Ulcinj: Old Town, Olive Grove and Nature Experiences
Accommodation in Ulcinj
Ulcinj combines a historic Old Town with distinctive landscapes and a range of ways to explore the surrounding area. If you want to combine nature, culture and activities by the water on your holiday, you’ll find several themes here to shape your trip around. Which holiday apartment in Ulcinj is right for you also depends on which of these aspects of the destination you’d like to focus on.
Die historische Altstadtfestung von Ulcinj auf einem Küstenvorsprung.
Photo: Mjuzikxhankej via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
History in the Old Town
The Old Town of Ulcinj was protected as a cultural heritage site of national importance in 1961. Its layout reflects different functions: at the top is the area dominated by the citadel, with a military character, and below it lies the civilian settlement. Fortification walls surround the Old Town. A visit offers the chance to take in the area’s layout and historic character.
The history of individual buildings also reflects the city’s transformation. The Church of St. Mary was built in 1510 and converted into a mosque in 1571. The Church-Mosque now houses the Ulcinj City Museum. For travellers interested in history and culture, the protected Old Town and a museum in a historic building complement each other. Kruche is also home to the remains of a medieval fortress and a small single-nave church dating from the 12th to 13th century.
Olive Grove, Lake and Bojana Delta
One distinctive landscape is the olive grove of Valdanos. It is home to around 18,000 olive trees, which are an average of 800 years old; the grove is under special state protection. The scale and great average age of the trees make the olive grove a striking destination for anyone who wants to discover Ulcinj’s landscapes as well as its urban history. During the harvest, visitors may be able to take part in olive picking.
Valdanos also has a 376-metre-long beach that has been declared a natural monument. Activities associated with the area include walking, swimming, diving, cycling, boat trips and fishing. This variety gives you different themes to consider when planning your trip—from time by the water to getting active and exploring. In the historic town of Shas, 85-metre-high Shas Hill lies north of Lake Shas. It offers views of the lake and the entire Bojana Delta. The ruins of around ten ancient churches have been found in Shas, including St. John’s and St. Mary’s.
Activities and Local Experiences
At Velika Plazha, the Mistral is an essential requirement for kitesurfing. If you’re interested in the sport, you can make it one of the main focuses of your trip. Another nature-focused option is the Ulcinj Salina, with infrastructure that is important for birdwatching. For a more leisurely walk, there is Pine Wood: the walking area starts at Small Beach and stretches eastwards. This means different interests can go hand in hand without requiring the same kind of holiday.
Special places by the water are also part of Ulcinj’s character. Ladies’ Beach has sulphur-rich mineral springs in its shallower waters. FKK Ada Bojana is a nudist settlement on the triangular Paradise Island. If Ada Bojana is part of your travel plans, the bus service between Ada Bojana and Ulcinj is a useful point of reference; buses connect the two places.
Discover Local Culture and Other Places
Culinary experiences include wine cellars in Ulcinj, where visitors can stop by and taste local wine. This offers a way to add a local food-and-drink experience to your trip. If you’re especially interested in olives, you can keep the possibility of taking part in the harvest in mind as a seasonal idea; it depends on the harvest season.
For your further search, you can also explore the subregions of Ulcinj, Kunje, Utjeha-Bušat, Sveti Nikola, Doni Štoj, Mala Gorana and Bratica.
For the broader travel overview: Montenegro.
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