of the city Citadel, however, it is not so noticeable against the background of other attractions. It is located in close proximity to the Church of St. Mary in Punta, however, unlike other religious buildings, it is not distinguished by the presence of a bell tower, or by crosses on the walls and roof.

It is believed that the temple was built a little later than the church of St. Mary, and serves as a place for a meeting of Catholic and Orthodox masses for only 8 centuries (that is, the construction time is approximately the 12th century).

Like the church of St. Mary in Punta, this temple is not used for its intended purpose and is no longer a gathering place for pilgrims, but you can get inside as a tourist. The interior of the temple is rich in many ancient frescoes and murals.

There are 3 beaches on the territory of Budva, they differ in the distance to the city, the number of deck chairs and free places, the presence of open bars and restaurants, the temperature of the water and the strength of the surf. If you take into account the beaches beyond the city limits, then there are as many as 8 beaches near Budva, however, up to 5 of them cannot be reached on foot, you will have to order a taxi or transfer.

The most popular and most expensive beach in Budva. Located near the Old Town - walk to it for about 10-15 minutes. The beach is small pebble, the water is very clean, transparent and gives a pleasant azure and emerald shades.

The beach has a huge number of sun loungers, which cost 20 euros per person, entrance to the beach itself is free. In addition to clear water and a great view of the open sea, there is a small green forest behind the beach - it seems as if you are lying somewhere far away on a desert island among palm trees and untouched nature.

In fact, Mogren is divided into 2 separate beaches, these are Mogren I and Mogren II. Between them there is a convenient transition in the rocks, so that at any time you can change the place of rest.

Food prices at the local bar are much higher than on other beaches, but the infrastructure here is much nicer. Not far from this beach is the famous figure of the dancer, which was described above.

If we talk about the differences between the beaches of Mogren I and Mogren II, the first is equipped with a large number of sun loungers, there are more cafes and water there is calmer, on the second beach people with towels are more relaxed.

It is the longest (1.6 km) and cheapest beach in Budva, while the most popular. Finding it is the easiest - it is located directly on the embankment of the city. Type of soil - fine-grained and sandy.

The water here is very clean, quite warm and calm, the descent to the water is smooth, as well as the entrance to the sea. The beach is surrounded by green trees and shrubs from all sides.

Entrance here is free, sunbeds are two times cheaper than in Mogren - 10 euros. Also for convenience, there are toilets, Wi-Fi, a shower, cabins for changing clothes, you can order a massage.

On the beach itself there is every opportunity for active games like volleyball, basketball and football. You can also book parachute flying, water skiing, there are equipment for pair diving, not so long ago, bungee jumping was equipped on the beach, or regular bungee jumping.

Due to the fact that the beach is located directly in the city, with infrastructure, and especially with food, you will not have any problems. For those who want to cool off or have a meal nearby, there are several restaurants and cafes with hot food and cold drinks. You can easily find ice cream, products in restaurants, both traditional and exotic, and seafood.

In addition to places for food, along the beach there are a huge number of souvenir shops with various goods, which in most cases are from China, but you can find shops with designer crafts and textiles.

The downside of this beach is that there even in the non-tourist season there are a lot of vacationers. In itself, it is very large, so there are a lot of sun loungers and places for vacationers with towels. Just lie in the sunshine under the peaceful cries of seagulls here will not succeed, it will in any case be the cries of children and drunk vacationers. It is not worth worrying that there are no places, even on the most sunny day there is a huge amount of free sunbeds on the beach.

Located in close proximity to the historic city center. The type of soil here is pebble, its length is about 100 meters. Most tourists and even local residents prefer to include this beach in the Slovenian beach, however, this place has its unusual name - the head of Richard, which literally means "leader Richard." The name of the beach is given by the name of the American actor Richard Widmark, who in 1963 starred in the movie "Viking Ships" right on this territory. It is also believed that the beach was named after Richard Burton.

This beach can not be called special - it is quite small, not equipped with a large number of restaurants and cafes, but is located in the very vicinity of the city. There are much fewer people than on the other beaches, sun loungers and umbrellas are much more expensive there.

On this beach there are practically no empty seats for people with ordinary towels, most of it is occupied by tables and comfortable sun loungers, on which celebrities and wealthy people from all over the world often like to relax. Still, the head of Richard is on the list of the most elite beaches in the world.

