Most of the Montenegrin cities have their own unique historical part; Ulcinj also has its own Old Town. But Ultsinovskiy Old Town stands apart, and here's why.
Pay attention to this map of the Old Town, it shows the most interesting sights in the historical part of Ulcinj.
- Illyrian wall (Cyclopean masonry);
- Jail;
- Slave market;
- Church-Mosque of St. Mary;
- Balsic Tower;
- Citadel;
- North gate;
- Northern Bastion;
- Art Gallery;
- Ethnographical museum;
- Archaeological Museum;
- Archaeological artifacts;
- The Venetian Palace;
- South gate;
- South bastion;
- Lighthouse;
- Hotel;
- Powder magazine;
- Western bastion;
- Tomb.
The historical part of the city is located on the top of a small hill that surrounds the sea on three sides. The Old Town is a well-preserved fortress. Everything is mixed in the fortress, at home local residents, cafes, restaurants, hotels, historical artifacts, museums, etc.
This entrance to the fortress is located from the side of Maly Ultsinovskiy beach. The road from the modern part of the resort is very picturesque.
You first walk along the Small Beach with its Marine Mosque and the embankment, then go around a small "pirate port", and go up the serpentine staircase to the South Fortress Gate.
The gates themselves look like this, their structure is not very tricky, and they do not look menacing.
Small port for pleasure boats and water taxis. It is from here that boats start on Velika Beach.
Upon entering the fortress, you find yourself on a deserted square, which has been abandoned and has not been restored after the earthquake, the roofing felts have always been like that. The space is well felt here, and the walls offer an excellent panoramic view of the city.
In the immediate vicinity of the square you can find cafes, restaurants, and hotels. Some buildings emit an undisguised remake, which immediately catches the eye for a knowledgeable person.
North gate to the fortress
You can also enter Ulcinovskaya fortress from the north side, bypassing the beach area and numerous stairs.
The trail to the North Gate starts from the ample car park, so there is a place for your car. An Orthodox church (active), a city cemetery, and one of the city beaches of Ulcinj are located nearby.
When you go up to the fortress, it is near these gates that the main historical sights of Ulcinj are located. That, in the absence of free time, allows you to make a very quick, but cursory inspection of the museum complex.
Sea gate, or the pirate route to Ulcinj
I do not know what this gate was used for, but there is a high probability that it was a secret entrance to the fortress. Whether pirates used them is also unknown to me. Of course, this entrance looks more like a secret path than the usual fortress gates, nevertheless, through the Western bastion you can get into the fortress.
Although it is not entirely clear how you could approach them? After all, the coast in this part is very rocky, which makes it impossible to moor the vessel, and a small boat will not fit here in a storm either.
Today, the Sea Gate is used as a route to local beach... The beach is tiny, but very atmospheric, and the availability of infrastructure makes it very attractive.
Now you know almost everything about the Ulcinj Gates! We go up to the city through the North Gate.
Observation deck and restaurant square
After entering the fortress through the South Gate, you find yourself on a completely abandoned square, part of which is something in between a wasteland and a lawn.
As a matter of fact, this is one of the squares of the Old City, the second is at the South Gate, and another is in the Citadel, but the entrance to it is paid.
The area at the South Gate has an incomprehensible geometric shape, in addition, there are significant differences in height that must be overcome by stairs. But from the fortress wall there are magnificent panoramic views of the central part of Ulcinj and the Small Beach.
This photo shows the Yadran Peninsula, I previously published an article on the site about a walking tour along the private Ulcinovo beaches. I recommend reading it and planning a walk.
A mini lighthouse is located a little to the side. He looks like a toy, but locals claim he is a worker.
The lighthouse is located on the same square with a very pleasant hotel, on the terrace of which there is a small cafe.
The sea view from the lighthouse is magnificent. If you look through the loophole of the fortress wall, you can see a tiny beach, soon we will visit there.
Now a few words about restaurants and cafes, and why I called this square a restaurant. With this, everything is simple. All buildings and structures near the South Fortress Gate are either hotels with an obligatory restaurant, or a restaurant, or a tavern. I recommend that you study these establishments in detail.
From the square to the hill, there are stairs leading up along which you find yourself on a narrow street with restaurants.
