Budva is a Montenegrin town on the Adriatic Sea, it has around 37,000 inhabitants, and it is the centre of Budva Municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budva riviera, is the center of Montenegrin tourism, known for its well-preserved medieval walled city, sandy beaches and diverse nightlife. Budva is 2,500 years old, which makes it one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast.

The Old Town of Budva is situated on a rocky peninsula, on the southern end of Budva field. Archaeological evidence suggests that Illyrian settlement was formed on the site of the Old Town before Greek colonization of the Adriatic. While the site was permanently settled since Roman era, most of existing city walls and buildings were erected during the Venetian rule.

The entire town is encircled with defensive stone walls. The fortifications of Budva are typical of the Medieval walled cities of the Adriatic, complete with towers, embrasures, fortified city gates and a citadel.

The layout of the town is roughly orthogonal, although many streets deviate from the grid, resulting in somewhat irregular pattern, with many piazzas connected with narrow streets. Today, the entire city within the walls is pedestrian-only.

The town citadel is situated on the southern tip of the city. Originally known as Castle of St Mary, fortification was continually rebuilt and expanded through Middle Ages, reaching its final form during the Austro-Hungarian rule. The sea-facing 160m long ramparts of the citadel, complete with eastern and western towers, are intricately connected to the rest of the city walls. Austrian stone barracks form the most prominent structure within the castle, separating the citadel from the rest of the walled city. Ruins of the Santa Maria de Castello church, after which the entire complex was originally named, are located within the citadel.

A large public square is located to the north of the citadel, containing all of the churches of the old town - St. Ivan church (17th century), Santa Maria in Punta (840 AD), and The Holy Trinity church (1804).

Tourism is the main driver of the economy of Budva. It is a significant tourist destination on the eastern Adriatic, and by far the most popular destination in Montenegro.

Budva is well known regionally as the capital of nightlife of the eastern Adriatic. The first discothèques in Budva started to emerge during the 1980s, as hotel-attached dance clubs. However, the clubbing scene mushroomed in 1990s, with numerous open-air clubs opening along the Budva sea promenade. This trend continued into the 2000s, with Old Town and its promenade hosting a large number of bars, pubs and restaurants, and two big clubs, Top Hill and Trocadero, dominating the clubbing scene.

The Budva Riviera has some of the most attractive beaches of south Adriatic, and the most pleasant climate in Montenegro. Mogren beach is arguably the best known and most attractive of the Budva city beaches, nested beneath the cliffs of the Spas hill, between cape Mogren and the Avala hotel. The beach is separated from the city by the slopes of Spas hill that plunge to the sea, and is only accessible by a 250m long narrow path along the cliffs. Other city beaches include the small Ričardova glava ("Richard's Head") and Pizana beaches, next to the Old Town, as well as the 1.6 km (1.0 mi) long Slovenska plaža (Slav beach), that makes up the most of the city's coast.

However, majority of the beaches of Budva Riviera are outside of the city itself. Jaz Beach is a long and spacious beach west of Budva, its hinterland serving as a popular concert and festival venue, as well as a campground. Bečići resort town, with its long sandy beach, is situated south-east of the city, separated from Budva by the Zavala peninsula.

Further to the south, numerous small beaches and towns, make up the more high end and exclusive part of Budva Riviera. This is especially true for the famous Sveti Stefan town, but also for other smaller Paštrovići settlements in the area, that once were unassuming fishing villages. The area of Sveti Stefan and Pržno, including Miločer resort with its park and secluded beaches, is considered the most exclusive area of the Montenegrin coast.

The town of Petrovac and the undeveloped Buljarica field occupy the very south of the Budva municipality.

Sveti Nikola Island is located opposite of Old Town, 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) across the Budva bay. It is a mostly undeveloped island with some beautiful beaches. Well connected to the mainland with water bus, it is a popular excursion site for tourists visiting Budva.

Herceg Novi, with approximately 200 sunny days a year, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Montenegro.

Located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen, Herceg Novi offers to tourists a rich monumental heritage, monasteries and churches, and numerous fortifications such as Španjola, Kanli Kula, Sat Kula and famous staircase, after which it takes its nickname “City of the stairs”.

Herceg Novi was founded as a fortress in 1382 by Bosnian King Stjepan Tvrtko I and was called Sveti Stefan or Castelnuovo. After the death of Tvrtko, Duke Sandalj Hranić of the Herzegovinian Kosačas acquired Castelnuovo. During his reign, Herceg Novi picked up trading salt, what bothered their neighbors from Dubrovnik, which in this part of Europe held a monopoly over salt trade in that time.

