Montenegro resorts: the best places for healing, swimming and aesthetic pleasure

The country of black mountains or Montenegro, Montenegro is an amazing place where both a discerning vacationer and a poor student can go. This is what attracts the resorts of this beautiful European country - relaxation for every taste. A very small but friendly state, for entry to which CIS residents do not need a visa, is happy to meet with stunning nature, the gentle sea, coniferous forests, mud baths, historical and cultural centers, developed infrastructure, and the absence of a language barrier.

People come here to bask on a sandy or pebble beach, get acquainted with the Montenegro culture, enjoy delicious food, get quality treatment, go skiing at affordable prices. And since the climate of Montenegro is close to the Black Sea, then It’s easy to adapt to it, including children. But before the trip, you still need to think about the route depending on the goals: beach vacation, skiing, getting to know the sights, relaxing with children or “going on a break”.

Fortunately, many resorts in Montenegro perform several functions at once: there is where to get acquainted with history and culture, plunge into nightlife or sunbathe on the beach. But most of the places interesting for tourists to study are concentrated in Budva (Montenegrin tourist capital), Herceg Novi (Herceg Novi), Kotor, Perast, Tivat. Budva is the center of everything that a tourist in Montenegro can wish for.

This is what makes this city the most expensive. But from here you can get to any resort in Montenegro (which means you can see all the most interesting), since there is a bus service with all the important settlements. In addition, sightseeing buses will be delivered anywhere on schedule.

If you are in Budva, then first of all we recommend you to get acquainted with the Old Town: medieval cobbled streets and ramparts, churches of St. John and the Holy Trinity and others. The island of St. Nicholas and the monastery of Podostrog are two more objects for excursions. Here you can join a tourist group or use an individual guide.

For those who do not like to use the services of a guide, we recommend contacting the tourist information centers (there are two of them: in the Old Town and the Municipality): here they will advise you on what to look for, they will provide you with a map and useful information.

You can get to Budva from Tivat Airport by passing bus, ordered transfer or taxi, which are on duty at the airport. You can see the sights of this city if you are staying here for a vacation. In this case, you don’t have to look for fun for a long time and think how to get to interesting places. But the disadvantage of such a holiday is the high cost, crowded and active nightlife of vacationers. If you want a more relaxing holiday, then you can settle in Herceg Novi.

The greenest city of Montenegro - that's what Herceg Novi is called. Once palm trees, cacti and other non-European plants were brought here, which now delight the eyes of tourists and local residents. This is a place of rest, treatment and, of course, attractions. The most popular of them: The Blue Cave, the clock tower of Sahat Kul, Savina Monastery, the Cathedral of the Archangel Michael, Kanli Kula and Forte Mare fortresses, the Turkish Karacha fountain.

If the sea breeze does not save from the heat, then you can climb Mount Orjen (1895 m), where the snow does not melt until June. Standing at the very top in clear weather, you can admire the whole of Montenegro, as well as the neighboring Herzegovina, Dubrovnik and the islands of Dalmatia. In the evening, just take a walk along the long promenade of Herceg Novi with its picturesque and mysterious tunnels, which were cut in stone for a narrow gauge railway.

If you use this city as a place of residence (and also treatment), you need to keep in mind that it will be cheaper and much calmer than Budva. But the beaches here are concreted, so many people leave by boat to sunbathe out of town. Another disadvantage is the stepped layout of the city - stairs that are difficult to overcome with wheelchairs or sore feet. And getting to other cultural sites is far away.

Kotor is a history city located on the shore of the Bay of Kotor. Thanks to this geography, there are no winds, and the sea is well warmed up. This is a port city, so there are many ships bringing tourists and polluting the sea. But in Kotor itself is quite clean and interesting, because this city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In Kotor and its environs, you should definitely see the Venetian fortress of St. John with a climb of 1400 steps, the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, the Napoleon Theater, there are also a large number of churches.

Kotor is also a city of festivals: KotorART, the international summer carnival, Bokelska night, the festival of children's theaters. There is where you can just walk, you can also sit in cafes located in ancient buildings. The Romans and Venetians, Hungarians and Italians imprinted themselves in the history of the city (it was they who named the country Montenegro), so in architecture and culture there is a mixture of styles and traditions. And it’s the city of cats. This should be taken into account for people who do not like these animals or have allergic diseases.

Perast is a museum of medieval buildings in the open. For 300 indigenous people there are 17 palaces and 16 church buildings. Iconic are the Church of Our Lady and the bell tower of St. Nicholas. All this makes the town expensive to live in. It is also located in the Bay of Kotor. From here you can take excursions to the island of Benedictine monks. It is here that you can enjoy farm oysters, which will cost much less than in Budva.

