Tivat

The city of Tivat is located on the shore of the Kotor bay, on Vrmac peninsula. For many travelers, it is the place of acquaintance with the country, because here is the nearest airport to the coast. Insanely quiet and cozy town, located almost on a flat terrain, which is ideal for rest with little children.
 

History of the city

The history of Tivat begins around the 3rd century BC, when the first Illyrian settlement appeared here. There are several versions explaining the name of the city. One of them connects Tivat with the name of the militant Illyrian queen Teuta, who supposedly had possessions in these places, while the capital of her state was located nearby - in Risan.

Like Kotor bay, Tivat experienced the Illyrian, Roman-Byzantine, Serbian, Venetian-Turkish and Austrian periods. During the Serbian rule, which began in 1185, the city was part of the medieval state of Nemanjic. And in the XIII century on the nearby island Prevlaka, a monastery dedicated to St. Archangel Michael was being built, where Saint Sava, the founder of Serbian Orthodox Church, moved the residence of Zet Metropolitans, which made Tivat a significant religious center.

With the arrival of the Venetians, Tivat, like most other settlements in Montenegro, became part of the Venetian Albania. Three centuries later, with the fall of the Venetian Republic, power here often changed: together with Boka, Tivat belonged first to France, then to Austria-Hungary, in the early 1920s to Yugoslavia and only since 2006 became a part of independent Montenegro.

Attraction of the city

Having set off on a city tour from the bus station, you can start sightseeing from the main Tivat Catholic church - the church of St. Anthony of Padua, dedicated to the defender of the city. The building was made in 1734 on a hill, from where a stunning view of the entire western part of the bay commands. In the church, a valuable icon of Saints Peter and Paul is kept by the Italian master Francesco.

Closer to the sea there is a large and relatively new church of St. Sava, built between 1938 and 1967. It is an operating temple.

Not far from the church of St. Sava, on the square of culture, there is Bucha's country house. This is the largest and most complex structure on the coast of the Boka bay. The palace, surrounded by greenery, is a classic example of the defensive architecture of Venice. Its age exceeds five hundred years. The palace is in the center of the city, near the port area. Built in the XVI century as a summer residence of the noble family of Buce. During the Middle Ages, the lands of Tivat were famous for their fertility, and most of them belonged to the patrician families of the neighboring town of Kotor. The palace was built by order of the Buce brothers (Michael and Nikola), who served in the royal diplomatic corps. The palace was originally conceived in a castle style. Then on this territory the attacks of the Ottoman troops were possible, and the palace served as a defensive fortification. At the end of the XVIII century the estate was bought by M. Luković, and a hundred years later his heirs gave a part of the buildings to the city for the needs of the Arsenal. The structure of the architectural complex includes a dwelling house, a defensive tower, a garden, a family chapel, various outbuildings. The territory is surrounded by masonry walls. The entrance is blocked by a powerful gate.

A tower was the first thing to build here (1548). It was it which performed the protective function. On a special wooden balcony there was a guard. The author of the tower was the architect Vikenty. Later a gazebo and a chapel of St. Michael appeared there. They were decorated in baroque style with an abundance of decorative details and stone columns at the entrance. The residential building acquired its modern appearance after the following rebuilding in the 19th century. The house adjoined the tower from the south. In the twentieth century. In the gap between the buildings and the bay, a summer theater was created in the center of the garden. The palace is also a part of the Cultural Center of Tivat, it is equipped with a cinema and a theater room.

If you are not a big fan of ancient and religious buildings, take a stroll along the embankment. Many boats and yachts are moored here, as well as many cafes with snack bars. Turning around the natural bay and coming to the city beach, move further to the right along the sea, and you will get to the luxurious complex of Porto Montenegro.

Lifehack: such a number of yachts is due to the fact that in Porto Montenegro, at the beginning of the berth construction, parking prices were lowered, and yachts from other elite European resorts, including France and Croatia, were docked here.

It was erected on the site of the military seaport Arsenal on the initiative of Canadian businessman Peter Munch. "Porto Montenegro" is a unique marina of the Adriatic Sea for the lovers of yacht-sports with a high-quality infrastructure.

Lifehack: along the promenade of Porto Montenegro, the most expensive yachts in Montenegro are moored. The yacht of the famous Russian businessman Abramovich tried to moor twice, but the length of the berth could not accommodate such a large vessel.

We recommend you to stroll along the well-groomed streets of this mini-town. There is a training center for crews, workshops for technical inspection and repair of yachts, as well as related facilities: high-end apartments, restaurants overlooking the bay, shops, a sports club.

In the center of Tivat, just behind the port, there is another place for walking - the Botanical Garden, the idea of creation of which belonged to the admiral of the Austro-Hungarian naval forces Maximilian Daublesky von Sternek. In 1892, he issued a decree according to which all captains were to bring to Tivat from distant voyages samples of various plants to decorate the military port of Arsenal. Thanks to the mild climate, the plants have perfectly taken root, and now the garden covers an area of 4 hectares, being one of the largest in the southern Adriatic. Magnolias, palms, cedars and many other exotic and ornamental plants grow here.
 

What to see in the vicinity of the city?

In the vicinity of Tivat, there are many other temples of cultural and historical value. For example, the church of St. Luke on the outskirts of the village Gosici was erected on the site of an older building, which in 1776 was reconstructed and painted with frescoes. And St. Peter's Church, located in the village of Bogdasici, 4 km away from Tivat, was built in the times of Zet's Bishop Neofrite.