When Hranić died, his nephew, Herzog Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, inherited Castelnuovo. Under Stjepan, Castelnuovo expanded and thus became a city, renaming it to Herceg Novi.

The Turks conquered Herceg Novi in 1482, and ruled for 200 years, until 1687. In that period various nations and civilizations interspersed on its soil, leaving deep marks on the history, culture and overall development of the region.

Herceg Novi is known by a very rich cultural program in the summer months, which includes above all the traditional film and music festivals. Of course, the event are also organized during other months, which contributes to recognizable cultural life of the city. 

Nightlife

"Casa Igalo", "La bamba", "People's", Shisha bar "Krug", Beach club "Rafaello", "Tondo"

Restaurants

"La terrazza", "Papagaj", "Three limes", "Portofino", "Amber", "Verige 65", "Joy restaurant", "City tavern", "Pic nic", "Mimosa", "Old house", "Barbarella", Perla Square Portonovi

Taverns

Tavern "Krušo", "Feral", "Kantula", "Škver", "Old Herzegovina", "Gušti" Vrbanj

The most significant manifestations

"Mimosa Festival", "Herzegovinian Winter Salon", "Herzegovinian Film Festival", "HAPS" - Herzegovinian April Theater Festival, "Days of Music", "Book Square", "Guitar Art summer fest", Opera Festival "Operosa"

Accommodation

Popular hotels and motels

"Iberostar Waves Herceg Novi", "Hotel Perla", "Wellness & Spa Hotel ACD", "Carine Hotel Kumbor Superior", "Lazure Hotel & Marina", "Portonovi Resort", "Forte Rose", "Garni Vila Margot", "One&Only Portonovi"

Shopping 

HDL "Novi Mall", Merkato mall, City Market Herceg Novi, Butiko shopping center, Idea, Voli

Important phones

Phone code for Herceg-Novi (0)31

Police 122, Security Center +382 31 322 222
Firefighters 123, Protection Service +382 31 348 014
Emergency 124
Exact time 125
Delivery of telegrams by telephone 126
Sports results service 19811
Notifications about phone numbers 1181

Health care

Mediterranean Center - "Dr. Simo Milošević"
Institute for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Igalo, Sava Ilića 5, tel. 658 111

Health center "dr Stevo Mrđen", www.domzdravljahercegnovi.com
Herceg-Novi, Nikole Ljubibratića 1, tel. 343 111, 343 024
Topla Outpatient Clinic, Mića Vavića 5, tel. 321 430
Igalo clinic, Norveska 8, tel. 331 333
Clinic Bijela, Bijela b.b., tel. 671 708

Private health institution Meljine General Hospital www.bolnica-meljine.me
(former Military Hospital), Braće Grakalića 94-100
tel. 640 988, fax 348 543

Veterinary stations
Herceg-Novi, Zemunska 129, tel. 348 314
Igalo, Sutorina, tel. 688 216

Culture

City Archives
Herceg Stjepan Square 1, tel. 322 655

JUK City Library and Reading Room
Herceg Stjepan Square, tel, 321 900, 324 229

JU "City Museum Mirko Komnenović and Gallery Josip Bepo Benković"
Museum tel. 323 779
Gallery tel. 324 051

JUK "Hercegfest"
tel. 322 320, 322 098

Media

Radio Herceg-Novi, tel. 350 765, 350 768
Radio More, tel. 350 666
Radio Delfin, tel. 344 244
Radio Jadran, tel. 335 005

Mail

Herceg-Novi, tel. 353 305
Igalo, tel. 331 747
Meljine, tel. 348 053
Zelenika, tel. 678 549
Kumbor and Đenovići, tel. 678 007
Baošići, tel. 674 175
Bijela, tel. 671 550

Travels

AMS of Montenegro +382 21 234 999
Herceg-Novi bus station, tel. 321 225
Debeli Brijeg border crossing, tel. 354,000
Border crossing Sitnica, tel. 67 284 894

Taxi stations

Taxi "More", tel. 19730
Taxi station Herceg-Novi, tel. 327 016

Municipality of Herceg-Novi
Maršala Tita Square 2, phone number 321 052, 321 564

Tourist organization Herceg-Novi
Jova Dabovića 10, phone no. 350 820