The Ultimate Summer Getaway: Experience Budva, the Mediterranean Paradise
If you are planning to visit Budva for the first time, or you have already fallen in love with this town and decided to buy a property here, you came to the right place. In the article you can find everything you need to know about Budva and its real estate market. This blog is constantly updated, so do not hesitate to revisit at any time.
Table of Contents
Budva
Budva was recognized as one of the most attractive places for summer vacations on the Adriatic coast in the mid-sixties, when the development of tourism, as we know it today, started. Once a quiet town, Budva is now known as a vibrant place and the capital of tourism in Montenegro.
History
Budva has a very long history, dating from the 5th century when it was mentioned for the first time in one of Sophocles’ tragedies as a “city of Illyria”, a trading center. According to one of the legends, Its first inhabitants were the king of the historically famous Thebes Cadmus and Queen Harmonia.
Throughout history, Budva has been ruled by the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Austrians, Russians, French, Italians.
In the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Budva was part of the Banovina of Zeta, whose seat was in the old capital of Cetinje. The opening of the road Cetinje-Budva and the construction of the Karadjordjevic Palace in Milocer, brought to Budva many domestic and foreign tourists and led to the development of the tourism industry.
Architecture
Like in other parts of the Mediterranean, the main material used for construction in Budva was stone. Budva Old Town, in comparison to Kotor Old Town, has a couple of differences. Budva Old Town lies on a flat terrain so the surrounding walls are smaller than in Kotor Old Town. Also, it does not have any Novelty palaces, big squares, or big streets. The concept is pretty modest and simple with two main streets and family houses on two or three levels.
Construction of Hotels and other accommodation infrastructure started in the mid ‘60s (Period of Yugoslavia). Massive residential blocks were constructed in order to accommodate people from other parts of the country, settling in Budva for work, and of course, a large number of tourists in the season.
Nowadays, Budva can be recognized by its tall modern buildings, built to satisfy never-ending growth in the demand for residential units.
Attractions
Budva riviera is well known for its natural beauty and the old cultural heritage left behind by generations before.
The Island of Sveti Stefan
A unique island on the Mediterranean Sea, Sveti Stefan island, was built over five centuries to serve as a defense against Turks, pirates and other enemies. According to history, in 1442, the families of Paštrovići region fortified the island from loot of Turkish galleys and built twelve houses, one for each Paštrovići tribe. In the 19th century, the number of houses and habitants of the Sveti Stefan island expanded to its maximum. At that point, Sveti Stefan had 100 houses, around 400 habitants and four smaller Churches – Sveti Stefan church, after which the island got its name, Church of the Transfer of the Relics of Saint Archdeacon Stephen, the church of Alexander Nevsky, and the smallest, dedicated to the Transfiguration.
In 1954, when the last inhabitants left the island, the reconstruction of the old houses started and Sveti Stefan was turned into the most luxurious and unique island – hotel on the Mediterranean. The Hotel was visited by many well-known names from all over the world – Sofia Loren, Kirk Douglas, Claudia Schiffer, Yuri Gagarin, English princess Margaret and many more.
Until recently, the Hotel was run by Aman Resort, one of the world’s most exclusive chain of hotels, when it was closed in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miločer
Milocer is located in the immediate vicinity of St. Stefan. This charming place with two beaches and a botanical garden covers an area of about 18 hectares of land. The park, landscaped in the French classical style, is special for its rare exotic tree species, such as Lebanese cedar, tropical Mimosa, Japanese medlar, cactuses, agaves. This place was once a summer resort for the Karadjordjevic royal family, where their residence is still located, a beautiful building on Queen’s Beach.
Old Town of Budva
The old town is a unique architectural and urban entity, surrounded by medieval ramparts, with a fortress, towers and gates. Sacred objects are of particular value – the oldest church of Santa Maria in Punta, then St. Ivan, Saint Trinity and St. Sava the Sanctified. Next to the church of St. Ivan are the remains of an early Christian basilica, and at the Citadel the remains of the church of St. Mary. Between the churches is a scene for performances. In the Old Town you can see the Roman pillars, the walls of the oldest gate of Budva. Most significant cultural institutions are the Museum of the City of Budva with its archeological and ethnographic setting, the Modern Gallery and the memorial home “Stefan Mitrov Ljubisa”.