The restaurants "Dulcinea" and "Teuta" are especially popular, they are adjacent to each other. The choice of catering establishments here is decent. The prices are about the same for everyone, put 40-60 Euros for dinner, this is for two.
The streets of old Ulcinj
As I said earlier, the overwhelming majority of buildings in the historical part of the city have suffered greatly from numerous life vicissitudes, natural disasters and banal negligence. So most of them are remakes, which in some cases hits very hard in the eyes.
But despite my criticism, the city has a pleasant atmosphere, a kind of mix of a medieval pirate lair and a coastal fishing village.
I recommend taking the time and wandering through the intricate back streets of Ultsin, in search of inspiration and new discoveries. If you are careful, then on the winding streets you can find subtle signals from different eras, somewhere a Venetian plaque on the facade, somewhere in the masonry they used a part of an ancient column, and somewhere the owner of the home placed a talisman on the facade, etc.
We will walk along Ulcinj and see what happens on its sleepy streets. All the streets in this medieval town, as if created to confuse the tourist. But once, instead of tourists, enemies could walk the streets, so with its layout the city helped the defending townspeople.
Nowadays, there are no enemy troops on the city streets, residents are trying to decorate their houses and the surrounding area. Sometimes these are just houseplants displayed on the threshold, which look very organic.
Some residents do this not to the detriment of pedestrians, and some take up precious street space, making the already narrow street even narrower.
Here someone just dumped all the trash from the house. Or laid out pillows and blankets to dry, old Montenegrin towns - that's okay.
As you could understand, there is no transport on the streets of the Old City, with the exception of this primitive tractor.
Some of the houses are in ruins, and some are fully restored and have all the benefits of civilization. Some benefits of civilization do not paint medieval Ulcinj at all. Well, was it really difficult to hide the air conditioner under some kind of false panel, so no, it was necessary to place it in plain sight. In other Montenegrin cities with air conditioning, the same problem.
But there are also very nice doors, most likely in the near future they will be replaced with a soulless glass unit.
Some of Ultsin's houses have been so obscenely restored that they shout about it, and even the sea views do not save here. Although this is probably not a restoration, but a new building.
Among the ruined part of the Old City you can meet local residents, most of them are busy with their own business, and they do not care about tourists.
And there are those for whom a tourist is a welcome guest. On the western side of the fortress there are several restaurants, the owners of which speak excellent Russian, and even offer small discounts to our compatriots. I got into conversation with one of them, a very nice uncle. The owner of the restaurant had a very high opinion of Russian tourists and invited everyone to visit. It's nice.
The ladders run to the sea, and we follow them. That's what there is a lot in Ulcinj, it's the sea, it is here from all sides and in all variations. It's beautiful.
How do you like this view of the Adriatic Sea? But in fact, we came to the next goal of our excursion. Right behind this photogenic door, on a small embankment, you should find a descent to the beach.
Near the Northern Gate, the Ultsinovsky Museum is organized, the entrance to the territory is paid, there are several modest museums inside and a good observation deck for selfies.
This historical place has many myths and legends, some are outright fakes, I'm talking about the famous writer Cervantes. Others, on the contrary, have visual confirmation, this is me about part of the wall that was built by the Romans.
Explore, Explore, Enjoy!
I will continue the story about southern city the Montenegrin seaside - Ulcinj. And today we will take a walk to the Old Town, located on big rocktowering over the sea coast. Old Ulcinj stands out somewhat from other old towns in Montenegro. He is both attractive and unattractive. It is difficult to describe in words, you just need to feel it. In the Old City, there is little that is really old, after numerous wars and earthquakes, most of the buildings that have survived in the city are remakes, and very many modern houses made using modern construction technologies, only externally lined with decorative stone, in order to somehow give them the appearance fake antiquity. For knowledgeable people, this falsehood is so striking that it greatly spoils the impression, that involuntary respect for antiquity that you feel in such historical places disappears. On the other hand, this is probably the only Old Town in Montenegro that continues to live with its own everyday life... which he lived many centuries before: something is being built, something is changing, there is some kind of fuss, but it is in it, in this fuss, even in the use of modern technologies, that the real life of the city is felt, in contrast to Kotor and Budva, who also live , but in them you still feel some conservation, a stop in development, these cities have ceased to be cities in the full sense of the word since they acquired the status of a reserve for tourists. In general, the impressions are twofold. Nowhere else in Montenegro you will not see them, therefore Ulcinj is definitely recommended for me to visit.