Tivat is a resort where you want to return. If you want to enjoy a relaxing holiday, see cultural and historical values ​​at reasonable prices, then you should fly to Tivat. This is where the airport is located, which means you don’t have to go anywhere with your suitcases. The city itself is not the best place for sunbathing, but in the vicinity there are well-groomed sand and pebble beaches. As for the sights, you can go from Tivat to any place to see the main beauties of Montenegro.

The city, named after the Illyrian Queen Teuta, has a rich historyand therefore, here you can see the Venetian palace complex of the 16th century, the Austrian botanical garden, the Prevlaka monastery of the Serbian era on the island of Flowers. The Naval Heritage Museum and the colorful village of Gornia Lastva, the Purabic panoramic pool and Porto Montenegro are traditional tourist destinations.

Resort Bar is a modern city with a large seaport. For the excursion route, they do not choose it, but the Old Bar, destroyed by the Ottomans at the end of the 19th century. Here, archaeological excavations are still underway, which attract tourists. Here the oldest olive grows - it is two thousand years old. The modern Bar can be reached both from Tivat Airport and from Podgorica, because it is located in the southern region of Montenegro.

Montenegro is chosen, first of all, because of a beach holiday on the sea coast. To provide the correct description of the most beautiful resort cities, it should be noted that They are located in two zones: along the coast of the Adriatic Sea and in the Bay of Kotor.

If you decide to relax in the summer, lying on the Montenegro beach, then we offer you an overview of the most popular resorts in this country. Compiling a rating of the best places for a beach holiday will be problematic, because everyone has different requests. But those who at least once rested in Montenegro, recommend paying attention to several resorts.

When choosing a vacation on the Adriatic coastline, you need to remember that the water here is cooler, but the beaches are sandy and pebble. In the Bay of Kotor, the water is much warmer, but the beaches in the cities are mostly concreted.

Let's start the story again about the best beaches from Budva. Lovers of beach vacations are waiting not only for sunbeds and umbrellas, but also for water rides. There are six beaches: four of them are completely free, the fifth can be reached only when renting beach equipment, the sixth - for vacationers from Dukley Gardens. The main beach is Slavic, but it is noisy and dirty. But 15-20 minutes from the center are the beaches of Mogren with a clean and gentle entrance to the water. What you need for a vacation with children.

But in the high season, all city beaches are very noisy, so tourists (with a car) try to go to the wild beaches outside the city.Fans of snorkeling (swimming under the top layer of water with a mask and snorkel) visit island of St. Nicholas.

Becici is so close to Budva that it can be reached in a few minutes through an underground tunnel. This resort is known throughout Europe due to its sand and pebble beach, gradual descent into the water and everything that a tourist may need. There are not only excellent beaches, water skiing, jet skis, but also bewitching nature. Beautiful, comfortable, calm, and at the same time energetic. And nearby - a dizzying water park and endless restaurants and cafes.

Rafailovici is Becici’s closest quiet neighbor. The resort is so close that they have a common beach. This is another place for a relaxing holiday on the sandy and pebble beach. This village is known for hosting the international beach soccer tournament ProBeachSoccer. But if you want to drive, then Budva is only 4 km away.

You can get to St. Stephen's Island only if if you have booked one of the 58 rooms of a luxury apartment or a table in a restaurant. A prestigious resort with a former royal residence, an exquisite pink sand beach, impeccable service and infrastructure. This is the most expensive resort in Montenegro. Here a priori there can be no noise and crowds of tourists. But the entertainment is not far away - in 10-15 minutes you can get to Budva.

The downside of this place is called mountainous terrain, because of which all the time you have to walk up the stairs. But there are many more advantages: there is where to relax and go shopping, get acquainted with history and art. Among the guests of the hotel there are often world-famous celebrities. And this confirms that Sveti Stefan is worthy of the assigned 5 stars. Therefore, you need to book a room in this hotel in advance. But in the village itself, prices are much lower, but still higher than in other resort areas.

Petrovac is a beautiful fashionable resort for those who are used to living in a big way. Here, absolutely everything has been created to receive paradise pleasure from relaxation: a fabulous bay with olive and coniferous groves, a well-groomed wide beach and a promenade along which cars are forbidden to keep clean air. Calmness and harmony, relaxation and meditation, pleasure and pleasure are the symbols of this place.

If this is not enough, then entertainment programs are completely at the service of vacationers: clubs and restaurants, boat trips, a jazz festival, the gastronomic festival Pashtitsada, and the Petrovatsky Night festival.

