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Herceg Novi
The City of Flowers and Fortresses
The City of Flowers and Fortresses
Forte Mare (Fortica; €2; open daily; upper town) is Herceg Novi’s main fortress — a 14th-century Spanish-era coastal fortification with panoramic views of the bay entrance, the Arza island fortress, and on clear days the Boka bay stretching east to Kotor. The old town (Stari Grad) below is a compact maze of stairs, arched lanes, and flowering bougainvillea that earns Herceg Novi its title as “the city of flowers.”
💡 The Kanli Kula fortress (Bloody Tower; €2; above the market square) is the Ottoman-era companion to Forte Mare and has an excellent open-air theatre used for summer events. The roof terrace gives the finest views of the old town rooftops.
The Arza Fortress (accessible only by private boat or water taxi from the Herceg Novi quay; €5–10 one-way; a 15-minute crossing) sits on a small rocky island at the exact entrance of the Bay of Kotor. Built by the Venetians in 1382 and reinforced by the Ottoman and Spanish rulers, it is the most strategically dramatic fortress in Montenegro — the only structure standing between the open Adriatic and the inner bay.
💡 Arrange a water taxi from the Herceg Novi promenade (ask at the quayside; negotiate €10–15 return including waiting time). The island is uninhabited; bring water and sunscreen. Combined with the cliff below the Forte Mare for the finest bay-entrance panorama.
Savina Monastery (free; 1km east of the old town along the coastal path; founded 1030 AD, rebuilt 17th century) is the finest Orthodox monastery on the Adriatic coast — a double-church complex of the Great Savina and Little Savina churches in a pine and cypress garden directly above the bay. The frescoed iconostasis of the Great Savina church (17th century; gold leaf) is outstanding.
💡 The coastal path from the old town to Savina (1km; 15 minutes; flat) passes under pine trees along the bay — one of the most pleasant short walks on the Montenegrin coast. Visit at 8am before tourist groups arrive.
Igalo (2km west of Herceg Novi; walking distance or bus €1) is home to the Igalo Medical Institute — one of the most established thalassotherapy and medical spa facilities in southeastern Europe, operating since 1949 on the unique therapeutic peloid (black healing mud) extracted from the bay. Day treatments (from €15; bookable at reception) are available without a full residential programme.
💡 The Igalo Medical Institute’s public beach is free and the peloid mud pool (natural black mud on the shoreline) is a genuine oddity — something between a natural spa and a natural wonder. Wear old swimming clothes that you don’t mind the mud staining.
Herceg Novi’s finest dining is in the Topla neighbourhood east of the old town, where family-run konobas serve fresh bay fish at prices 30–40% below the Stari Grad tourist restaurants: branzino from €12/kg, black risotto from €9, and grilled cephalopods from €10. The old town’s cafes on the main clock tower square (Trg Nikole Đurišića) are good for morning coffee and afternoon wine. The Igalo end of the promenade has more local konobas at lower prices than the waterfront strip immediately below the old town.
9am: Old Town walk (Stari Grad; free; 1h). Forte Mare fortress (€2; 30 min). Kanli Kula rooftop view (€2; 15 min). Walk east to Savina Monastery (15 min coastal path; free; 30 min). Return for lunch at Topla neighbourhood fish restaurant (€12–18). Afternoon: Igalo Medical Institute day treatment (€15; book on arrival). Evening: aperitivo in the old town.
9am: Drive or taxi to Kamenari ferry (€4.50 per car; 3-min crossing). Drive to Kotor (20 min). Old Town walk (2h). Lunch in Kotor. Drive to Perast (15 min north of Kotor). Our Lady of the Rocks boat (€5). Return ferry to Herceg Novi for evening dinner.
The Bay of Kotor has only one road around its entire perimeter, which means the drive from Herceg Novi to Kotor the “long way” takes 55 minutes.
The Herceg Novi Mimosa Festival (Zima u Herceg Novom; February; typically the 3rd week) transforms the old town with mimosa flowers when the rest of the Mediterranean is still grey and cold.
The old town staircase from the main market square (Trg Nikole Đurišića) up to the Kanli Kula fortress (10 minutes; free walkway) passes the densest concentration of flowering plants, bougainvillea, wisteria, and roses in any Montenegrin town &mdash.
Local tour boats (€15–25 per person; daily departures from the Herceg Novi quay in summer; ask at the tourist board on Trg Nikole Đurišića) offer 3–4 hour bay tours including Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks, and Kotor approach by sea.
The Topla neighbourhood between the old town and Savina Monastery has a waterfront of family-run restaurants serving fresh fish from the bay at significantly lower prices than the Stari Grad tourist restaurants.
Herceg Novi has fewer hotel beds than Budva or Kotor and fills faster than either in both peak summer and for the February festival.
GPS navigation for Montenegro’s coastal roads and mountain passes. Live traffic alerts for the Bay of Kotor approach road in summer.
Free
Download the Montenegro offline map before departure. Reliable coverage of all coastal towns and mountain routes.
Free
Book boat trips, Old Town tours, and day excursions from any Montenegrin city. Peak-season slots sell out weeks ahead.
Free
Affordable Montenegro eSIM for 4G data from arrival. Avoids expensive roaming on the coastal road and in the Bay.
Free
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