Montenegro and Budva have become prime summer destination for Europeans in the last few years. Mediterranean coast, medieval flavor and Italianate feeling are perfect words that describe this small city.
Aside from enjoyment in exciting night life and beautiful beaches, Budva will take you on an incredible journey throughout history. Budva is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic coast, over 2,500 years old. With its perfect location, settled inside a small peninsula, part of the black Montenegrin Mountains have safely guarded one of the most beautiful Christian settlements and definitely the most amazing churches in this part of Europe.
Budva is located in the center of the Adriatic coast and very close to all of the Montenegrin natural beauties. From here you will find it incredibly easy to plan and visit all significant cites in Montenegro and even in Croatia. So if you decide to enjoy the magical scenery in this part of Europe, Budva is your place to stay.
Where to stay
Budva is a small city. You can easily reach all parts of the city by public transport which is well organized, but during high season overcrowded, so organize your stay on personal preferences. You can choose from staying on high ground on the peninsula where it is mostly quiet or in the busy and vivid Old town, understandably because of the attractive nightlife. The best option is to stay near the Old town of Budva which can be costly, however it offers unimaginable scenery.
What to do
Visit the medieval Old town Budva with its charming streets, squares and churches. Walk along the promenade or refresh on the numerous beaches. If you are looking for something unusual and luxury, visit the resort town on the peninsula Sveti Stefan, former fisherman village. Hiking on the mountains along the Riviera of Budva offers you breathtaking view to the small settlements, especially when the sun goes down.
Budva is situated in the centre of the Montenegrin coast, easy to get around in the region from here. Podgorica airport is just one hour drive. And if you don’t want to go too far you can always enjoy spontaneously one of one day excursions throughout Montenegro, like "Boka bay" or the breathtaking "Skadar Lake" tour.
Nightlife in Budva
There is mainly one street, the main walkway area, where all the action happens. Budva’s nightlife is spectacular. Most of the international parties are in July and August, when Budva is visited by International DJ's. Beach parties are popular in this part of the season, so for a calmer vacation it is recommended to choose the low season. You will find plenty of clubs that play pop, rock, house, techno or rave music. For older generations some clubs, bars and restaurants offering live gigs and karaoke is also very popular and funny to watch while the Montenegrin showing up.
Najpoznatiju autentičnu legendu o postanku Budve iznosi Stefan Vizantinac (VI v.) prenoseći navode Filona iz Biblosa iz II vijeka nove ere, a vezuje je za mitsku ličnost Kadma, herosa iz Beotije i osnivača grada Tebe, sina feničanskog kralja Agenora i kraljice Telefase.
Kadmo je napustio zavičaj tražeći svoju sestru Europu koju je oteo Zevs. U toj potrazi boravio je u mnogim grčkim gradovima, da bi se po naredbi Delfijskog proročišta skrasio u Beoti i tu osnovao čuvenu Tebu kojom je dugo vladao. Bogovi su mu ovdje za ženu dali Harmoniju, ćerku boga Aresa i Afrodite.
U dubokoj starosti supružnici su prognani iz Tebe i na volovskoj zaprezi se uputili u zemlju Enhelejaca, gdje su osnovali novi grad – Budvu (Bouthoe).
Po predanju Budva je i dobila ime po volovima koji su doveli Kadma i Harmoniju u ove krajeve (grčki: bous – vo).
Enhelejcima je prorečeno da će pobjediti svoje susjede Ilire ako za vođu izaberu Kadma. Pošto su tako i učinili, predvođjeni Kadmom pobjedili su Ilire i zagospodarili njihovom zemljom.
Harmonija je ovdje Kadmu rodila sina Ilirija, a pred smrt su zbog ubistva zmaja-Aresovog sina, po kazni bogova, pretvoreni u zmije sa karakterističnim plavim pjegama. Njihov grob se, po predanju, nalazi negdje na prostoru Boke Kotorske ili Drača.