Getting to this beach is also very easy, It is located right outside the Old Town, which means you will have to go to the central promenade and just go to the right side until you run into a pebble beach.

If the prices on Slovenian and Mogren beaches are more stable, then on the Richard chapter everything is very dependent on the season. On hot days, prices here will be half higher than on other beaches. At the same time, there are almost no restaurants and bars on the beach itself. For food and drink, sometimes you have to go to the Old Town, and there everything is much more expensive than in the official center of the city.

If you cannot find a place for yourself on this beach, then Mogren Beach is very close, there is always enough space for vacationers. Moreover, the road to Mogren will be very beautiful - among many rocks, green vegetation and old buildings.

Well-equipped beach in the city with a cafe, restaurant and quite a lot of sunbeds. But the water here is the usual bluish color, there is no treasured blueness and azure. The beach is very small - about 150 meters, most of which are occupied by nearby cafes and the walls of the Citadel, besides there are practically no places for towels. In the summer season, guests of the nearest hotels come to this beach, and therefore there are often no places for other vacationers there.

It is considered one of the most famous beaches in all of Montenegro. The length is 1.2 kilometers. It is customary to divide it into two parts - the first part is 700 meters long for ordinary tourists and vacationers, the second part is 400 meters long - for nudists. The beach area is equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay, there are even several seasonal hotels, restaurants and shops.

The beach is located 6 kilometers from the center of Budva - about 10 minutes by car in the direction of Mrchevoe field.

Guvanza is another small beach of sand and pebble type, which is located on the way to Budva from Becici.

Budva is considered the unofficial cultural capital of the entire East Adriatic. In this, at first glance, a tiny town, from the end of the 20th century, club parties and discos began to be actively held. Some of these clubs are seasonal, while others operate year-round, even in the open.

The city has a well-developed food network, throughout the city there are a huge number of restaurants with cuisines from all over the world - from Chinese to European, there are several fast-food establishments.

There are also several food markets, but the prices there are much higher than in ordinary stores, as they are designed specifically for tourists. If you are planning to carry out shopping, then it is better to go to local supermarkets, there are always full of fresh and tasty goods at affordable prices.

If you are bored of beaches and restaurants, you can go with your children to the city water park (it was recently built outside the city). It is considered the largest in the entire Adriatic (the total area is almost 42 thousand square meters). The water park has a lot of different water activities for adults and for the smallest - there are 53 constantly open rides and slides in the territory. In addition, there is a restaurant and several children's cafes inside the park.

In addition to the abovementioned entertainments, the city constantly holds tourist camps for excursions to important places in Budva and Montenegro.

Most of the leisure facilities are located in close proximity to the coast and beaches, but after dark you can walk around the Old Town and experience the whole atmosphere of ancient Montenegro. There you will find many street musicians, dealers in sweets and handicrafts.

The nearest airport to Budva is in Tivat (20 kilometers). To get from Tivat to Budva, you can choose a taxi. Typically, taxi drivers are waiting for passengers at the bus station. The average price of a trip from Tivat to Budva will be from 12 to 20 euros. If you move in the company, then this option will be more convenient.

If you arrived alone or together, then you should make an order for a transfer in advance. If you have any problems or you didn’t order anything, you just have to wait for the nearest bus to Budva. On summer days, they travel there constantly and very often. The fare will cost about 3-5 euros and take about 20 minutes. There is no stop near the airport, you just need to stand on the highway near the airport road and vote on passing buses with the inscription "Budva". Before the trip, be sure to check again whether the bus goes where you need it.

As a rule, a bus can make a circle in other settlements for the selection of other clients, therefore, getting a taxi is much faster.

Every year, hundreds of tourists visit the resorts of Budva, mainly vacationers from the CIS countries and Eastern Europe. Most of them note the crystal clear Adriatic Sea, beautiful nature with rocky terrain and lush vegetation, as well as a wonderful infrastructure of beaches and the city itself.

Reviews of tourists regarding the historical heritage of Budva deserve special attention. Many say that this ancient city with its stone streets and low houses is shrouded in ancient secrets and mysteries, and the rest itself is remembered as some kind of adventure.

The financial side of the issue is also clearly monitored in the reviews of resort visitors - many notice that for a resort located in the south of Europe, there are extremely low prices and a good level of service.

An overview of the city and features of the rest see below.