Although not the most spectacular city in Montenegro (Kotor takes that prize), Herceg Novi is probably the most pleasant and warrants several days' visit. The city is particularly a good alternative to the very touristy Dubrovnik in Croatia. The cities have similar architecture but Herceg Novi is neither as grand nor as touristy and expensive. Herceg Novi translates into English as "New Castle".
Understand
[edit]Herceg Novi is a very popular destination for tourists from the neighbouring Serbia, and, to a lesser extent from Russia. In spite of this tourist boom, the city has managed to some extent to keep the traditional slow Montenegrin lifestyle. The locals are very welcoming and you are never annoyed by street vendors.
A sizeable Bosnian (Serb) refugee population flooded into Herceg Novi during the war years. Many of the camps are still around although they have been turned into more permanent (and quite nice) settlements. You can still see them on the bus as you leave the city. Also if you go for a wander up into the hills you will come into whole new areas of construction resulting from a property boom.
The Financial Times in 2007 listed Montenegro as one of world's 10 top property hotspots and foreign buyers have been snapping up properties on the coast.
Get in
[edit]Bus is the only form of public transport in/out of Herceg Novi, and the bus station (located in the centre of town, up the hill) is busy all day long with buses heading (mostly) down the Adriatic coast. There is a regular bus service to Herceg Novi (and further to other Montenegrin cities) from main bus station in Dubrovnik, which runs several times a day. It costs €11 (October 2017) and takes about one hour. There are also regular buses to Kotor, Budva, Bar and Podgorica. Some buses go as far as to Beograd. There are also a couple of buses a day going to Trebinje in Bosnia under an hour.
If Herceg Novi is your main destination, a pleasant alternative to bus travel is hiring a Croat cab from Dubrovnik airport (Cilipi) for about €50; this trip takes about 40 minutes, including border crossings.
There is no rail or ferry access into the town.
Get around
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On foot as the city is not big. There are also regular public transport buses but you'll need to check those at the bus station. The nicest by far is to walk on the seafront (where the railway used to go) and scale the stairs where you need to.
Along the waterfront runs a 7 km long promenade, pedestrianised, with over 100 souvenir shops and restaurants dotted alongside. It runs from 1 Melinje near Lazure Beach to the east, to 2 Blatna Beach to the west, just south of Igalo.
See
[edit]The main attraction of Herceg Novi is the old town (stari grad) that is remarkably well preserved. Built as an outpost city on the flank of a fairly steep hill, there are wandering stairs leading all the way down to the sea. The two defensive structures of the old town, Forte Mare at the waterfront and Kanli Kula on the hill, are both worth visiting, and having a €4 entrance ticket for one entitles you to a 50% discount to the other.
- 1 Forte Mare, ☏ +382 31 322 004. 09:00-20:30 daily. Built in 1382, the fortress is the main attraction of this town. It regularly shows films at night.
- 2 Kanli Kula. This fortress dominating the old town and doubles as an open-air theatre, worth visiting mainly for the splendid views of the town and the Kotor bay. €4.
- 3 Fort Španjola (Форт Шпањола). The Spanjola fortress higher up the mountain (170 m above sea level) dates back to 16th century. Take a small street going upwards across from the Kanli Kula fortress. Entrance is free and you can freely climb (and fall from) the walls.
- 4 Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos (Crkva rođenja presvete Bogorodice). Cultural heritage site of Montenegro, built in 1783.
- 5 Church of the Holy Savior (Црква Светог Спаса). 18th century church.
- 6 Saint Michael the Archangel church. The most prominent church in the historic centre, in eclectic architectural style.
- 7 Sea caves. 24/7. These caves were eroded into the cliff face by tidal forces, and now large enough for a car to drive in. With water levels presently lower than they were historically, the caves no longer flood even during high tide, and now provide shade and a cool breeze for swimmers. Free.
- 8 Church of St. Jerome. Baroque church on a quiet square in the south-east of the old town.
- 9 Submarine pens (submarine tunnels). 24/7. A legacy of the Yugoslav Navy, these two submarine pens were designed to provide shelter to a submarine guarding Kotor Bay. The deep bay in combination with calm waters offers ideal naval conditions for submarine defences. The pen entrance has iron struts covered with styrofoam that could swing towards each other to close off the entrance and camouflage the location by making it look like a scree slope fro the air. Laying in ambush, submarines would then wait for enemy ships to pass by on their way to Kotor to engage them. The pens were constructed in the 1950s but never saw battle, and their role ended when the Yugoslav Navy disbanded in 1992. The two tunnels are about 700 m apart and connected by a hiking trail. Free.
- 10 Church of the Holy Transfiguration (Црква Светог Преображења Господњег). A small Orthodox church with impressive murals. Free entrance.
- 11 Russian Cemetery (Русское кладбище в Херцег-Нови). Burial grounds for Russian Army officers who fled Russia after the 1917 formation of the Soviet Union. There is a small memorial, and a church inaugurated in 2007 to commemorate Russians who found a new homeland in Montenegro.
