Budva (Montenegro) | A Tiny Old Town - Day 143

I took this photo today, near the Citadel in the old town of Budva, at midday, facing the sun. When I couldn't get the shot I wanted, I leaned into the situation and found a way to use the glare in my favor. The result is this beautiful muted grey-blue photo with a single ray of sunlight like something is ascending to the heavens. 

Budva, Montenegro, is located 2.5 hours southeast of Dubrovnik, Croatia. To the west of Montenegro is Bosnia and Herzegovina, northeast is Serbia, to the east is Kosovo, and southeast is Albania. The bay of Kotor is visible northwest of Budva.

Breakfast this morning consists of fried eggs, Sujuk sausage, and Turkish tea. The dish is traditional to Montenegro and is cooked in a steel pan. The waitress warns me not to touch the blazing hot pan when she places it on my table. Sujuk sausage reminds me of a Kielbasa sausage with a mild Picante flavor similar to Mexican chorizo. Turkish tea is brewed using a double teapot, where the upper teapot brews the tea while the lower teapot boils water. The tea is typically served at a 50:50 ratio of both pots. It is delicious, but honestly, I am not sure I can tell the difference between it and regular black tea.

The west side of the port has several mega-yachts moored in the harbor. I am sure there are many more in the summer months.

Budva has several modern structures, like those in this picture. However, many are "flats" (i.e., apartments or condos) instead of hotels. I find modern buildings intriguing but miss the local flavor.

Everywhere I look, I see cranes and modern high rises. But, notably, everything is closed today, so I am having a hard time grasping where all the demand is for the occupancy in Budva.

Undoubtedly, the picturesque mountains make the town feel special, as they surround the city on three sides.

The walled city of old town Budva is quite pleasant to visit. The architecture is less refined than that of Dubrovnik to the north, but Budva didn't have the wealth either. The town is one of the oldest in the Adriatic at 2,500 years old. It was ruled by the Greeks in the 4th Century BC, the Romans in the 2nd Century, the Byzantine Empire in the 6th, Slavs in the 7th and 8th, and the Venetians through the Middle Ages. Even today, Budva has mainly remained independent of significant architectural style changes.

Adjacent to the walled city is a small scenic beach that hosts several restaurants and is a great place to watch the sunset. 

The city itself is pretty tiny. However, the view east of the town is quite scenic.

Although reasonably modern, the Church of the Holy Trinity in the center of the old town is quite beautiful. It was built in the early 1800s.

The Church of Santa Maria in Puenta is one of the oldest churches in the Montenegro Coastal Region. It was built in 850 AD and sits across from the more modern Church of the Holy Trinity. Santa Maria in Puenta was once a vital church, as many tombs were found inside. It was used for a while to store archeological records of the area, but today it is used as a classical concert venue and for art exhibitions. The sunset behind the church is stunning tonight.

I make my way out of the old city's north gate and walk east to capture the stunning sky.

As darkness settles, the moon rises, and I take this photo. An ancient and a modern world are divided by a familiar road. Budva is a quiet city of nearly 20,000 people, yet it feels much smaller. The beaches are lovely here. The sand has a coarse grain that resembles small gravel. It is the perfect destination for relaxing, and I understand why it has recently become popular.