Cities in Montenegro – all the Highlights at a Glance
Montenegro packs a remarkable variety of cities and towns into a very small space: UNESCO World Heritage sites, Venetian villages, Ottoman old towns, modern luxury resorts and authentic harbour cities. Here you’ll find every city at a glance — with the key facts and links to the full guides.
Kotor – UNESCO World Heritage Site
A medieval old town, Venetian fortress walls and the spectacular Bay of Kotor. The most visited place in Montenegro — and rightly so. With 1,350 steps up to San Giovanni Fortress and one of the most beautiful sunsets on the Adriatic.
Old Town
Fortress
90 min from Budva
Budva – Montenegro’s Most Vibrant Coastal City
Montenegro’s oldest coastal city, with a picturesque old town, Mogren Beach right on the doorstep and the liveliest nightlife in the country. The perfect base for day trips in every direction.
Beaches
Nightlife
Central location
Perast – Venetian Jewel of the Bay
Little more than a handful of baroque palaces, a waterfront promenade and two islands in the water. Perast is the most romantic and peaceful place in all of Montenegro — and the church on the man-made island of Gospa od Škrpjela is an absolute must.
Two Islands
Baroque
90 min from Budva
Herceg Novi – City of Flowers at the Bay’s Entrance
Three fortresses, a 6 km seafront promenade, the Igalo health resort and the mildest climate on the entire coast. Widely overlooked — but one of Montenegro’s most charming towns, especially outside peak season.
Igalo Resort
Promenade
2 hrs from Budva
Sveti Stefan – Montenegro’s Most Iconic Island
The most photographed image in Montenegro: the medieval island town connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway. Today a luxury hotel (Aman), but the beaches in front are public — pink sand, turquoise water.
Pink Sand
Luxury
30 min from Budva
Bar – Ruins, Europe’s Oldest Olive Tree & Ferry to Italy
Beyond the harbour lies the ruined medieval town of Stari Bar and Europe’s oldest olive tree (over 2,000 years old). Authentic, unglamorous and all the more worth a visit for it. The ferry to Bari in Italy also departs from here.
Olive Tree
Ferry to Italy
1 hr from Budva
Petrovac – Quiet Coastal Village with a Venetian Castle
Petrovac is what Budva was 30 years ago: quiet, family-friendly, with a lovely small beach, a Venetian castle and pine trees reaching right down to the sea. Perfect for anyone escaping the high-season crowds.
Families
Castle
40 min from Budva
Luštica Bay – Montenegro’s New Luxury Destination
The Chedi Hotel, a marina for 115 yachts, Montenegro’s first golf course and 5 km of coastal path. Luštica Bay is no ordinary resort — it is a brand-new town rising from nothing, and already impressive.
Chedi Hotel
Golf
Marina
Ulcinj – Where the Orient Meets the Adriatic
Montenegro’s southernmost city has an Albanian character, an Ottoman fortress, a 13 km Long Beach and the river island of Ada Bojana. Completely different from every other coastal town — wilder, more authentic, more affordable and home to the best sunset in the country.
Ada Bojana
Fortress
1.5 hrs from Budva
Podgorica – the Capital City
Not a classic tourist destination — but with the Ottoman old quarter Stara Varoš, the striking Millennium Bridge and a lively café culture, it’s well worth half a day. The ideal starting point for the Skadar Lake, Cetinje and Ostrog Monastery.
Stara Varoš
Half day
50 min from Budva
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