Mert Kalkan I have been to Montenegro many times. It takes its name from “Montenegro,” a direct translation of the Turkish name “Karadağ” to “Mountain-Negro.” Montenegro is a wonderful country with its untouched nature, medieval Old Towns, beautiful beaches, the tolerance of its locals, and, like in other Balkan countries, the traces of our ancestors. Its capital is Podgorica, but like Ankara, it’s merely an administrative city and doesn’t offer much else. The truly popular cities in the country are Budva, Kotor, Bar, Herceg Novi, Tivat, and Ulcinj. In this article, I will write about Budva, Montenegro’s most popular holiday and tourism city.
Not My First Visit to Budva
Due to my family’s assignment in Podgorica, I found myself in this wonderful country almost every holiday. In fact, I’ve been to Budva more than once. But this last vacation was going to be a bit different because this time, I was going there with my childhood friend, not with my family. A month before the trip, my friend and I started looking for tickets. I was planning to take a long bus journey from Istanbul to Tirana, while he would take a 4-5 hour flight from Ankara with a layover in Antalya, arriving in Tirana. I didn’t think the prices were too expensive; since I took the bus, mine was more affordable. My ticket cost 1750 TL, while his was around 3500 TL. We met in Tirana and somehow made our way to Podgorica.
For those vacationing in Montenegro, renting a car is practically a must, but we were very comfortable since we had our own car and could drive anywhere we wanted. We set off from Podgorica toward Budva, and our journey took about an hour and a half. We parked our car in a central area of the city and began exploring on foot. Budva is the most popular city in the country. Tourists flock here and spend most of their time in this city, though I must say I actually preferred Kotor. As soon as you step into Budva, you’re met with a stifling humidity similar to that of Antalya—the weather is truly hot.
The Medieval Feel of the Old Town
The most touristic spot in the city, as in other cities of Montenegro, is, of course, the Old Town. Known as “Eski Kasaba” in Turkish, Old Town refers to this: in the Middle Ages, people lived in a fortress surrounded by tall, high walls, much like Fatih in old Istanbul. The people here have preserved Old Town so well that walking through its streets feels like stepping back into the Middle Ages. We, too, quickly found ourselves exploring inside. It’s filled with tourist shops and restaurants, with clothing stores, lovely cafes, and restaurants lining both sides of the streets. Souvenir shops, especially those selling magnets, are everywhere. Since it was my friend’s first time here, he immediately bought a bunch of magnets for his family. Outside, it was extremely hot, so we walked around quite a bit as it was cooler inside the Old Town. Imagine it this way: there are many labyrinth-like structures about two or three stories high, blocking the sunlight, and the narrow, maze-like streets allow the wind to blow through, keeping it cool everywhere.
While walking around here, you might think that Old Town has been taken over by Turks, as nearly half of the people in the city are Turkish. Hearing Turkish words every few steps made us happy. Additionally, the Turks here are not only tourists; many of the shopkeepers are Turkish as well. You can easily take care of accommodation and food needs in Old Town. For example, you can stay in comfortable hostels within Old Town for as little as 35 euros per night. As for food, Montenegro’s famous dishes include Cevapi, Kačamak, and Goulash, but finding these in Old Town is quite difficult. However, there are plenty of other great options. For instance, you can find shops everywhere selling giant pizzas that will fill you up with just two slices. The ice cream here is also delicious; my favorites are the ones with Kinder, Snickers, and Oreo flavors. There’s no need to pay for water either. Everyone drinks from the tap here because the water comes directly from the mountains and is very clean—and ice-cold too.
It’s also possible to find fountains in the public squares within Old Town. As we wandered inside the fortress, the aesthetic and uniformity of the buildings dazzled us. The streets are maze-like, each one leading to a square. Nearly every square has an Orthodox Church on the corner, and they are truly beautifully constructed.
Mogren Beach Between the Mountains
After exploring Old Town for about an hour, we decided to head to the beach to cool off. Right next to Old Town, there’s a public beach where we usually swam as a family. However, this time we noticed people walking past the beach, through a hollow in the mountain, heading somewhere. We followed them and were amazed. In front of us was Mogren Beach, Budva’s most famous beach, and it was as if it had come straight out of a movie scene. Nestled between the mountains, with its crystal-clear sea and sandy shore, it was a stunning beach. We swam a lot and took plenty of photos. Then, we packed up and started to leave Budva slowly. We set out towards the famous Sveti Stefan island and beach, located just a 10-minute drive from Budva, a spot known by anyone with even a little knowledge about Montenegro.
Sveti Stefan Island
Sveti Stefan Island is actually an old fishing island. Later, a hotel company bought it, transforming it into a holiday island accessible only to the very wealthy. It’s also incredibly famous. After a 10-minute drive, when we saw Sveti Stefan Island in front of us, we truly understood why it’s so well-known. The view of the island from across was breathtaking: a beach, a path dividing the sea that leads to the island… It was really stunning. We swam at the beach with a view of Sveti Stefan. But to be honest, I didn’t particularly enjoy the sea here. For some reason, the water was extremely cold and salty, and the bottom was covered in pebbles. For a better swimming experience, Mogren Beach, which I mentioned earlier, was definitely better. After having our fill of the sea, we laid out our towels to sunbathe for a bit. The sun was so strong that we still got sunburned, even with sunscreen.
Before Going to Bar
After spending time at the beach, we decided not to leave without having a coffee at a cafe with a view of Sveti Stefan, so we sat at the first one we found. Since this is a famous spot, prices were a bit high. I paid 3.50 euros for an espresso. We finished our coffee and got ready to leave. As I looked back while heading to the car, memories of an incredible city, stunning beaches, the medieval Old Town, delicious pizza slices, fun people I met, and so many other experiences flashed before my eyes. The city of Budva left me with wonderful memories. With the hope of returning to this beautiful city someday, we set out toward Bar, another holiday destination.
