Sveti Stefan is a resort in a fabulously beautiful country with the romantic name Montenegro. But do not immediately rush to the geographical atlas to find its location. This is the familiar Montenegro, a country in southern Europe that used to be part of Yugoslavia. Today her name is increasingly written in a Western manner - so it sounds mysterious.
Mysterious Montenegro
Holidays in Montenegro have recently been chosen more and more often. And this is not surprising, because this country is very beautiful and diverse. The war at the end of the last century closed this destination for tourists for a long time, but now everything is back to square one.
It has everything: picturesque nature, a bewitching sight, a warm sea with impeccably clean water, long beaches with fine pebbles and golden sand, impregnable cliffs, ancient shrines, rich historical heritage. And also - delicious authentic cuisine, which surprisingly combines the gastronomic traditions of Turkey and Italy. A very hospitable people live here. By the way, the state itself is often called little Italy or Switzerland, only the prices for holidays here are much lower. And the language is a bit like Russian, because the descendants of the southern Slavs live here.
A wonderful vacation in Montenegro can be spent at local resorts. There are a lot of them and every single one they are good. The most popular of them are Budva, Ulcinj, Hercegnovi, Petrovac, Sutomore. In each city you will find fashionable and budget hotels, long beaches along the Adriatic Sea, shopping centers, entertainment for every taste and numerous catering establishments. Experienced travelers prefer to stay in the private sector, where the best conditions are most often and the cost of services is much lower. There are also quite unusual settlements, for example, Sveti Stefan, which will be discussed below.
City of St. Stephen
Sveti Stefan (Montenegro) is not just a city or a resort. This is a small island, nine kilometers distant from Budva. On this piece of land, connected to the coast of a natural, rather than artificial dam, there are several objects. It used to be a fishing village here, and now it is the only leisure complex - Hotel Sveti Stefan. And only those people who stayed in it can get here.
According to legend, the island of Sveti Stefan was settled around the fifteenth century. It was at that time that a church dedicated to this saint was built on it. But it was like this: at that time, local residents were often attacked by the Turks. After the famous battle in the Bay of Kotor, where the Montenegrins received a brilliant victory, the inhabitants of the village of Pashtrovichi returned home. But then they noticed enemy ships near Yaz. Not afraid, they rushed into battle and won again. In honor of such an event, they decided to build a fortress and a temple on the island dedicated to the heavenly patron of their village. Moreover, there were funds - military trophies.
City in history
Sveti Stefan (Montenegro) grew and developed. In the Republic of Venice, it was an important center of trade. And in the square in front of the entrance gate, until 1929, a tribal court was held. But the economic decline affected him too: a prosperous city turned into a quiet abode of fishermen. Only in the mid-twentieth century, the authorities decided to create a resort complex, which has no analogues in the whole Mediterranean. So there was Sveti Stefan - a hotel on the island, a city-hotel, where the most important people and movie stars stayed. Among the guests of the resort are the British Queen Elizabeth II, Sophia Loren, Sylvester Stallone, Bobby Fisher, Claudia Schiffer, Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas. And today anyone can visit it, however, for this it is worth renting a room in advance.
Sveti Stefan Beach
The beach in the resort of St. Stephen is divided into two parts. The right half belongs to the hotel, and it is strictly forbidden to lay your own towels there. According to the rules of the establishment, a vacationer is required to pay a table and two sun loungers (approximately 50 euros). If such a price does not suit the tourist, then he can go to the left half of the coast. And here you can already lay your sunbed or rent it.
In addition to the beach and the prestigious hotel, Sveti Stefan has on its territory numerous cafes, elegant restaurants, modern shopping centers and even an art gallery. And more recently, a village appeared in front of the island, which is also called.
Island Attractions
There are other attractions here - Sveti Stefan has a lot of them and they are as interesting as the island itself. Houses under red tiled roofs are visible from afar. It is they who give the city such an original look. Massive ancient walls create a special atmosphere. But the most interesting objects in the resort are temples: the church of St. Stephen, who gave the name to the island, the church of the Assumption of Our Lady and the church of Alexander Nevsky. A walk along the narrow streets with medieval color will give an unforgettable experience.
