Attractions in Herceg Novi

The Clock Tower above a stone passage and the Church of St. Michael the Archangel on Belavista mark two levels of the Old Town. Nikola Djurkovic Square lies below the tower, while on the higher Herceg Stjepan Square, known as Belavista, the church and fountain stand among stone houses. The stairs between the squares explain why these nearby places do not share a flat pedestrian area at the same level.

On the lower square, the clock and the opening of the town gate draw the eye. On Belavista, the church occupies the middle of a smaller space. You can see its dome, bell tower and carved stone facade from the square without entering the interior. Streets branching off around it continue between old houses, so you are exploring a preserved townscape here, as well as an individual monument.

Forte Mare stands on a rock immediately above the sea, with high stone walls over the town's waterfront. The harbour and the entrance to the bay are visible from the fortress, while the promenade below shows clearly how the rock and ramparts together protect the seaward approach to the Old Town. The walls beside the water and the view from their top are the main reasons for this visit.

The fortress was extended under different rulers, so its present appearance is not the work of one builder or one period. Its former defensive role can be understood from its position above the shore. The space for audiences reveals its later purpose. In 1952 it was adapted for open-air screenings, and film and other cultural events still use its walls. Exploring the fortress and attending an evening screening therefore offer two different experiences of the same place, with separate times and admission conditions.

Kanli kula is a fortress on the higher, northern edge of the Old Town, with an open-air stage and rows of audience seating within its walls. From here, you look across the town's rooftops towards the bay, from a greater height than at the waterfront fortress. Inside the fortress, the auditorium layout also draws attention: stone walls surround the space where audiences gather.

Before it hosted cultural events, Kanli kula served in the town's defence and as a prison. Its massive walls and enclosed courtyard therefore have a history different from the stage you find today. Turning the fortification into a performance venue did not remove its basic structure, so while visiting you can compare the fortress with its later layout for events.

The Mirko Komnenovic City Museum occupies a stone house with a garden in Topla. Its collections include amphorae (large ceramic vessels) and other archaeological finds, icons from the Bay of Kotor, historical documents, and objects from life in the town and surrounding villages. A visit is especially interesting if you want to look beyond the view of the bay and see what has been found or preserved along its shores.

Amphorae and items from ships' cargoes tell of trade across the Mediterranean, while stone fragments retain traces of earlier buildings. The icon collection includes work by the Dimitrijevic-Rafailovic icon-painting school of the Bay of Kotor, linking Risan with the wider bay area. Ethnological material brings you closer to how objects were used in the home and in everyday life, while maritime connections also appear in gifts that people brought from other parts of the world. The museum opened to the public in 1953. The available rooms and displayed selection should be distinguished from the institution's total holdings.

At the house of Nobel laureate Ivo Andric, photographs show the writer on the terrace, in the garden, on the town's waterfront and during excursions around the bay. The exhibition in the Topla house thus connects a well-known literary figure with the places where he spent time in Herceg Novi. It is particularly interesting to compare the photographed scenes with the house and garden before you.

Andric lived here with his wife, Milica Babic, from 1963 to 1968. The permanent ground-floor exhibition, 'Andriceve novske staze, lica, predjeli', presents that stay, while the upstairs photographs cover his literary work, Nobel Prize and diplomatic years. Today's rooms have been arranged for an exhibition, so they should not be imagined as the untouched interior of his former home. In the restored garden, plants were selected according to a list Andric left, and the courtyard also hosts cultural events.

The Josip Bepo Benkovic Gallery in the Old Town is named after the Herceg Novi painter whose paintings and drawings it holds in its collection. The institution was established after the Art School closed, continuing the town's artistic tradition. Artists represented in the collection also include Ivan Lucev, Milena Sotra and Anton Lukateli.

A visit does not mean you will see every work in the collection. Exhibitions change in the gallery rooms, so look for the artist and theme of the display announced for your arrival date. This sets it apart from the City Museum run by the same institution: objects in the museum house in Topla tell of regional heritage, while the gallery in the centre focuses on visual art from a selected exhibition programme.

Boka Park is a terraced park in the centre of Herceg Novi, with tall palms, a wisteria-covered arbour and a fountain featuring a sculpture of the goddess of hunting. Plantings and stone park features are arranged on a slope, opening views towards the bay from different levels. Its distinctive feature is the combination of a garden of exotic plants and small terraces within the built-up town.

The park was laid out beside the former Boka Hotel, hence its older name, 'Boka Hotel Park'. The hotel was damaged in the earthquake, and the park remains recognisable by its terraces and planted greenery. The arbour in its centre provides shelter, and the fountain contains a sculpture of the goddess of hunting by Petar Palavicini. The stone sculpture and landscaped garden recall the former hotel grounds, although the hotel building is no longer there.

Savina Monastery brings together two neighbouring churches of the Dormition of the Mother of God and the monastery residence among tall trees east of the centre of Herceg Novi. The large church with its bell tower and the smaller building beside it differ in scale and appearance. Iconostases and wall paintings survive behind their stone facades. The visit is interesting for both architecture and church art when viewing the interiors is permitted.

The large church was built in the second half of the eighteenth century. Its iconostasis, a screen bearing icons, was made by Simeon Lazovic and his son Aleksije, combining traditional depictions with Baroque design. Several layers of frescoes have been uncovered in the small church, while its iconostasis consists of parts from different periods. The two neighbouring buildings therefore do not represent the same period or the same artistic work.

Skver is the town harbour below the Old Town, with vessels, berths and a view of houses rising above the waterfront. Pet Danica Promenade passes the harbour and continues along the sea, so here you see Herceg Novi from water level. The sight of boats at the foot of the stone townscape differs from the views down from the fortresses.

Sightseeing in the harbour overlaps with the waterfront's working use: some space serves passersby, while the piers and individual berths serve vessels. The promenade therefore gives you an overview of the harbour without implying that you can approach every boat or board it. For boat trips, reservations and other things to do at sea, see activities in Herceg Novi.