Budva, Miločer and Sveti Stefan by car from Tivat

Praskvica was the spiritual, political and educational centre of the Paštrovići, a community of villages and settlements along this part of the coast. A charter issued by Balša III in 1413 records a donation of land for the Church of St Nicholas. Older traditions about the monastery’s origins are not supported by that same written evidence and should be distinguished from the surviving charter.

The monastery buildings are arranged along the slope. The Church of St Nicholas, the old monastic lodging and the cemetery are on the lower level, while the Holy Trinity stands higher up, reached by steps among stone buildings and cypresses. Its frescoes from 1681 are among the older surviving layers of the complex.

Praskvica also had a school, so the monastery served the education of the local population. The Church of St Nicholas and the archive were severely damaged by the French in 1812. Restoration of the church was completed in 1856, and the complex suffered damage again in the 1979 earthquake. A visit today reveals a monastery rebuilt several times while retaining its connection to the life of the Paštrovići.

Miločer was developed in the 1930s as a summer residence for Yugoslavia’s Karađorđević royal family. A park was created beside the residential buildings, supplementing native Mediterranean plants with species from other regions. The greenery around the villa is a landscape designed for the royal family’s stays, rather than a leftover stretch of undeveloped coast. Villa Miločer now belongs to the Aman hotel complex.

Cedars, eucalyptus trees and mimosas are among the species that set this walk apart from the surrounding seaside settlements. Beneath the tree canopy, the path alternates between sheltered stretches and openings towards the sea. Views of the villa and bays show how the residence, garden and shore were conceived together, making the park worth visiting even without entering the building.

Sveti Stefan began as a fortified Paštrovići settlement, with stone houses and churches on an island joined to the mainland by a strip of land. The compact arrangement of buildings and protective outer walls can still be seen from the shore. Its coastal position explains why it was both a place to live and a defensive stronghold for the local community.

The settlement was named after the Church of St Stephen. It was also a meeting place for the Bankada, a council of Paštrovići representatives that made decisions and settled disputes. The houses above the sea therefore preserve the image of a place that had an administrative role in the surrounding area, alongside the everyday lives of its residents.

The old houses were converted into hotel accommodation in the mid-20th century, and the hotel town opened in 1960. The settlement’s recognisable form remained while its purpose changed. Today, its inner streets and squares can be visited on a seasonal guided tour when the operator confirms a time slot for the arrival date. From the mainland shore, you can see the walls, houses and connecting strip of land, without a promise of entry to the hotel complex.

Budva’s old town is a core of stone streets and houses enclosed by walls beside the sea. The bell tower of St John rises above the roofs, the Holy Trinity has a contrasting domed form, and Santa Maria in Punta and St Sava stand along the seaward edge. The squares between them offer views of the buildings beyond the narrow passages.

At the Budva Town Museum, the ancient past takes shape through objects and surviving traces. The Greek-Illyrian helmet shows the equipment of warriors of the period, while pottery, jewellery and glass vessels from the necropolis reveal burial customs and the objects placed with the dead. The surviving Roman street beneath the museum building connects the display to the ground on which the town stands. On an upper floor, the ethnographic collection presents later coastal life through clothing and household objects.

The Citadel occupies the raised southern end of the old town. Kaštel Fortress is first mentioned in 1425, and later changes left the remains of the Church of St Mary, terraces and barracks from the Austrian period. The library holds books and old maps. The open parts of the fortress overlook Sveti Nikola Island, showing the relationship between the town’s defensive position and the sea.

The town walls have a separate walkway. From it, you can see the arrangement of roofs and church squares within the walls, as well as the coast outside them. The Citadel and town walls are adjacent, but they are two different visitor areas. Visiting one does not replace the other.

Mogren consists of two neighbouring bays west of Budva’s old town. Cliffs and greenery enclose them on the landward side, while fine sand and pebbles slope towards the sea. A passage through the rock connects the bays.

The walking approach beside Hotel Avala follows the foot of the cliffs. Along the way, views open back towards the old town walls and then towards the first beach. From here, Budva is seen from the seaward side, complementing the view from the walls.