The Old Town of Herceg Novi

The Old Town of Herceg Novi is a unique architectural whole in the very centre of the present-day town. If you take the Stairs of King Tvrtko on the left down from Sahat kula (the Clock Tower) from the main city square – Trg Nikole Đurkovića, after about 60 stairs you will come to the square Trg Hercega Stefana (known as Belavista), with a church of St. Mikhail Archangel and Memorial Drinking Fountain. 

If you go straight and then turn right you will get into Marka Cara St. There is a square Trg Mića Pavlovića at the end of the street with a church of St. Jeronimus, church of St. Leopold and Music School building.

On the other hand, if you take the stairs on the right that is if you take Marka Vojnovića St., you will pass by the Radio of Herceg Novi, then by the gallery “Josip Bepo Benković” and you will come to Forte Mare, a beautiful fortress which looks as if it is erecting from the sea. If you go back, to the beginning of the stairs and turn left after Sahat kula and take the stairs up the hill, you will reach Kanli-kula, nowdays known as the Summer Stage. You can do this sightseeing in a nice slow walk for less than 30 minutes.

Forte Mare Fortress

The fortress was a core of the future medieval town which was founded by the Bosnian King Tvrtko I in 1382. Later a much more important town and a fortress were built around it in the time of Stefan Vukčić Kosača.  

One part of the defensive wall, dating from the oldest Bosnian period, was preserved. It was hugely reconstructed in the times of the Roman dominance when the fortress was made in the present size, shape and height except for the protective crown with cannon openings. In the mid 16th century the fortress was called “Strong Tower” or the “Abas Pasha’s Tower”. In the early 18th century it was reconstructed by the Venetians who gave it the present name – Forte Mare.  The Austrians gave it the present-day design and made a series of adding in 1833.  This is when it became one of the most important fortification points in the town.

Kanli-kula

Turkish fortress known as “Kanli Kula”, which means in Turkish “blood tower” is located at the northernmost point of the old town of Herceg Novi and is part of its complex fortification.

Its major part was built on a solid limestone rock at about 85 m above sea level. It dominates the city with its size and its position.

The Regional Museum of Herceg-Novi

The Homeland Museum was established in 1949 and opened in 1953. It is the legacy of one of the mayors of Herceg Novi - Mirko Komnenović (1870-1941) and his spouse Olga.

The Savina Monastery

Monastery is located 2 km east of Herceg Novi in the unique ambience of the Mediterranean vegetation. It is one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the Adriatic. It consists of three churches: two dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the monastery shelter with the treasury on the north side of the courtyard, and church of St. Sava, isolated on a nearby hill.

Above the door of the Small Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, on the inner side, there is a fresco inscription from 1831 where the year of 1030 is mentioned as the year when the church was built. Several layers of fresco painting were discovered on the inner walls of the church.

The Great Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was built from the 1777 to 1799 by the master Nikola Foretić from Korčula. In architectural terms, this church is a mixture of styles from Byzantine through the Roman-Greek to the Baroque style - a successful combination of Eastern and Western cultures. The iconostasis is also a blend of traditional iconography and the new baroque forms.

The Church of St. Sava was according to some sources built in the 15th century and according to some other sources in the 13th century. Among the extremely valuable exhibits in the monastery treasury, there are Crystal Cross of the St. Sava from 13th century, needlework, petohljebnica (celebration of liturgy engraved in silver), reliquary of the Monastery Tvrdoš and other items from the 17th century, a portrait of the Russian Tzar Peter the Great.

Orjen

The massif of Orjen dominates the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. The mountain can be accessed by roads from Herceg Novi, Morinj, Risan and Trebinje. On the mountain, there is a number of well-marked hiking trails.

Easy hiking routes follow the former Austro-Hungarian military roads, such as the route Krivošije – Ledenice - Crkvice, or lead to some of the peaks of the mountain of Orjen. The following climbs are spectacular: Subra, Zubački kabao and Reovačka greda. This is where the Montenegrin coastal transversal begins and stretches along the ridges of the coastal mountains.

The Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto is one of the most attractive in a series of caves located on the peninsula Luštica, situated between the bay Zlatna luka (Golden Harbour) and cape Mokra gora (Wet Mountain). It is 5.7 nm far from Herceg Novi.

It was named the Blue Grotto because of its unusual blue color which is the result of the reflection of sun rays on clear sunny days.

The Blue Grotto is accessible through two entrances. One entrance is very wide, but low, while the other one is totally opposite - narrow and very tall. The cave is attractive for divers and for the others. It is an excellent location for photo safari, both above and under the sea. The cave can be reached by boat.

The Island of Mamula

On the sea charts this island is also known as Lastavica (The Swallow) it was named it generally accepted name Mamula after the Austrian general Lazar Mamula, who made fortification on the island in the mid 19th century.

Mamula is an uninhabited island at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, 3.4 km far from Herceg Novi. It has circular shape and its diameter is 200 m; it is covered in low vegetation, with a beach and a pier on the north side.

During both world wars there was a prison on this island and now there is a memorial plaque placed in memory of that period. Mamula is still a deserted island, but also a favorite summer picnic resort.

Žanjice

Žanjice is located in the bay Mirište and is deeply indented in the mainland of the peninsula Luštica. It is about four nautical miles away from Herceg Novi and is placed in the ambient of the azure blue sea and ancient olive trees. The beach, 300m long and 15 meters wide, is composed of white pebbles and can take about 1,000 tourists.

Nearby there is Plava špilja (the Blue Grotto) and the island of Mamula, where the old Austrian fortress lords the entrance to the Bay. These attractions can be reached by private boat or through the arrangements made in advance with travel agencies which organize excursions and field trips.  

Igalo Beach

Igalo encompasses the coast line from the Sutorina river to the Galeb restaurant. This is a bathing beach and a promenade at the same time.

A part of the beach is sandy, and the other is concrete which provides pleasant bathing. For those who like bathing beaches that are part of a hotel, Igalo is an excellent choice. There are many restaurants and cafes which lure you with the smell of fish specialities, the sound of good music and pleasant environment.

Mirište

Miriste valley is between Zanjic valley and Miriste cape. It is the most attractive location of the Herceg Novi Riviera. A public beach located in the Mirište Cave, next to Cape Arza is a combination of concrete and sand, covering an area of 2.000 m².

The beach rises in grades forming steps separating it from the forest which creates a unique harmony with the sea. Part of the bathing beach is a restaurant where you can taste the specialties of this place.