Not far from the city there is another interesting place - the reserve "Solila", where salt was extracted in the Middle Ages. In the remaining salt basins 111 species of birds live today. The plans for the development of the Tivat region include the creation of a large ornithological park.
ear Tivat is a group of islands under the common name Krtol archipelago. It includes three islands - Otok, or Gospa od Milosti; Prevlaka, it is the Island of Flowers; Stradioti, it's the Island of Sveti Marco.

On Otok Island, located 800 meters from the shore, there is a Jesuit monastery and the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the second half of the 19th century. The length of the island is about 160 m, and the width is 60 m. The island had been the residence of the archbishops of Kotor till the 19 century.

Miholska Prevlaka or Island of Flowers is a peninsula, right behind the airport of Tivat. Some guidebooks refer to the unimaginable beauty of this island, which is not a reflection of reality. But the clear advantage of the Island of Flowers is the sandy beaches, however, without special amenities.

Once on the Island of Flowers, the Apostle Paul converted the local inhabitants to Christianity. And the monastery of the Archangel Michael was erected at that time occupied almost the whole of its area. As a result of the feuds of the confessions, here in 1452 a tragedy occurred, when after the evening meal the monks and guests died of the result of poisoning. And after many years, on donated money, the monastery was rebuilt, and the incorrupt monks' relics are in the temple. You can reach the Island of Flowers by car or taxi.

St. Mark's Island is an untouched natural island, covered with olives and cypresses. You can get to the island only by boat or motorboat.

In conclusion, we advise you to visit the village of Gornja Lastva, a historical and cultural monument located in the mountains, 300 m above sea level, 3 km from the Jadranski Put. Here some authentic buildings are perfectly preserved: about 20 residential buildings, operating mill for processing olives, as well as the Church of St. Mary. It is famous for the tricolor altar - from white Carrara, mottled Ligurian and local green marble. The church of the Holy Vid, built on the hill of the same name in the IX deserves attention. These localities overlook an amazing view of Tivat and the Tivat Gulf.

Beaches of the city Tivat

 Despite the fact that the Tivat Bay of Boka is the largest, it has grown historically that there are not too many beaches here, about a dozen with a total area of 30 km2.
 In Tivat itself there are several small beaches: next to the luxurious marina piers, there is a city beach 150 m long; concrete beach "Palma" with a length of about 70 m;

On the other "shore" of the Tivat marina there are sandy beaches "Belane" and "Zhupa" with lengths of 150 and 500 m respectively.

There is Puro Beach in the city - a network of Spanish beach clubs. Similar clubs exist in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania, the United Arab Emirates. Admission is free, the cost of the seat at pool is 30 euros. The price includes one lounger, mineral water and fruit, the time of stay is unlimited. It is recommended to book in advance.

3 km from Tivat is Opatovo beach, located in the homonymous village and stretched for 220 m. Exactly in the middle of it there is a lighthouse, it divides the beach in two halves. This beach has everything you need for relaxation, including parking spots, because getting there by other means of transport is less convenient.

Much closer to Tivat is sandy and pebbled beach Donja Lastva with a length of 1 km. It is partially concreted and belongs to the hotel "Camellia".

Seljanovo beach, its length is more than 1.7 km, and surrounding rocks with absolutely smooth and steep slopes are the natural basis of a wonderful landscape. There is everything for recreation: cafes and restaurants, parking and marina.

The next beach deserves special attention, is the shallow-sandy flat Calardovo marked by the Blue Flag. It is near the island of Prevlaka. This sandy beach, surrounded by classical Mediterranean vegetation, which gives a lot of shade, is equipped with everything, without which it is hard to imagine a holiday by the sea, including picnic places and sports grounds. The road leads to the island, located directly on the mound, which connects the island and Tivat.

And on the other side of the Tivat Bay near the village of the same name is the concrete and pebble beach Krasici. It is quite long, about 1.5 km, very green and not crowded.
 

How to get to the city?

Tivat airport is 4 km away from the city - this is one of the two international airports in Montenegro (the second one in Podgorica). From here all year round, daily flights to Belgrade are conducted, while the rest of flights are concentrated mainly in summer. First of all, it is convenient for tourists following to Kotor (located 7 km away from the airport) and to Budva (20 km).

In addition, Tivat is connected with the rest of Montenegro by a two-lane Adriatic route - Jadranska magistrala. Nearby there is the ferry crossing Kamenari - Lepetane through the Verige Strait, which allows you not to go around Kotor Bay.
 

Cafes and restaurants in Tivat

On the picturesque Tivat embankment and in the distance from it there are more than a dozen restaurants. Enjoy a beautiful view, pleasant music and good wine at the restaurant One. If you prefer Japanese and Asian cuisine, as well as high-end service, Mitsu is worth a visit. Restaurant Prova will please not only by a successful location, but also an extensive menu. Those, who have already managed to visit this place, recommend branded warm salads, fish soup and octopus with vegetables. Prova specializes in European cuisine and seafood dishes. The original design in the form of a ship will emphasize the taste of sea dishes, in addition the restaurant is located literally near the sea edge.

Hotels in the city of Tivat

On the coastal part of Montenegro, there are many different options for accommodation: from luxury hotels to to private apartments (apartmani) and rooms (sobe). In Tivat, you can find housing at different price levels.

Here, among the lush Mediterranean vegetation, in a calm and almost homey setting you can have a great time on the beautiful beaches of the sunniest city of Boka. Fans of outdoor activities should take an interest in the program of local festivals and championships - sports and creative, which are often held here. In addition, in Tivat there are all conditions for diving, mountain walks, water skiing and catamarans...