Budva
In 1979, an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale razed much of Budva's old town to the ground, forcing Montenegro to rebuil...
Updated 8 July 2026
Budva
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The story
The story of Budva
Ancient Butua: from Illyrian origins to Venice
The nucleus we now call Budva carries in its ancient Latin name, Butua, the trace of a history dating back at least to the 5th century BC, when Greek settlers set up on a promontory already inhabited by Illyrian tribes. Local legend, taken up by ancient authors, attributes its founding to the mythical Cadmus of Thebes, exiled with his wife Harmonia after the fall of his city. Under Rome the town prospered as a trading port on the Adriatic; after the fall of the empire it passed under Byzantium, then went through centuries of disputes between medieval Serbia, the Kingdom of Zeta and Italian powers. From 1442 to 1797 it was a possession of the Republic of Venice, which gave it the walled urban layout still recognisable today, before the Austrian and, in the twentieth century, Yugoslav periods.
The walled old town and the Citadel
Budva's Stari Grad occupies a small rocky promontory encircled by Venetian walls, a maze of narrow lanes where light stone houses look out onto tiny squares. At its highest point stands the Citadel, a fortress whose current layout dates mainly from the nineteenth-century Austrian occupation, built over older defensive layers; today it houses a small library, an exhibition hall and a panoramic terrace overlooking the tiled roofs and the open sea, a classic destination at sunset. Within the walls one also finds the sixteenth-century Church of Santa Maria in Punta, among the oldest on the coast with a foundation dated to 840, the Church of St John the Baptist, seat of the local Catholic diocese, and the Church of the Holy Trinity in Serbian-Byzantine style, evidence of the religious coexistence that has always marked the city.
Sveti Stefan, the island village turned legend
A few kilometres south of Budva, a rocky islet connected to the mainland by a thin sandy isthmus is home to what is probably the most photographed view in Montenegro. Sveti Stefan was born in the fifteenth century as a fortified village of fishermen-warriors, a small cluster of stone houses enclosed by defensive walls against Ottoman raids. In the 1960s the Yugoslav government moved the inhabitants to the nearby coast and turned the whole village into an exclusive hotel, a destination for international stars of the time; after a period of abandonment following the Yugoslav wars, the property was restored and now operates as a top-level resort, open to guests only. The best view, however, remains free, from the terraces and beaches that look at the islet from north and south.
Budva's beaches: Mogren, Jaz and Bečići
Just outside the walls of the old town, Mogren beach is divided into two pebble coves separated by a rocky spur that can be crossed on foot, with clear water that deepens quickly and a wall of Mediterranean scrub behind it: it is the urban beach par excellence, the closest to the centre and the most crowded in high season. A few kilometres to the north lies Jaz, a long sandy shore surrounded by hills, spacious enough to host mass events, including a famous Rolling Stones concert in 2007. To the south, Bečići lines up more than two kilometres of fine sand on a shallow, regular seabed, historically listed among the most beautiful beaches in Europe in last century's guidebooks, today faced by an unbroken row of hotels.
The riviera heading south: Rafailovići and Petrovac
Continuing along the coast between Bečići and Sveti Stefan you come to Rafailovići, once a fishing village and now a tourist town with a long seafront promenade, a small marina and a good number of family-run seafood restaurants, a quieter destination compared to the heart of Budva. Further south, beyond Sveti Stefan, Petrovac retains a different atmosphere, gathered around a bay protected by two islets, including that of Katič with its chapel; on the seafront the remains of a Roman villa with mosaics are still visible, proof that the settlement was inhabited as far back as imperial times. Petrovac's main beach, Lazarska Plaža, and the wilder one at Buljarica nearby, offer a more family-friendly alternative to the buzz of the city.
Sveti Nikola island
Off the bay of Budva, facing the town beach, stretches the elongated shape of Sveti Nikola, the largest of the riviera's islands, also called Hawaii by locals for its secluded beaches and clear water. The island is uninhabited and covered in Mediterranean scrub, reachable in a few minutes by taxi-boats that leave repeatedly from the small harbour and the seafront during summer. On the side facing the open sea there are small pebble coves quieter than the side facing the town, ideal for those seeking a break from the bustle of the urban beach; some stretches also offer sun-lounger service and a couple of seasonal kiosks for a quick fish-based meal.
