The fortress walls of the Old Town of Budva are opened for visitors

The fortress walls around the Old Town of Budva opened for visitors on April 17, 2019.

The price of admission is 2 euros. The ticket price also includes a brochure on the history of the Old Town of Budva and the fortress wall, which interested visitors can receive in English, Russian, Serbian/Montenegrin, and later in German.

According to the organization “Museums and galleries of Budva”, which controls this fortress, you can visit the fortress wall of Budva every day from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and from June this historical monument will be open to the public until 28:00 pm.

The old town of Budva is one of the oldest urban centers on the Adriatic, which is more than 2500 years old. Some archaeological finds indicate that the city was founded in the 6th century BC. It is also assumed that in a slightly different form, the fortress walls of the Old Town of Budva emerged in the early Byzantine period between the 6th and 9th centuries. However, their current appearance is largely the result of the intervention of the Venetian Republic from the 15th to the 18th century AD, which confirms the presence in the city of a large bas-relief with a coat of arms in the form of a winged lion as a symbol of St. Mark, the patron saint of Venice.

During the rule of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, repairs were also carried out on the walls of the Old Town of Budva. The citadel, as a separate fortification within the Old City, was of particular importance during the period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in whose territory, apart from wells, houses and military units, there were secret underground passages and ammunition depots. The citadel, as a separate building, was fully equipped so that in the event of a siege of the city, people had everything they needed to survive.

On the fortress walls of Budva there are three observation towers with loopholes and machicles (mounted loopholes) - openings that were used for pouring boiling oil or water on enemy invaders.

The current appearance of the fortress walls of the Old Town of Budva is the result of stormy historical events that occurred on this land. In addition to various wars, the fortress and the city of Budva suffered significant damage during a fire that occurred in 1667 and a large earthquake that shook the city in 1979. In addition, the fortress walls were repaired and reconstructed in different eras.