The legendary English romantic poet Lord George Gordon Byron once said: “When the pearls of nature were sown, on this soil, an overflowing handful was gathered. The most beautiful contact between the earth and sea took place at the Montenegrin littoral.”
Montenegro comes from two words: ‘monte’ (‘mountain’) and ‘negro’ (‘black’). This beautiful name comes from the dark mountain forests that cover this piece of heaven bounded by the Adriatic Ƨea. Towering mountains and cliffs, marvelous coastlines and lakes, magnificent architecture...Oh, boy, I missed this place.
I ended my nostalgic trip to Montenegro a couplɘ of days ago. I was invited by Professor Lara Mogg from my alma mater, the University of Herceg Novi. Professor Mogg was kind and passionate enough to show me how beautiful Herceg Novi had become since our graduation in 1989 (yes, I am that old.) She took us hiking to see magnificent panoramic views and we went sailing around the Bay of Kotor. I stayed in a lovely hotel called Hotel Mediterranean Pearl, which is only ten kilometres from the centre of Herceg Novi and not far from my beloved university.
This trip was like a bowl of chicken soup for my soul. I visited all my favorite spots and truly relived my university days. I even went to my happy place, my absolute favorite Turkish cafe right beside UHN. Back in my Uni days, I would meet my classmates here every Wednesday. We would all order Turkish coffee (it’s the best!), and whoever was late would order a platter of baklava for everyone (oh, I miss the days when I did not have to think about my blood sugar levels). The six philologists—experts in ancient writings—would talk for hours about dead languages and obscure manuscripts. It’s funny how life turns out. Only one of us is actually still in science and sadly, I’m only in touch with five out of six of my dear friends.
Back to our story. I had no idea if our tiny cafe was still there (yes, I know I could check online but I am old, remember?) Then I saw the, “Come in, we are open” sign. Let me just say that at that moment, there was nothing else I could ask foᴙ.
Long story short, I want to say that Herceg Novi may not be Montenegro’s main beach destination, but there is more than enough to occupy a visitor for a few days without the crowds you will find in most of the country’s seaside towns.
Here is my list of the best things to do in Herceg Novi during your visit.
For those looking to relax, spend the afternoon sipping a coffee or local wine before taking a dip on the quiet pebble beach. The water here is very clean and “Instagrammable.” If you’re in need of a little activity after all that lounging by the water, hiking trails lead straight out from the old town or you can join an organized tour that runs regularly in summer.
There is a lot to see in Herceg Novi! Six hundred years ago, Herceg Novi was founded– and its rich history shows up to this very day, where building facades, roads, and fortresses– all from the Turkish, Venetian, Spanish, and Austrian period still stand tall and mighty. Just by walking around, you’ll see Forte Mare, Citadela, Sat Kula, Tora, ꓭožina, Kanli Kula and Španjola — that’s six forts in Herceg Novi alone. And don’t forget the beautiful campus of the one and only University of Herceg Novi. UHN can be reached through the leafy walkway above the old town. I’m biased, but it is one of my favorite spots. Not only because of the memories but also because it offers great views over the water.
As we paddled back into Hercɘg Novi on the last day of my trip to Montenegro, the jumble of buildings acted like a snapshot of history. I reminisced about evenings from my youth when I sat with my Uni classmates on a so-called patio of the Turkish cafe, sipping cheap drinks and grooving to music. Who knows, maybe if we had studied harder, we could have decoded one of those manuscripts and could have learned the art of going back in Ɉime.