Ulcinj Old Town
Stari grad Ulcinj
Archaeology and local history displayed in Old Town buildings.
Displays range from antiquities to maritime themes and everyday coastal life. Halls occupy historic structures and fit naturally into an Old Town visit.
How to Get There
On foot from Ulcinj center ~2-3 min.
From TGD airport (Podgorica) by taxi/transfer ~72 min.
From TIV airport (Tivat) by taxi/transfer ~98 min.
Description
What this place is
Ulcinj Old Town is a fortified medieval quarter perched on a rocky headland above Mala Plaža at Montenegro’s far southern Adriatic. Its tight ring of walls, gates and Venetian–Ottoman houses condenses layers from Illyrian and Roman times through Venetian and Ottoman rule.
Key features
- Double defensive walls with arched gates – a textbook Adriatic fortification layout.
- 14th-century Balšić Tower – the signature keep and viewpoint over the bay and Velika Plaža dunes.
- Church–Mosque of St Nicholas – a former church converted under the Ottomans, a rare sacred hybrid.
- Square associated with historic slave trading and the 16th–17th-century corsair era of Ulcinj.
- Narrow stone lanes and Venetian loggias blending with Ottoman courtyards and a hammam.
What to see
- Balšić Tower and the ramparts walk with vistas toward Mala Plaža and Ada Bojana island.
- Church–Mosque of St Nicholas, Sailors’ and Sejmen mosques, and stone water cisterns.
- Small archaeological displays inside the fort and fragments of ancient walls and portals.
History
An ancient settlement here is noted by the 4th–2nd centuries BC; Roman and Byzantine phases expanded the strongpoint on the southern Adriatic route. In the Middle Ages, under the Balšić lords in the 14th century, the donjon now called Balšić Tower rose.
Venetian rule (1405–1571) brought regularized walls and city gates. After the 1571 Ottoman takeover, bastions strengthened the fort, several churches became mosques, and in the 16th–17th centuries Ulcinj grew into a famed corsair base.
By the 1878 Congress of Berlin Ulcinj joined Montenegro; in the 20th century the fortress lost its military role while surviving as a lived-in quarter and the historic core of the resort town.
Practical information
Location: headland above Mala Plaža, Ulcinj center.
Getting there: on foot from the seafront; by car park below the walls, then stairs up.
Access: lanes are free; individual sights (tower/museums) ticketed.
When to visit: year-round; museum hours vary.
Visit length: 1.5–3 hours including tower climb and interiors.
Best time: early morning or sunset for cooler temps and light.
Good to know: steep cobbles and steps – sturdy shoes; slippery after rain; in summer bring water and sun protection.