Just a few words about the history of the city. Founded by Greek colonists in the 5th century BC. under the name Colchinium in the territories inhabited by Illyrian tribes. The Romans came here in the 2nd century BC. During the Roman period, the city was called Olcinium. Then there were several waves of barbarian invasions, the city belonged to Serbia, and then to the Serbian principality of Zeta, from which modern Montenegro emerged. In the 15th century, power in the city passed to Venice, and a little more than a hundred years later, in 1571, the city was captured by the Turks. Since 1878 the city became part of the independent Montenegro.
There are two entrances to the Old Town through the massive fortress walls. This is the seaside entrance.
When you get inside, the whole novelty of the Old City immediately catches your eye.
Minimum lighthouse.
The sea views in Ulcinj are spectacular. The spurs of the rock, on which the city is located, go under the water like spread fingers.
Also, one of the first impressions of the city is its desolation, here you can feel a minimum of vital activity - sluggish swarming of local residents and almost complete absence tourist groups... No, there are, of course, tourists there, but not at all in the same number as, for example, in Kotor.
We go along the wall and see an ugly remake in the process of construction. By the way, two years ago, everything was in exactly the same state. Perhaps the barbaric construction was banned in the historical place. This is good, it remains only to decide what to do with the already made disgrace.
Some fragments of the city, as here in the foreground, are in a state of complete rubble.
Small streets slowly climb up to the historic core of the city.
We will go to the paid part a little later, while we take a walk around the neighborhood, see the flavor of local life.
An interesting collapsed building. All layers are visible. And the old primitive Turkish masonry, and repairs in the corners of the house, and reinforced concrete floors of the XX century!
Second northern passage to the Old Town from the side of the cemetery.
The museum occupies the territory adjacent to the city Citadel. There are collected fragments of old buildings that represent at least some historical value.
Well, these are the expositions that are not of particular interest.
Layout scheme of the Old City.
Inside the Citadel. This is the only site of real historical interest. A fragment of the wall, clearly pre-Roman. It is difficult to see here, but in the masonry there is even some claim to polygonality. It is very likely that this was done in ancient times, by the Greeks.
The southernmost and hottest city with an oriental flavor in Montenegro is Ulcinj.
While it rains in the beautiful Bay of Kotor, the sun is shining in Ulcinj.
Already 217 sunny days a year. It really is a milder and warmer climate.
The Adriatic Sea is of a different color here, the entrance is shallow and long, the beaches are sandy.
Although this city has been a part of Montenegro since 1880, this is not felt here.
The Albanian language is everywhere, as are the sounds from the minaret of the mosque calling for prayer.
1.
Although ... you will misunderstand me now - with 72% of the Albanians living in Ulcinj, almost everyone here knows the Montenegrin language, there are Catholics and Orthodox Christians, goods and services are cheaper here, and tourists are always welcome here. One of the proofs is a photo from the apartment's terrace. Located in the Old Town, the beaches are nearby, the view is gorgeous, the cost per day on the last day of spring was 25 euros for two. What do you think about this?
2. Unexpectedly for myself, I made a city tour yesterday. As if forced ... I waited two hours for my friend while he worked. There was a soap dish in the bag, the weather was fine, why not find out how people live and how they entertain tourists? Everyone who has been here has such a photo against the background of Ulcinj.
3. I suggest taking a walk around the Old Town for a start. In Montenegro, no other city can boast such a luxurious citadel as Ulcinj. The walls are high and powerful.
4. Ulcinj is a city with medieval pirate stories, where there were slave markets, where the architecture of Europe and the East mixed, and from here we have a funny flavor today.
5. I just wandered aimlessly through the streets, as a result I saw some of the inhabitants of the Old City. But it turns out that the fortress walls (rather, the past before the earthquake) once repulsed the attack of the Mongol horde.