Beaches
Budva is home to numerous world-famous sand beaches and it has the second-largest beach in Montenegro.
Buljarica beach
Two kilometers from Petrovac, in the direction of Bar, there is the longest beach on Budva Riviera, 2250 meters. The beach in the area closer to Petrovac is sandy, while most of it is pebbly and rocky. It is ideal as a refuge for large summer crowds because its spaciousness guarantees a small heaven of privacy. Buljarica beach is also home to the Sea Dance Festival.
Drobni pijesak
It is located in a secluded bay a little farther from the road that leads from St. Stefan to Petrovac, so it is the most accessible from the sea. Sand with a predominant yellow-white color, streaked with small rocky pebbles, gives it the appearance of a tropical beach, and the hinterland with olive groves and Mediterranean vegetation, with difficult accessibility from the mainland.
Tourism
Budva is also known as the capital of Tourism in Montenegro, and it earned being the first town who welcomed the first famous hotel brands, investors from all around the world. The local population soon followed by enriching the tourism offer with restaurants, renting their apartments and organizing summer events, etc.
With 5* hotels, natural beauty, sandy beaches, nightlife and rich cultural heritage you can be assured that spending a summer in Budva will exceed your expectations, whether you like an active summer vacation or if you prefer a more relaxing one.
Traditional Events
Theatre City Budva
Is known for its numerous and interesting scenes – picturesque squares, churches, ancient basilica, which are all in the very heart of Old Town Budva, in fact the entire municipality of Budva is transformed into a big scene during the festival. For specific plays, trying to fulfill the director’s artistic vision, we like to activate other venues. Beaches, convent complexes, old fortifications around Budva and an authentic natural rural environment are venues we are proud to have worked on and continue to explore.
“Theatre City” was conceived as an intersection of contemporary achievements, first of all theatrical, and then art, musical and literary creations, and its program quality still confirms its prestige.
Sea Dance
Sea Dance Festival is a summer music festival held at Buljarica Beach. It has been held at Jaz Beach in Budva since July 2014 until 2017, as a part of the EXIT Adventure, an extension of the EXIT Festival.
Just after its first edition, Sea Dance Festival was officially proclaimed as the ‘Best Medium-Sized European festival’ at the European Festivals Awards, held in Groningen in January 2015. Following the recognition at the European Festival Awards, Sea Dance Festival teamed up with London-based media company AEI and its global brands UKF and TheSoundYouNeed for the second edition of the festival.In a short time, Sea Dance gained international media attention, featuring an article in Forbes magazine that listed Sea Dance Festival, together with EXIT Festival in the Top 10 Europe’s Summer Festivals. At the national level, the Sea Dance festival won the Montenegro Wild Beauty Award for the event with the greatest promotional effect for Montenegro.
Things to do
- Enjoy a long walk on the promenade
- Embrace yourself in the cultural heritage of Budva
- Visit Old Town
- Take a boat tour to St. Nicholas island, also known as Hawai
- Go fishing on the open sea
- Visit Ivanovići and see one of the oldest Olive Trees in the World
- Experience Mediterranean food and drinks
- Go clubbing in the best European open-air club “Top Hill”
Budva Real Estate Market
Because of the geographical position of Budva’s Municipality, Budva has to offer a wide range of property types and can meet everyone’s needs. Whether you are looking to buy a stone house, modern villa or apartment, as a second home or rental investment, be sure that, in Budva, you can find your dream property.
If you are thinking about buying a property in Budva, feel free to visit our website and make an inquiry. Below are links for Budva properties for sale:
Properties for sale Montenegro
Useful links
Source:
Torism Organisation of Budva
Wikipedia
Ostavnština Venecije na crnogorskom primorju – Jovan J. Martinović
