Budva - Celebration of the Adriatic Sea

Last year, the World Travel and Tourism Council identified Montenegro as the fastest growing travel and tourism economy in the world. Evidence of this status is plainly visible in the frenzy of construction along the country's extraordinarily picturesque 300km of coastline.

Budva is the most attractive part of the coastal region of Montenegro. Budva has typical Mediterranean climate, mild, rainy winters and warm dry summers. The Old city, a heritage site, has also several monuments of interest. The Old Budva is showing its age. It is possible to enjoy its sculpted gardens and winding alleyways, where the plumbing groans and the windows rattle in brisk sea breezes.

The ancient walls of Budva plunge directly into the Adriatic, lending this charming coastal town a symbiotic relationship with the sea. Under Romans, it became an important port and trade center in the south Adriatic. The border between Eastern and Western Roman empire, went through the city center. The citizens of western part were speaking Latin, while the citizens of the eastern part professed Ortodox religion. In the 11th century Budva became part of territory of Serbian dynasty, the Nemanjic. This was a period was marked by prosperity for Budva and during 12th and 14th century, Budva, enjoyed the status of "free city".

The southeasterly Adriatic coast is slightly less steep and used to be covered with forests. This section of the Adriatic coast appeared green in the medieval centuries. It was heavily wooded in places and pierced by deep fiords such as the Gulf of Catar (Kotor). On an axis between Ragusa (Dubrovnik) and inland behind the sea cliffs, lay one long fertile valley known as Canali (Konavlje) because of the ruins of an ancient viaduct that crossed it. To the mariner, the Mediterranean is divided into a number of minor "seas". The sailor knew by the palms of their hands the feel and the quality of these individual seas. The Adriatic, for example, are both dangerous and violent areas when the north wind assails them.

The Liburnians, who inhabited the Adriatic coast of Ilyria, the coast of Dalmatia, had long been famous for the speed and seaworthiness of their ships, and they built them with only two banks of oars. The Romans profited from their contact with the Liburnians when stamping out piracy in the Adriatic. The term "liburna" soon became standard in the Roman world for a two banked ship, and in due course it acquired such a casual familiarity that it was applied to almost any type of oared vessel. But the insecure state of the sea, coupled with the opening of the new Atlantic routes, would soon lead to a decline in nearly all the ancient ports. It was as if they had learned over the long tumult of the centuries that, whatever happened, the wheel would always turn again… the thing that it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new thing under the sun. Only the past, within the limits of our information is knowable.

On the Montenegrin coast, in Budva, the territory which was for a long time under the Republic of Venice, Gothic and Renaissance prevailed till the 18th century. Baroque style dominated both in sculpture and painting, whose extraordinary representative was Tripo Kokolja (1661-1713) from Budva. Conquerors stayed or disappeared without trace introducing their culture which blended with Montenegrin's.

Budva is considered one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic. The legend has it that Cadmo, the mythical son of the Phoenician king Agenon, after being expelled from Thebes, he arrived in Budva on an oxen –driven car and founded Buthua, Butoba, Butua – Budva. The old town of Budva is situated on an island that was linked to the land by a sandbar and in time turned into a peninsula. It is surrounded by ramparts originating from the 15 century, medieval fortification with city gates, defence walls and towers. Inside the walls is the old town, narrow streets and squares, monuments. Much of the architecture in the Old Town is Venetian. Doors, hinges, windows, balconies and many other small but noticeable things seem to hold Roman style. There are also three main churches in the Old town. Most buildings have that distinct blend of colors.

Budva today is a center of tourism and a city of culture, theatres, festivals and celebrations. Named also "metropolis" of Montenegrin tourism due to its 21 km sandy beach, which make Budva a much thought of destination in the Adriatic. Scent of olives, pines and cypress trees, green and green in row after row in Budva. The real difficulty is that there have been many masterpieces here. Occasionally the sea and the lands around it do reveal themselves. It is easier perhaps to read them, when alone and aboard a sailing boat, for the silence that is in the wind and the wave makes its own contribution towards a heightened sensibility. A face perhaps, the fragment of an empire, a drowned ship, or the aspect of an island in its youth – these swim to the surface. They move there like golden carp, instinct with life, visible down to the smallest gleaming scale – until suddenly a wind or a wave stirs the pool, and all becomes opaque again. At such as moment, if one listens carefully, it is possible to hear the voice of this sea. On the long sand beaches, in abandoned and forgotten coves, against the ruins of Budva, in idle inlets where pines scent the air, all the waves of the seas are saying, yes.

ABOUT MONTE NEGRO
Monte Negro is among few places where the eternal struggle of natural elements has shaped the face of the earth with such passion and fascination. An unusual unity of contrasts of different civilization courses present from earliest times. Border between two worlds – East and the West, resulted in different cultures being present here, in which one can recognize traces from Byzantine, Islam, Venice, Austria-Hungary. The most noticeable traces and the biggest number of monuments originate from Slavic culture, in particular from Vojisavljevic, Nemanjic, Balsic, Crnojevic, and Petrovic Dynasty. Monasteries Ostrog, Moraca, Piva, Savina, political independence of the state and of Orthodox Church lead to autonomy of cultural styles in art. Monasteries were centers of political, spiritual life and Montenegro expressed its high spiritual ambitions in 15 the century. Poetry has a magic power. For the Montenegrins, then and now – poet, state and religious leader. Petar II Petrovic Njegos (1813-1851) stands for wisdom and love of freedom, morals and patriotism, because, "…a man must act as a man!"

Montenegro - the pearl of the Mediterranean, and the world`s newest state, is unique many ways. Situated in the south of the Adriatic sea, across Italy offers sandy beaches, lakes, rivers, deep canyons and breathtaking mountains. Population of about 620,000, most of Monte Negro is covered with mountain massifs intersected by river gorges and deep valleys. Larger lowland areas are near the coastline. The Dinaric mountains, mount Lovcen and Rumija rise almost from the sea, forming a magnificent backdrop to the coastal strip.

Budva Online
Budva Online