6. Montenegrins and Albanians still live in the Old Town, although most of the housing is rented to tourists in summer.
7. I walked and found garbage in the bay. Ay-ay-ay, to the Ultsin authorities and those who crap!
8. But the bad can be found in any city, I suggest you continue to admire the beautiful!
9. Then I saw a spiral staircase next to these windows against the wall
10. I went down, and there ...
11. Beach and sun loungers! True, there are as many tourists as 0. Either few people know about this place, or it is too early to draw conclusions about the season ...
12. In general, the city was quiet and beautiful. I admired every flower.
13. All restaurants, and there are enough of them here, have a lot of roses, lilies and other flowers.
14. Not in the yard, but behind the fence of one house, there was a cage for hens and a rooster.
15. The house at that moment was heated with wood, it is on the right on the ground, and smoke is coming out of the chimney. There is no central heating in Montenegro, we live in the old fashioned way ... True, we have satellite TV and the Internet :)
16. Once upon a time people were being sold on Ulcinj Square. The slave market existed in the 17th and 18th centuries. Pirates from Tunisia, Malta and Algeria brought slaves, and ancestors still live from black slaves.
17. At Venice Ulcinj was recaptured by the Turks in 1571. Since then, mosques have appeared here. On the right in the photo is just someone's house. I really like how they ennoble everything with flowers.
18. In Ulcinj Community, many signs and signs are duplicated in two languages \u200b\u200b- Serbian and Albanian.
19. Renting of apartments in almost all houses. No booking.com needed
20. Opposite the fortress walls and literally a hundred meters from the mosque is orthodox Church St. Nicholas. It stands in an olive grove, the building is unusually plastered and whitewashed for us, and across the street there is a large cemetery. I was amazed how it still stands there, in other countries such a tidbit by the sea and the Old Town would have long been grabbed by someone for a villa or hotel.
21. The thickness of the fortress walls sometimes reaches 20 m.
22. This was already another entrance to the Old Town, immediately behind it there is a museum, some of the exhibits lie on the street in the territory of the former slave market. By the way, Ulcinj after Dubrovnik and Venice had the third largest fleet at that time, piracy flourished here. Among the slaves there were a hundred blacks. Later they found freedom, took the names of those families for whom they served and became honorary citizens of Ulcinj.
23. The guy selling the tickets became my guide for a while while there were no tourists. I went to take a picture of those branches on the stones, and he made me take a picture of the entire wall, telling me that these huge cobblestones below are already 2500 years old, this is the greatest value of the Old Town of Ulcinj.
24. He also visited my photographer :) I stand at the entrance to catholic churchlater converted into a mosque, and now it is a museum.
25. Here it is, the Church of St. Mary, to which a minaret was added later. The 79 g earthquake was badly damaged. And to the right of it such sea panoramas with islands open up.
26. It is very pleasant to walk around the Old Town, everything is in greenery and flowers.
27. I liked the exhibition of clothes in the museum, there are both Montenegrin and Albanian dresses and wedding dresses with a veil.
28. In the Venetian era, two palaces were built in the Old Town - the luxurious Palazzo Venezia, which served as a residence for the Montenegrin rulers of Balsic, and the large Mljet house of Dvora Balsic, now these are cozy hotels. however, which of the houses - I don't know ...
29. Remember I told you about the super location of the cemetery with the family graves, and this is filmed in the same place, a meter further. Gorgeous views from their windows, I envy!
30. Going down to the city, I see the guys dismantling the roof of a dilapidated house. They began to speak to me in Italian, which means they are Albanians. Everyone posed for me, stopped working :)))
31. The topic of rare cars was not spared. Now I take pictures of them at every step and collect a collection.
32. Minipusenkiy Polish Fiat
33. I came to the city beach. The entrance to the sea is very long, but the beach is with white medicinal sand.
34. It was hot, people were swimming and sunbathing.
36. An organized group of kids, brought on a tour from somewhere. They spoke Serbian.
37. I went into a small park, very cozy, with benches and such beauty.
38. Oriental flavor in Ulcinj is broken by IT made of glass and concrete.
39. I really want to get acquainted with this wonderful sculptor who decorated the entire embankment with strange white things)))
40. Another monumental wonder of concrete rises above Ulcinj. Doesn't carry any value, as for me. But it turns out that this is a monument to Freedom! It was installed by the communists more than 30 years ago; now the inhabitants of Ulcinj think this star is ugly. This is true only one third of the monument, that is, we do not see the final result of the idea, the monument was not completed. It was decided to erect it to celebrate the liberation of Ulcinj from the German invaders on November 26, when they left the city. The construction was full of scandals, money was collected from civil servants, etc.