Nightlife
Budva has for decades been the hub of Montenegrin nightlife, with a concentration of venues that in the summer months turns the seafront and the old town into an unbroken succession of music and revelry until dawn. Alongside the bars and pubs packed into the lanes of Stari Grad, the scene has over the years also shifted towards the large open-air clubs on the hills behind the town, which draw international DJs and a young crowd coming from across the Balkan region and beyond. There is no shortage of more sedate venues with live music and panoramic terraces designed for a sunset aperitif before heading down into the organised chaos of the night, which coexists, often without too much friction, with the family tourism of the nearby beaches.
Flavours and local cuisine
Budva's table tells the story of the meeting between Adriatic seafaring cuisine and the pastoral traditions of the Montenegrin hinterland. In the fish restaurants of the harbour and the old town you find riblja čorba, a full-flavoured fish soup, seafood from the bay served grilled or in stew, and octopus cooked under an ember-covered bell (peka), a method widespread along the whole coast. From the interior come pršut from Njeguši, smoked ham typical of the mountains behind Cetinje, aged cheeses and kačamak, a thick polenta enriched with cheese and cream. To accompany meals, the red wine Vranac, a native grape variety grown on the plains of Montenegro, remains the most representative choice in any konoba in the area.
When to go and how to experience Budva
Budva's tourist season is concentrated between June and September, with July and August bringing the most intense heat, the most crowded sea and the highest hotel prices along the riviera. Those seeking a compromise between mild climate, sea already warm enough for swimming and a more relaxed pace do well to aim for June or the second half of September, when temperatures remain pleasant and the best-known beaches, from Mogren to Bečići, empty out considerably. In the low season, from October to April, Budva slows down a great deal and several venues close, but it remains a convenient base for visiting the Citadel without crowds and for travelling to the Bay of Kotor or the mountainous hinterland, a short drive away.
Experiences not to be missed
- Stroll at sunset through the walls of Stari Grad and climb up to the terrace of the Citadel
- Admire Sveti Stefan from the beaches that flank it to the north and south
- Swim at the two coves of Mogren, just outside the old town
- Take a boat to Sveti Nikola island for a more secluded beach
- Walk the seafront promenade of Bečići and Rafailovići all the way to Petrovac
- Dine at a fish konoba in the old harbour and try the riblja čorba
- Experience a night among the venues of the old town or the big clubs on the hills
FAQ
Come si arriva a Budva?
Qual è il periodo migliore per visitare Budva?
Cosa vedere a Budva in un solo giorno?
Dove si parcheggia vicino alla città vecchia?
Budva è adatta alle famiglie con bambini?
Quanti giorni servono per visitare Budva e dintorni?
Getting there
- Aeroporto di Tivat, circa 17 km da Budva
- Aeroporto di Podgorica, circa 65 km da Budva
- Budva è collegata dalla strada costiera adriatica che corre da Herceg Novi e le Bocche di Cattaro fino a Bar e Ulcinj; in auto dista circa un'ora da Podgorica attraverso la superstrada e il tunnel di Sozina.
- In alta stagione il traffico sulla costa può rallentare molto gli spostamenti: meglio muoversi la mattina presto o affidarsi ai taxi-boat per raggiungere spiagge e isole vicine.
Perfect for
Spiagge diverse a pochi minuti l'una dall'altra, dalle calette di Mogren alla sabbia di Bečići e Jaz, fino alle acque appartate di Sveti Nikola.
Duemilacinquecento anni di stratificazioni, dalle mura illiriche e romane al centro murato veneziano della Stari Grad.
Una delle capitali della movida balcanica, tra bar nella città vecchia e grandi club sulle colline sopra la baia.
Cucina che unisce pesce dell'Adriatico e sapori di montagna, dal pršut di Njeguši al vino Vranac.
Punto di partenza comodo per Sveti Stefan, Petrovac e le vicine Bocche di Cattaro.
To see
