MONTENEGRO: The Adriatic Riviera

Budva is a town on the “Adriatic Riviera” and is touted as Montenegro's most-visited destination.

It is one of the busiest and probably the most crowded towns on the Adriatic Sea.

It’s  nicknamed “the Montenegrin Miami” or the “Miami of the Adriatic Sea”. 

It attracts hordes of tourists intent on sunning themselves on the local beaches and partying until dawn at one of the many bars and clubs.

So we've been told. John and I are boring old retired folks, looking for the early-bird dinner specials, so we can’t personally speak to the busy night life.

With a burgeoning tourism industry and being in a stunning location, there are lot of new highrise apartment buildings and many more new ones being built. 

 

I am not sure how we were able to find a quiet beach. 

Budva Old Town is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic Coast and dates back to the 7th century. Initially established by the Greeks, it later became a significant Roman and Byzantine hub. And then was home to the Venetians and Ottomans.

It is a medieval stronghold built on a hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The fortress walls, rising from the clear Adriatic water, were built by the Venetians in the 15th century and surround the narrow streets of the old town (Stari Grad).

There are a labyrinth of cobblestone alleys, squares and corridors to wander through.

 

 

The story behind the Budva Ballerina statue is about a ballerina’s love for a sailor that went to sea. Every day she came to the shore waiting for the waves to bring him home. He never returned and she died of a broken heart.

But, there are those that dispute the story. If you take a closer look at the sculpture, you’ll notice that she doesn’t wear any clothes! Those people describe her as "The Gymnast of Budva".

Despite the clothing controversy, John and I opted to walk along the shore with our clothes on.

From Budva we drove about 50 minutes inland to Lake Skadar, which lies on the border of Albania and Montenegro. It is the largest lake in Southern Europe, two thirds of it are in Montenegro and the remainder in Albania.

 

 

It is surrounded by dramatic karst mountains and hosts a large array of wildlife with more than 260 species of birds and over 45 fish species. Many of the birds and marine life are endangered species.

Wild and marshy areas of the lake are filled with mixed colonies of pelicans, cormorants, pigeons, herons, kingfishers, ducks, and various other species.

John and I are still trying to master the art of taking selfies.

Our boat guide took this photo.

And then he added this creative shot.

 

 

Rule of thumb: The younger generation is generally much more adept with their cell phones.