41. When we began to leave Ulcinj, a young girl on a bike settled in front of us. With the correct posture, the bag on the shoulder slashed back and forth between the magi. And someone else is afraid to go to this part of Montenegro, like the women are all in headscarves and the Muslims will rob them and sell them for organs :))) Down with stereotypes!
42. The road from the city to Velika plazha ( Big beach) and Ada-Boyanu.
43. The last day of spring was wonderful for me, I swam to my heart's content, managed to get tanned, watched the kitesurfers and shot this photo report for you.
44. A little history and thoughts out loud:
Founded 2500 years ago by the Illyrians, passed into the hands of the Romans, then renewed from the military destruction by the Byzantine king Justinian, later, under the Serbs in the 12-14 centuries, Ulcinj began to flourish, there even had its own mint. Then it was captured by the Venetians, making it part of the province of "Albania Veneta", and in the 16th century there was an Ottoman state here, and only at the Berlin Congress 134 years ago it was decided that Ulcinj would become part of Montenegro.
I think so, in another 200, maybe 500 years, Albanian and Serbian will be forgotten in Ulcinj, and Miss Albania contests will no longer be held in the once Montenegrin city. Ulcinj will once again become part of a new empire. Nothing is eternal under the Moon! In the meantime, entry into Montenegro for our tourists is visa-free, while the prices in Ulcinj for rest are adequate, while this city pleases with the sun more often than others in the country, hurry to visit it.
Ulcinj will delight lovers of old streets, romantic balconies with a huge number of flowers and, of course, beautiful views of the fortress walls and seascapes.
Today historians claim that the Illyrian tribe Oltsiniyatas once lived in this territory, after which the city is named - Oltsinium. Still, the founders of the first city on this place were the Romans in the II century BC.
During Roman rule, Olcinium became the main city of the whole region, and the construction of the Old City with fortifications and defenses began.
Because because of its geographic location, relief and it has always been a popular place for conquest. The fortress walls of the Old City of Ulcinj were often destroyed during the centuries-old history, but, fortunately, there were always those who rebuilt the walls, rebuilt and gave the city the opportunity to continue to live.
Already at the end of the 12th century, Ulcinj became one of the main cities on the coast as part of the Serbian Zeta state. Representatives of the aristocracy and those close to the court loved to build villas and residences here. Many wives, sisters and relatives of the ruling dynasty lived here, lived out their days and were buried.
According to one of the legends, even the Mongols besieged Ulcin in the 13th century, but they never managed to conquer the city. But the Venetians succeeded, and from the beginning of the 15th century to the end of the 17th century it was they who ruled here. During their reign, Ulcinj, after Venice and Dubrovnik, possessed the third largest fleet, and the city was often attacked by pirates.
During the flourishing of the slave trade, at some point in the city lived about 100 black slaves, who after liberation took the names of the families in which they served, and became ordinary citizens of the city.
It is interesting that in 1571, when the city was captured by the Turks, another Spaniard, Miguel Cervantes, captured after a battle with the Spaniards in the Mediterranean, also entered the city. And here he remains in prison for 5 years, during which he writes the novel "Don Quixote".
At that time, the city was still called Cita di Dolcinio, and Cervantes gives the name Dulcinea to Don Quixote's beloved, who does not reciprocate.
From the end of the 16th century to the end of the 19th century, the Turks dominated here. The city was already liberated by the Montenegrin princely troops after a two-year siege.
Thanks to the historical events that took place in the vastness of Ulcinj, a multiethnic and multinational structure of the population was formed here, which at all times skillfully found a common language, defend the city and rebuild it, this was especially useful during and after World War II.
In memory of those years, many commemorative plaques are hung around the city, some of which can be seen while walking around the Old Town.
In general, the Old Town is the concentration of Ulcinj's cultural and historical heritage. If you enter its northern gate, you will immediately find yourself in the upper part of the Old Town - the "museum quarter".
