The ‘Town of 100,001 Steps’ is a hidden gem where you can wander the old town’s alleyways, mingle with the locals in the farmers market and soak up the sun on the best beaches in Boka Bay.
Herceg Novi is recognizable by the abundance of mimosa trees and its numerous flights of stairs. It’s often called ‘The City of the sun’, thanks to the large number of sunny days all year round. Towards the end of January the town becomes scented with the subtle fragrance of yellow and green mimosas and there is a special festival dedicated to this flower, called Praznik Mimosa.
The center of Herceg Novi is its Old Town (Stari Grad), decorated with buildings dating back to the epochs of Sahat – Kula (1667) and Kanli – Kula (1483). Fortress Spanjola (1538) and Fortress Forte Mare (1687) are only a part of the cultural heritage of this renowned town.
Forte Mare
The fortress Forte Mare represents one of the most significant fortification stand points in the town. It is considered that that facility is to be thanked for the construction of the medieval Herceg Novi. Even today on the south east side of the fortress a part of the defensive wall from that time is being preserved.
On the upper side are “MORSKA VRATA” (Porta di Mare), with preserved elements of fortification from the Bosnian period. Forte Mare is certainly among the most beautiful examples of fortification architecture, and it is quite realistic that there was a nucleus of the Old Town.
Forte Mare Fortress is open for individual and group visits every day from 9- 20h. The ticket for individual visits is 3 Euro, and for group 2 euro.
Kani Kula Fortress
The name itself Kanli kula is of Turkish origin and it means a bloody tower. It is situated in the north part of the old town in Herceg Novi. With its size and position the tower dominates over the town (the height is 85 meters above the sea level). Kanli kula in fact used to be a complex fortification system. In the written documents Kanli kula is mentioned for the first time in XVII century. Over the time it suffered significant changes and destructions, so the exact time of its construction can not be determined precisely. The final shape the tower got during the time of Turkish reign while the Venetians, immediately after taking over Herceg Novi, made some remodeling.
The inside of the Kanli kula was first restored in 1960. for the summer stage, perhaps the most beautiful open scene on the entire Adriatic coast, with a thousand seats and amphitheater of rare beauty and functionality.
Clock Tower
St. Archangel Michael Church
In the main square of the Old Town, the square of Herceg Stjepan – popularly known as Belavista, is one of the gems of architecture from Boka, special in architectural and artistic design – the church of Sv. Archangel Michael.
The consturction of the curch started in 1833. Several architects worked on raising the church, and the project after which it was finally made was finished in 1905 by the Arch. Milan Karlovac. The church was built of finely carved quarry of Korcula stone, and the building was completed and the church was sanctified by 1911. With its general spatial concept of Byzantine style, decorative elements of Romano-Gothic and Islamic reminiscences, this construction of an eclectic spirit represents a very successful and imaginative blend of styles and is one of the nicest churches in this area. The iconostasis of the white, Italian marble was made by master Bilinic from Split, and the icons were made by the Czech painter Franjo Cigla.
Monastery Savina
The monastery Savina is located in one of the most beautiful bays in the world – bay of Boka Kotorska. It is located 2 kilometers away from Herceg Novi in thick Mediterranean forest. It is situated on the hill from which the view stretches over Lustica and Ostri Rt (Sharp cape), as well as on Topla in whose hinterland plain Sutorina is located. On the east side the view goes towards Tivat bay, above which raises giant Lovcen.
This medieval monastery has three churches of which two of them are dedicated to Uspenje Bogorodice (Falling into sleep of Holy Mother of God). It has sleeping quarters with treasury, and a separated church of Svet Sava (St. Sava). Small and Big church with sleeping quarters make one entity while the third church, parish one, is located on the mount above the quarters and it is dedicated to Sveti Sava. According to a legend Sveti Sava (St. Sava) built this church in XIII century, and it is by him that it got the name.
Spanjola
The fortress called Spain, by the local population, kept its name to this day, even though the Turks were rebuilt around 1539. – 1548. On the spot where they built the Spaniards for a short time, they conquered the city in 1538.- 1539, destroying at that place a smaller Turkish fort.
On the construction of this monumental and their most well-established fortifications throughout the Adriatic, the Turks left a written testimony of the Turkish inscription (Turkish until 1928 written in Arabic, then Latin) above the entrance to the fortress which means: “This fortress According to the Sultan’s order, Suleiman, the son of great Emir Selman Han, a mighty and clean knight, was raised by the son of Sinan-beg, the great vizier of the Sultans. Let him revive the long summer and progress in happiness and possession under the cover and with the help of the gracious God. And the poets who make the way this way, let me look at me with ecstatic clicks: O you are beautiful, you are a beautiful building. “
Because of the strategic advantages of the hill Bayer, the Spanish fort is located on the northwestern side of the city at an altitude of 170m and dominates the entrance to the Bay of Kotor. It provides a wide-ranging view of the vast territory.