Herceg Novi: Guide To A Small, Charming Coastal Town In Montenegro

Getting around Herceg Novi, the coastal town

What you won’t forget any time soon once you visit this gem on Boka Bay are its 100,001 stairs! You’ve read it correctly, don’t doubt your eyesight. Although it’s highly unlikely that you’ll need to climb all of them, you should be physically and mentally prepared.

Professional sportsmen aren’t the only ones, though, who come to visit this jewel of the Montenegrin coast. There are a couple of spots where you can recover your strength on your way from the base to the top of Herceg Novi, and the most convenient is Herceg Stefan square, also known as Belavista, because of its exceptional panoramic views. The square features a couple of bars, confectionery shops and the Saint Archangel Michael’s Church from the 19th century.

Stumble upon an open air botanic garden

As you advance upwards or downwards, take a peek into flanking alleyways and streets. You’ll discover a wide variety of plant species that were brought overseas throughout centuries by local seafarers. This practice created an open air botanic garden out of a once significant fortified town and seaport.

Explore architectural gems of Herceg Novi

During its history, Herceg Novi was occupied by various European superpowers, with the Turks, Spaniards and Austrians leaving the largest imprint on its architecture. Kanli Kula, Spanjola Fortress, Sahat Kula and Forte Mare precede all others in the overall significance and monumentality.

Kanli Kula, meaning the “Bloody Tower” in Turkish, towers above Herceg Novi, offering the most engaging panoramic views of the town (refer to the accompanying photo). The tower was built in 1539 to serve primarily as a prison. The walls of the cell are carved, depicting war galleys resembling those used by the Turks. These are probably carved by unlucky prisoners, serving their time here. Today, the tower is a setting of a prestigious summertime festival Suncane Skale (which could be translated as Sunny Stairs, implying to Herceg Novi’s endless stairways), with probably the most beautiful summer theatre on the Adriatic Sea.

Learn history of the Spanjola Fortress

Spanjola Fortress, whose name refers to the Spaniards, was erected during the first Turkish reign over Herceg Novi (1469 – 1538), but got its name during the one-year Spanish interruption (1538 – 1539), when it was reconstructed. After the reconquest, the Turks had it modified and today the Spanjola Fortress’s features are mostly Oriental. The fortress had an especially significant role in 1806, when Montenegrin and Russian troops locked themselves into it and defended the town and its area against the French advance.

Learn history of the oldest remaining fort of Herceg Novi

Forte Mare, or the Sea Fort, is the oldest remaining fortification of Herceg Novi, commissioned in the 14th century, during the reign of the Bosnian noblemen. Coats of arms that belonged to most powerful families are carved in the stone within the walls. Forte Mare towers over the seaport and the coast, and if you don’t mind climbing a little more, you can reach its top through the doors at its base.

Clock Tower of Herceg Novi

The Clock Tower (Sahat Kula) used to be the main entrance into Herceg Novi during the Turkish reign, and is a recognizable feature of the Turkish architecture. The town’s gate featured a drawbridge, and on the left side of the entrance is an Arabic inscription, honoring the Clock Tower’s main constructor. In the middle of the passageway, you can see a statue of the Virgin Mary, made of burnt wood, called the “Black Virgin”. The third significant memorial is devoted to Herceg Novi’s founder, Tvrtko I Kotromanic (1338 – 1391).