- 12 Savina monastery (Манастир Савина). The Savina monastery, approximately 2 km east from the city centre has three beautiful Orthodox churches and (yet again) splendid views of the bay.
- 13 Mamula Fortress. Fortress built on a small island with the same name at the entrance of Kotor Bay, that makes up about 90% of the surface area of the island. These fortifications were built in 1853 by Austro-Hungarian general Lazar Mamula to defend Kotor Bay. During the Second World War, the fortress was converted into an Alcatraz style concentration camp by Italian fascist forces lead by Benito Mussolini, but after the war it fell in disuse. Since 2016 the fortress houses a hotel.
- 14 Clock Tower. A white octagonal clock tower on the western entrance gate to the old city. The original clock was replaced with an electric one in the mid 20th century.
Do
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- Swimming - The city has some great pebble and many concrete beaches, although most of them are quite crowded during high season (see photo). There is a path that leads along the beach part of the city for about 3 miles. Follow it until you find a place that is suitable for you. Many small privately owned beaches have loungers, small boats, and other gear for hire.
- Mud therapy - At the western end of the promenade is a small spa town of Igalo, renowned across Europe for healing properties of its muddy, mildly radioactive sand. A health and hospital centre complex offers mud therapy combined with other treatments, but you can do it yourself by following the locals and wading through the sand. Apply the muddy sand all over your body, or on affected parts, and combine with gentle exercise and sunbathing for best effects. This is believed to be beneficial for rheumatic complaints, skin disorders, and gynecological problems.
- People watching - Along the promenade, the main square in the Old Town, and almost everywhere else around town, there are about hundred small cafes with tables conveniently positioned for this popular local pastime. All serve good coffee (Italian style) and many also offer a selection of freshly made and delicious cakes and ice creams.
- Hiking - Going from the bus station up towards the hills you can find some wonderful ancient stone paths that lead up to some very rural communities. The paths are not marked and not very visible but if you wander along any road for a mile or so and keep an eye on the vegetation you should find one. Either way take a 5- to 6.5-km walk up into the hills (whether you find the paths or not).
- Mountaineering - Get in touch with Herceg Novi based mountaineering society "Subra[dead link]" if you are serious about mountain sports in some of the most beautiful and unspoiled mountains in Europe.
- Diving - there are a few scuba diving operators along the beach that offer dives to sunk ships, caves and even the Yugoslav army's submarine tunnels.
- 1 Nude beach. 24/7. Pebble beach near the sea caves where locals tend to show more skin than on the opposite shoreline. There are toilets at the western end but no other amenities. Free.
- 2 Film Festival. Films screened in the Kanli Kula fortress.
- 3 Sunčane Skale. Music festival
- 4 Jadran. Olympic swimming pool at the waterfront.
Buy
[edit]Italian-made clothes in Old Town and Igalo boutiques are reasonably priced up-to-minute fashions. Not great for local arts and crafts, which are available in Kotor and Budva. Go to local market just off the main square in the Old Town on Saturday morning to buy fresh fruit (sweet and cheap), olive oil, sheep and goats cheese, dried figs, locally made wine; this market sells seasonal and locally produced goods, so what you find depends on the time of your visit.
Eat
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Go to small eateries around the promenade for fresh local food, grilled seafood and meat dishes, and international cuisine. Count approximately €10-12 for the main dish in a typical restaurant (grilled high-quality fish is more expensive). Almost all cafes serve pizza which is usually well-made. Follow the locals; Montenegrins are usually more picky than foreign tourists when it comes to eating out.
The Petica in the centre of the Old Town is a great place to sit, drink an espresso, or have some fairly priced pasta/pizza (€4-7). The service is very friendly and the food is delicious.
The Tri Lipe restaurant is next to the Sea Fort (Forte Mare), 20m from the beach. You eat in an open-air terrasse under three old lindens, and the service is quick and friendly. If you are on a budget, get a takeaway from the window on the side and enjoy it on a bench next to the sea.
Drink
[edit]Herceg Novi is hot in summer, and it usually stays warm late into the evenings, so cold drinks are best sellers. Iced coffee is served in tall glasses with dollops of ice cream and "slag" (fatty whipped cream) and qualifies as a full meal. Local beer made in Niksić is good; also try "spritzer" which is a refreshing mix of chilled white wine and carbonated mineral water.
Sleep
[edit]Accommodation is plentiful: Look for signs that say 'soba.' You should be able to get a room for €10 per person during the summer months.
- 1 Hotel Vila Margot.
- 2 Apartments Villa Kukoljac.
- 3 Lazure Hotel and Marina.
- 4 Tomanovic Guest House.
Go next
[edit]Half-day or full-day boat excursions along the Kotor bay or to a specific destination (Kotor, Perast, Ostrog monastery) leave from different points on the beach.
| Routes through Herceg Novi |
  Cavtat ←  Debeli Brijeg/Karasovići ←
|
W  E
|
→ Perast → Budva |