It is here that the mosque church, which now houses the museum of local lore. In the museum you can see all the archaeological materials found on the territory of the Old Town.
Among his collections, of particular interest are an antique pedestal with an inscription in Greek, an antique cameo with the image of the goddess Athena, an Ionic capital, parts of a 9th century church bowl from the Small Church (Mala crkva) and many objects from the period of Turkish rule.
Immediately behind local history museum the 12th century Kula Balšića tower is located, which now houses an art gallery. And right in front of it you can see a small quiet square. Once it was a square where slaves were traded (Trg robova), and its second name is the Cervantes square (Trg Servantesa).
It is still surrounded by the casemates of the revelin - a small defensive structure. Directly opposite is the high wall of Balani (zid Balani), built by the Venetians. Here you can also find a spring built by the Turks in 1749.
Walking along the many streets of the Old Town, you will immediately find yourself in the lower part of the Old Town. Here, opposite the southern entrance to the city, is the foundation of the 12th century Church of Our Lady, which was later converted into the Catholic Cathedral of St. Mark. Not far from here there is also the reservoir of the Old Town, which was built during the reign of the Venetians.
A little further away is the 18th century Turkish gunpowder store. Walking a little more along the streets of the lower part of the Old Town, you will see the Palata Venecija, which looks more like an old building that has always been the residence of the governor of the city since the time of the Italians.
And you can end your sightseeing tour at the Dvori Balšića located not far from Venice. This complex consists of several buildings of the Venetian type, and its central part is the oldest.
They say that once you get to the Old Town of Ulcinj, you will come back here again and again, fascinated by it.
Valdanos Beach is surrounded by the delightful Ulcinj olive forest, which gives this place a special atmosphere. According to rough estimates, the total number of olive trees in this forest exceeds 74 thousand. Throughout its history, Valdanos Beach has been the largest Eastern European camping center: many tourists have visited here with their tents and mobile homes. There are also modest cozy bungalows, restaurants and cafes where you can always dine with various local dishes.
The water here is clear, dark green in color. Valdanos is one of the favorite destinations for diving and sailing fans.
Small city beach
On the coast Adriatic Sea a glorious city with rich history - Ulcinj. In addition to many architectural monuments, Ulcinj invites its guests to relax on the delightful beaches. One of these is the Small City Beach, which together is the main one. The beach is not big at all, its length does not exceed 400 meters. But the unusually picturesque views from its sands, as well as the amazing blue-green color of the water, invariably attract many tourists. During the peak season, the Small City Beach can accommodate up to 2500 guests.
By nature, Small City Beach has an increased radioactive background. But this is not at all scary, and on the contrary, it is useful. Relaxation on this beach is recommended for people with chronic joint diseases.
What sights of Ulcinj did you like? There are icons next to the photo, by clicking on which you can rate a particular place.
Clock tower Sahat-Kula
Clock tower Sahat Kula is a Turkish tower located in the Montenegrin capital. Sahat Kula is a national monument that is under state protection.
The tower was created in the 17th century during the reign of the Ottoman Empire and was considered the main symbol of the captured city. From the moment of its construction, it has been completely preserved to our time, even despite the devastating bombing of its surroundings during the Second World War.
The total height of the tower is sixteen meters. There is a tall metal cross at the top of the tower. There are special clocks on Sahat-Kul, which were brought here from Italy. For several years they served as the only source of correct time in the city. Every half hour there was a loud ringing of the bells located on the tower.
Until now, the tower is the symbol of the Turkish quarter in the city. The central city square is located next to it.
The market is located in the Old Town. The market in Ulcinj is a real oriental bazaar. You will hardly find so many bright souvenirs and jewelry anywhere else in Europe. And the local craftsmen are real experts in their craft.
The local market is famous for a truly fabulously rich selection of jewelry made of gold, silver, platinum. Jewelry made by Ulcinj masters is valued not only for the highest quality and beauty of products, but also affordable prices... Seeing such diversity and beauty in front of you, it is very difficult to leave without a purchase. So, when stepping into the market, be prepared for unplanned spending. In any case, you will get a lot of pleasure both from walking around the market and from shopping, because local merchants know how to be attentive and sensitive to the wishes of customers.