Sveti Stefan will appreciate excursions to the Durmitor massif, where ancient and very dense forests with dark foliage grow. Crystal clear lakes are hidden among the peaks, but the canyon of the Tara River captivates with its pristine beauty. It was highly appreciated by the UNESCO Foundation and declared a natural complex of world significance. Durmitor attracts tourists both in summer and in winter, when its slopes are covered with a thick layer of snow. The ski slopes are in no way inferior to the Swiss ones. Skadar Lake and the fantastic Boka Kotor Bay will not leave indifferent any traveler.
A promenade path connects the island of St. Stephen with the village of Milocer. And in it you can walk through the vast park that previously belonged to the monarchs, take sunbaths on the Queen's Beach - the most beautiful in Europe. In the vicinity of the island there is the Praskavitsa monastery and a temple carved into the rock.
Since the island-hotel has a favorable location, it often starts with tours to neighboring countries of Montenegro (Italy, Croatia, Albania).
For those who do not sit still
The Montenegrin city of St. Stephen offers not only lazy lying on the beach and swimming in the azure waters of the Adriatic. If the sightseeing is completed, then the tourist can go to the mountains - on foot, by bicycle, with a group of climbers. You can scuba dive, go rafting, take a boat trip, go skiing and snowboarding.
Gastronomic delights
Montenegro is a country with a special flavor and the same cuisine. And although it was strongly influenced by the traditions and preferences of neighboring countries, it retained its uniqueness. To understand Montenegro to the end, you should try these local delicacies:
- prshut is a ham that is smoked and dried; eat it with bread and cheese, and some gourmets even with fruit;
- Cheese from Negushi - a kind of cheese feta cheese, which is made in a single mountain village;
- kaymak - soft white cheese, which is essentially the top layer of baked milk;
- delicious meat sausages (chevapi) and large cakes (splash) are prepared from minced meat;
- “Meso Ispod Sacha” - meat that is cooked on charcoal with vegetables, and covered with a pot;
- alcohol: raki (grape-plum vodka), Krstach (white wine), Vranac (red wine), moonshine made from honey and various fruits;
- fish is an important component of the menu of coastal residents .; in Montenegro it is divided not by name, but by category; It is also worth trying seafood;
- “Chorba fishing” is an ear, but it does not at all look like a dish familiar to a Russian person;
- Tulumba - pastries soaked in honey syrup, very sweet.
What do people say?
The people who chose Sveti Stefan, reviews leave him the most enthusiastic. They argue that a vacation spent here cannot fail. Travelers note that the place is simply fabulous: beautiful landscapes and sea panoramas, clean air and waves, hospitable people, a rich excursion, amazing cuisine. Tourists are satisfied with the service and quality of accommodation.
There is, of course, a negative, but it is associated with the high cost of living in a hotel. After all, not every tourist can afford to relax in a place beloved by the richest people on the planet. And for people who are not guests of this luxury hotel, access to some parts of the island is closed.
Very, very rarely there are negative reviews about the rest in the iconic resort of Montenegro. In the waters near Sveti Stefan, there may be E. coli, which causes severe poisoning, diarrhea and vomiting. Particularly susceptible to infection are small children. And given that there are practically no pharmacies and hospitals in the city, this can become a real problem. Travelers who rested here with young children note that it hurts kids to walk barefoot along a pebble beach, and the places for swimming themselves are little adapted to their needs.
How to get there
If you decide to relax on the most famous island in Montenegro, then you can get into the country by road, train and air. If you have chosen an airplane, it does not matter at which Montenegrin international airport it lands. It can be both Tivat and Podgorica - they are equally convenient to get to Budva and Sveti Stefan. Without any problems, you can order a transfer to or from the hotel, but it is better to do this in advance, especially during the high season. From Budva to the island go trolleybuses, minibus and regular taxi.
Do I need a visa?
Montenegro is a country very loyal to tourists from Russia. They can stay on its territory for thirty days without applying for a visa. Also, without it, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians can rest in Montenegro. If the traveler intends to spend more than one month in Montenegro, then the embassy should apply for a special visa, the cost of which is 62 euros.
For customs control, the tourist must present a foreign passport, the validity of which cannot expire before he plans to return home.
Instead of an afterword
Mysterious Montenegro is a place where you want to return again and again. And it doesn’t really matter which resort the traveler has chosen, because each of them will give a truly paradise vacation. The natural beauty and richness of this land will surprise even an experienced tourist, and the cost of rest will please a frugal person. So pack your bags as soon as possible and head to Montenegro. Guests are welcome here both in winter and in summer!