Moving further south from Budva, you will be taken to Sutomore. It is located almost equidistant from two airports, equipped with good roads and railways. It was this that gave the right to the local people in the summer season to introduce a ban on cars entering their city, and thus provide clean air to all residents and guests. The fine sandy pebble beach is called the pearl of this resort.

In the very south of Montenegro, on the border with Albania, an interesting the village of Ada Boyana, which is washed by the Adriatic Sea on one side and limited by the Buna River on the other two, therefore Ada Boyana is an island. If you are not a resident or guest of a hotel in this village, you will have to pay for entering the island and cross a narrow bridge across the river. Having passed the checkpoint, you can turn right - to the “textile workers” beach (that is, an ordinary beach for vacationers in clothes) or to the left - to the nudist beach, known throughout the world.

Due to the fact that the entire coast is a three-kilometer beach with a width of 50 meters, there is where to relax without interfering with each other.At the same time, they are engaged in diving and kiting, surfers and fishermen feel comfortable. Equipment can be rented in the village itself. Even in such a small village you can find luxury housing, two-story bungalows or budget options. There is where to eat or find partners for sports. But the island is famous not only for lovers of sunbathing in the nude style: Ada Boyana is a mud bath for the treatment of bone and nervous system, as well as gynecological diseases.

Actually, the whole of Montenegro is a year-round sanatorium with a unique nature, amazing sea and coniferous air, natural "medicines" and the care of local doctors about every visitor. Treatment in Montenegro is much cheaper than European, while there is no language barrier among the Slavs, and it’s easier to come here. There are several places where treatment is based on treatment with mineral and thermal waters.

This is the southernmost Ulcinj city, where women go to solve infertility problems. Bielo Pole is much closer to Serbia than to the sea coast, therefore it is not so popular. But the healing waters of this place also attract people with health problems.

But Igalo and Vrmac are the most famous resorts of European importance. They are located in different parts of the Bay of Kotor: Igalo - next to the already mentioned Herceg Novi, and Vrmac - in the village of Prchan, Boko-Kotor Bay.

Sanatorium "Igalo" - This is a medical institute of Simo Milosevic with a variety of procedures for the treatment of rheumatic, cardiological, neurological, gynecological, skin, endocrinological diseases, as well as problems of the musculoskeletal system, lung diseases, postoperative recovery.

Here they treat not only the thermal waters in the source of Iligi with a water temperature of +36 degrees, but also the mineral waters of the spring of Igalka, which is called magical for its amazing properties of water. Mud joint treatment is gaining momentum every year among Europeans. Here you can also get relaxation types of massages, aroma baths and physiotherapy. A program has been developed and applied for those wishing to reduce their weight.

“Vrmats” is a medical and tourist center for those who want to treat the cardiovascular system and lung diseases, the urogenital system of men and the reproductive function of women, and the musculoskeletal system. The center uses modern equipment, techniques and procedures. But climate and nature also play a huge role: basalt sand is a way to alleviate pain in a natural way, which is used not only during procedures, but simply by basking on the beach.

Communication is always important for young people, therefore young people choose resorts for relaxation, where during the day you can not only sunbathe, but also actively relax on the water, and at night - throw out adrenaline in night clubs. Of course, Budva remains the most suitable place for this. But this is an expensive option. For a budget holiday, it is worth choosing the resorts of the Bay of Kotor or cities remote from Budva. Experienced tourists advise other options on how to save on accommodation:

• book hostels with large rooms (such rooms are much cheaper, and student companies from different countries are often selected in them);
• use the private sector, not hotels;
• rent an apartment with a kitchen;
• keep track of discounts on online accommodation booking sites;
• take advantage of couchsurfing offers - hospitality networks.

Many people prefer the all-inclusive system, forgetting that everyone will not be able to use it anyway, but they will have to pay in full. Therefore, it is quite possible to live not in a five-star hotel in Budva, but in the private sector of the suburbs. You can relax and enjoy the fun in Budva: here you will find many discos and clubs (including Top Hill) with amazing DJs, a water park with the most extreme 27-meter slide, water activities on the sea.

In the south of the country is the most unusual city of Montenegro Ulcinj (Ulcinj, Ultsin). Here, on the border with Albania, people and cultures, architectural styles and cuisine mixed together. People come here for sandy beaches and kitesurfing and diving.

The prices here are much lower, and there is something to see, besides the beach, for example, the Citadel (Old Town), where Cervantes was imprisoned. You can also go to the Skadar Lake National Park or to the mud baths in Ada Boyana. To any significant object go no more than one and a half hours, and you can also join a tourist group. The main thing is to get from the airport to Ulcinj itself - precisely because of its remoteness, he was able to maintain his identity.