This market is also famous for natural food products: olives, olive oil, dried fruits, cheese, milk, oriental sweets, etc.
If you want to experience the whole gamut of sensations of the East - visit Ulcinj market. As the locals say, you will not only delight the eye with beautiful things and adornments, but also get all the skills of a skillful and demanding buyer.
Big beach
The most famous place in Ulcinj is the Big Beach (Velika Plaza), which has a length of 13 km and is marked with the "Blue Flag" - the symbol of the European environmental association. With its size, it is not surprising that even in the midst of tourist season there is always enough free space here. This beach is one of the largest sandy beaches Montenegro. The finest volcanic sand, giving the beach a dark shade, caresses your feet like a luxurious carpet. The large beach receives the most sunshine as it is not obscured by mountains. This sounds tempting, but there are also small drawbacks: it must be borne in mind that the smallest, weightless grains of sand at the slightest breeze rise into the air, creeping everywhere, including clothes and food. Due to its dark color, the sand is also very hot and in the middle of a sunny summer day, walking on it barefoot can be difficult.
The sea here is shallow enough, and to get to a depth that allows swimming, you first have to walk through shallow water several tens of meters. Everything from Ulcinj to the island of Ada-Bojana is a resort place where numerous shops, markets, restaurants and restaurants are open during the season. Noisy oriental bazaars give a special flavor to these places. On the southern part of the beach, there are often strong winds and large waves. It is here that fans of surfing and kiting come here, as well as those who want to learn how to operate a yacht or catamaran. There is a kite school on the beach with Russian instructors for all kite surfing lovers.
Ruins of the city of Swacha
22 km from the city of Ulcinj, there is the Shasskoe lake. But not only it attracts tourists. People come here to see the historical monument located on the shore of the lake - the ancient city of Svach, or rather, its ruins.
The emergence of a settlement here in the 6th century is associated with the name of the Emperor Justinian. Since 1183, Swach became part of the independent Serbian state headed by the ruler Stefan I Nemanj, who declared the independence of Serbia from Byzantium. During his reign, the territory of the Serbian state expanded significantly. He became the founder of the Nemanich dynasty, which ruled Swach before the Mongol invasion in 1242. The further history of the city is connected with the name of Saint Helena, Queen of Serbia, Princess of Anjou, as a sign of his love for whom the king ordered to plant blooming lilacs throughout the Ibar valley. Elena patronized Swach, thanks to her the city flourished and strengthened.
There is a legend that there were only churches here according to the number of days in a year: the ruler Svach, captured by the enemies, had a devoted wife who ransomed her husband from captivity and built 365 churches in the district as a token of gratitude for his salvation. Further progress of the city is associated with the period of Venetian rule. In 1571 Swach was captured by the Turks, Bishop Martin won the battle for the city in 1610, but this battle destroyed it. Swach never rose from the ruins, and since then the destruction has continued in time. But the ruins of the fortress wall and the skeletons of several churches remained. The largest surviving city temple dates back to the early 14th century. The gravestones of Bishop Mark (1262) and Bishop Peter (1284) were found near the western facade.
The tourist can only imagine what this city could have been at the time of its heyday.
Old Ulcinj
In the 5th century BC, Colchis colonists built a fortress on the rock, around which the city began to grow. The history of the city of Ulcinj, like many other cities of Montenegro, is the history of an endless change of rulers (it was ruled by the Byzantines, the Venetians, and the Turks) and, accordingly, the names. The Romans named him Olcinium. The Venetians gave him the name Dulsinho.
During the Turkish rule, the city was chosen by sea robbers. Loot from captured ships was the main source of income for local residents. The slave trade was also in use: people from captured ships were taken prisoner and sold in the Ulcinj market. There is a not very reliable legend that the great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, captured in one of the naval battles, languished in captivity for five years in Ulcinj. And that he gave the Venetian name of the city to Dulcinea, the well-known heroine of the novel "Don Quixote", and her own wonderful image was copied from one of the local aristocrats. True, Cervantes himself, in his writings, claimed that he was in captivity in Algeria, but this does not make the legend any less beautiful. But it is reliably known that in the tower of Balsic, in the old Ulcin, in the 17th century lived Mahmud Efendi, famous for his original interpretation of the Talmud. This tower now houses an art gallery.
