Ulcinj

The corsairs of Ulcinj

Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, Ulcinj was one of the most active corsair bases in the eastern Mediterranean, second in fame only to the ports of North Africa. Taking advantage of its rocky coves and its proximity to the routes linking Venice to the Levant, the crews of Ulcinj — often made up of renegades of diverse origins who had converted to Islam — raided merchant ships and brought them into port along with their cargo and their prisoners, who were then sold in the town's slave market. A local tradition, more handed down than documented, holds that among the prisoners who passed through Ulcinj was none other than Miguel de Cervantes: a legend the town has never stopped telling, and one that survives today more in plaques and anecdotes than in firm historical proof. It was precisely this reputation as an outlaw port that made Ulcinj, for two centuries, a name feared along the entire Adriatic coast.

Ulqin, the town's Albanian soul

The Congress of Berlin in 1878 assigned Ulcinj to the Principality of Montenegro, but the local population, largely Albanian and tied to the League of Prizren, put up such resistance that the actual annexation did not take place until 1880, following a naval demonstration by the European powers off the town's coast. Since then Ulcinj has remained a unique case in the country: Montenegro's Albanian-majority municipality, where Albanian is a co-official language, road signs are bilingual, and the name Ulqin circulates as widely as its Slavic counterpart. This dual identity can be felt while strolling among the cafés of the center, in the shops of the old town, and in the Islamic and Christian religious holidays that coexist on the town's calendar, making Ulcinj more a cultural bridge than a border between Montenegro and Albania, which lies just a few kilometers to the south.

Velika Plaža, the twelve-kilometer beach

Velika Plaža, literally "great beach," stretches for about twelve kilometers between the outskirts of Ulcinj and the mouth of the Bojana river, and is one of the longest unbroken stretches of sand in the entire Adriatic. The seabed slopes gently, the sand is dark and fine, and in some stretches it mixes with a mineral mud that has been used since Austro-Hungarian times for spa treatments and rheumatological cures, giving rise to a small therapeutic facility along the shore. The beach's length means that, depending on the stretch, one can find kiosks and equipped facilities, open and wilder stretches toward the river mouth, or spots favored by sports enthusiasts thanks to the steady winds that blow especially in the southern section, toward Ada Bojana.

The salt pans of Ulcinj and the flight of the flamingos

Just outside the town stretch the Ulcinj salt pans, a mosaic of brackish-water basins built during the Venetian era for salt production and kept in operation until just a few years ago. Today the production plant is largely inactive, but the ecosystem that has formed around the basins has become one of the most important habitats for waterbirds in the entire Adriatic, a key stopover for migratory species making their way up the Balkan coast. Among the reed beds and shallow pools, pink flamingos are regularly spotted, along with dozens of other species of waders, herons, and birds of prey, which have made the salt pans a landmark for birdwatching in Montenegro, and in recent years the object of campaigns for their protection and naturalistic conversion.

Levantine flavors, between fish, oil, and byrek

Ulcinj's cuisine tells the same story of crossings as the town itself: grilled fish dishes and seafood risottos shared with the rest of the Montenegrin coast sit alongside specialties of clear Balkan-Ottoman origin, such as byrek filled with cheese, meat, or vegetables, widely available in the bakeries of the center. The extra virgin olive oil produced in the olive groves of Valdanos and the surrounding countryside is a recurring ingredient, as are grilled vegetables and local cheeses served as starters. In the cafés of the old town the atmosphere feels closer to Shkodër and Tirana than to Kotor or Budva, with the ritual of Turkish coffee or çaj accompanied by phyllo-pastry sweets, while the seafront restaurants never lack the catch of the day, paired with wines from the nearby Crmnica region.

When to go and how to experience Ulcinj

The full beach season runs from June to September, with July and August the busiest months, especially on Velika Plaža and in the old town; those seeking warm sea water but fewer crowds might aim for June or the first half of September. Spring, between April and May, is the best time to visit the salt pans, at the height of the bird migration, and it is also the season when the wind starts to become more consistent over Ada Bojana, ideal for kitesurfers right through to late October. Winter, mild by Adriatic standards, empties the town but leaves the charm of the old town intact and allows for peaceful walks along the beach, in a setting that is far more authentic and far less touristy.

• Wander among the walls and lanes of Stari Grad as far as Slave Square
• Walk the full length of Velika Plaža to the mouth of the Bojana
• Try kitesurfing, or simply watch the kites, on Ada Bojana
• Go birdwatching among the salt-pan basins, especially in spring
• Descend through the shade of the centuries-old olive trees to Valdanos bay
• Sample byrek and Turkish coffee in a café in the old town