The attractiveness of Montenegro is that it is not only a country of summer, but also winter recreation. No, they don’t swim at sea here in winter. There are ski resorts where skiers, snowboarders and climbers love to come. The infrastructure of these places offers to relax not only with your body, but also with your soul: there are bars, restaurants, as well as night clubs. But still, people come here in winter for winter sports, and in summer for rafting and trekking, cycling and mountain rallying. The most popular resorts at the moment are Zabljak and Kolasin.

Zabljak is a town in the foothills of the highest Montenegrin mountain Durmitor. The ski season lasts from December to March. There are 12 tracks of four categories of difficulty, and all of them are in excellent condition due to the frequent holding of international competitions. All equipment can be rented on site, as well as the use of instructors. The most popular track is Savin Kuk with a length of 3.5 km and a vertical drop of 800 m.

For lovers of skiing and snowboarding, Zabljak is not only sports loads, but also an opportunity to just relax: mountain air, amazing nature, nearby - Durmitor National Park, recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage. The disadvantage of the resort is the small number of shops and, of course, inaccessibility. This is not surprising - the height of Zabljak above sea level is 1450 m, and public transport goes here extremely rarely.

Kolasin - the abode of the ancient Slavs, hidden from the wind in the mountains. The season begins in November and ends by May 1. European tourists appreciated 16 tracks with a total length of 16.5 km. Two tracks received certificates of the International Ski Federation (FIS). There are also lifeguards, instructors, rental.

In summer, Kolasin is a place of quiet solitude, activities of climbers and kayakers. There is something for tourists and excursions to do here: see mountain lakes (including 5 glacial), Biogradskoye Lake of seismic origin, which is part of the Biogradska Gora National Park. This park is a relic wonder of nature, spreading over 630 square meters.

Twenty-two species of plants growing only in the Balkans, endangered species of golden eagle and hawk, European roe deer - all this can be found here with luck.On the shore of Lake Biogradsky with a greenish tint of water, you can remove the bungalow and forget about all the problems, left alone with yourself. Tourists are also often interested in the ruins of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, the Moraca Monastery, and the Museum of Local Lore. Of course, nightlife is not at all the same as in the cities of the coast, but there are cafes and restaurants.

The height of this mountain resort above sea level is the same as that of Zabljak - 1450 m. But relatively recently, a new ski resort “Kolasin-1600” was opened on Mount Belasitsa. The length of its tracks is still less, but the resort is actively developing. It is planned to connect both Kolasin resorts by cable car. Getting to Kolasin is a bit easier - there are two buses from Budva every day, but only in season.

If you are going to this wonderful country, we recommend that you pay attention to the following conditions of your upcoming trip.

• In Montenegro, you need to prepare the euro - exchange dollars is unprofitable.
• For Russians and Ukrainians for a vacation in Montenegro do not need a visa, but upon arrival in the country you need to get a "white cardboard" - a residence permit. In groups formed in advance, the organizers of the trip do this, for an individual visit, the guest must contact the nearest municipality.
• Podgorica and Tivat are two international airports, with Tivat located on the coast. You can take the train to Bar, but this is a more complicated way in all respects - you may need visas to transit through other countries, trains are longer and more expensive than airplanes. Getting on a personal car is much easier, especially if you look for travel companions to empty seats.
• The larger the city, the larger the Russian-speaking population. In Ulcinj, areas bordering Albania and mountains, English is useful. But due to the similarity of Slavic languages, guests and hosts quickly find a common language without English.
• The holiday season lasts from April to November. But you can swim in May. July and August are the hottest times, and the velvet season begins in September (there is no heat, but there is a warm sea and plenty of vegetables and fruits). The maximum temperature is 35 degrees, and water is 26 degrees. But more often the summer air temperature is at around 30 degrees.
• On the Adriatic coast, the swimming season is shorter, as the water later warms up and begins to cool by the end of September. But in the Bay of Kotor you can swim in November, and the mountains close the bay from the north wind.
• For a beach holiday, you should go to Budva, Becici, Rafailovici, to the island of St. Stephen. But perhaps the best beaches are in Bar and Ulcinj.
• For acquaintance with history choose Budva, Herceg Novi, Kotor, Perast, Tivat.
• For organized spa treatment there are Igalo in Herceg Novi and Vrmac in Prcani.
• The most expensive vacation, regardless of the number of hotel stars, will be in Budva, Kotor, on the island of St. Stephen.
• The ski season begins in December and ends in March, sometimes in April.
• February is a snowy month for the mountains and rainy for the coast.

In the next video you will find the best resorts and hotels in Montenegro.