The architecture of the Old City, which has repeatedly passed from hand to hand, as a result, is sometimes a completely unexpected mixture of styles and eras, a vivid example of this is a mosque rebuilt from a church, not far from which there is a small square, where slaves were once traded and where it is now city \u200b\u200bMuseum. There are also two palaces in Ulcinj erected during the Venetian rule - the Palazzo Venezia and the Balsic Courtyards. The palaces are now reconstructed, and they house quite modern comfortable hotels
Shatskoye (Shasskoye) lake
Almost every historical place in Montenegro is associated with some kind of legend. There is such a legend near the Shasskoye Lake. It is said that Vladimir, one of the first rulers of Montenegro, voluntarily surrendered to the Bulgarian conqueror Simeon II to save his people. In captivity, the king was tortured, and from cruel torture he became blind. But Simeon's daughter fell in love with him, a blind captive, and in order to save him she married him, and in order for her beloved to receive his sight, she vowed to build 365 churches, one a day for a year. And it was near Lake Shasskoe that a devoted wife built the promised temples. True, it is not known whether Vladimir regained his sight after that, but the story is good without an idyllic ending.
The remains of eight of these temples can be observed even now, having arrived at Lake Shasskoe, at the ruins ancient city Swach. But this lake, the second largest after Skadar, is known not only by legend. The lake is of glacial origin, it is located in a mountain basin and its height above sea level is only 1 meter. During floods, it overflows heavily, and its area increases from 3.7 sq. km up to 5, 5 sq. km. The greatest depth of the lake is 8 meters. The banks on the north and east sides are densely overgrown with reeds, water lilies and water lilies.
Here real paradise for migratory birds, and the water is teeming with a variety of fish. The lake is not very suitable for swimming, but fishing here can be a great pleasure. The silence, broken only by the voices of birds and the splash of waves, and the feeling of detachment from civilization and unity with nature plunges into a state of serene peace and relaxation.
Tourist region Liman
The tourist area of \u200b\u200bLiman is an area located on the outskirts in the western part of Ulcinj.
In the early 2000s, many land plots in the Liman area were acquired, mostly by Russian tourists. A large number of comfortable villas and cottages were built here, which are currently being rented to vacationers at an affordable price.
In the Liman area, you can relax on small, cozy beaches covered with small pebbles. The water here is unusually clear and transparent, having a turquoise color at depth.
Also Liman is a great place for diving.
Restaurant "Antigone"
Restaurant "Antigone" is located in the old part of Ulcinj, specializing in fish dishes.
Restaurant Antigone is a family business. Perhaps that is why a special almost home comfort and cleanliness reigns here. Contrary to the name referring to Ancient Greece, the institution specializes in fish dishes, which are prepared here tasty and original only from freshly caught fish.
The restaurant has a nice guesthouse. And the location of the institution in the historical part of the city not far from the beach is very convenient for tourists. Also "Antigone" takes part in organizing sightseeing trips across Montenegro.
Grid lake
The lake is located on the border between Montenegro Albania and Kosovo in the town of Plav-Gusinje. Lake Grid is one of the highest lakes in the area, known as the "mountain eyes" and is located at 1970 m above sea level.
This lake is formed by underground waters and glaciers partially melting on the mountain tops, flowing into it in its western part. The water temperature in the lake does not exceed 16-18C in July and August. And the air temperature near the lake is 17-21C.
This lake is quite attractive for anglers: it is rich in trout. So, if you decide to fish in silence and far from civilization, you will not find a better place. Since the places are wild and people rarely come here, you can often find wild animals here: bears, hares, wolves, wild boars, etc.
You can swim in the lake. There are no exact data on its depth, but in coastal zone it is about 5 m. The lake itself is small. The lake is 295 m long and 155 m wide. The bottom of the lake is rocky, and the water is so clean that you can see the bottom in some places.
If you want to relax in a quiet and peaceful environment alone with nature, then the path to Lake Grid is the best route for you.
The most popular attractions in Ulcini with descriptions and photos for every taste. Choose the best places to visit the famous places of Ulcini on our website.
