The beautiful seaside town that’s one of Europe’s ‘most underrated’ hotspots | World | News

Montenegro is fast becoming the destination of choice for many heading to Europe for their summer holidays.

Last year 2.6 million holidaymakers descended on the former Yugoslavian country to enjoy its stunning seaside resorts and breathtaking scenery.

Resorts such as Kotor and Budva have become household names and are often packed to the rafters in the peak summer season.

However, there is one seaside town that so far has mostly escaped the attention of most travellers to the country.

Ulcinj is the southernmost city in Montenegro, located near the Albanian border and Lake Skada.

It offers visitors a distinct taste of the Orient, a result of its fascinating history.

Originally founded by the ancient Greeks in the 5th century BC, it was absorbed into the Eastern Roman Empire in the 2nd century BC.

Thereafter it was ruled over by the Venetians in the C15th before the Turks took it over in the C16th, when it acquired a reputation as a safe harbour for pirates.

Traces of its illustrious history can be seen in its architectural monuments, which include the old fortified medieval town, more than thirty churches and mosques.

The Ulcinj Riviera stretches for 35 kilometres from Cape “Stari Ulcinj” to the Albanian border, and is adorned with some spectacular beaches.

Beginning in the west with coves and capes, the coast gives way to fine sandy beaches from the “small beach” in the city centre to “Ada Bojana”.

The Riviera also boasts the longest beach on the Adriatic coast – “Velika Plaza”.

The landscape of the hinterland is dotted with orange, olive and fig trees, as well as vineyards and tobacco plantations.

The seaside town has proved a big hit with tourists, scoring highly on Tripadvisor.

Andrei V wrote: “Great view over the sea, the old city and the park above is worth visiting even in extra season, a lot of souvenirs, great food, interesting mix of albanian/muslim culture with orthodox world.”

While A_Cyclist said: “Unlike Kotor and Dubrovnik, this is quiet and uncommercialised.

“It’s a place where people live and work instead of being a touristy museum piece.

“Just be careful not to slip on the shiny cobbles – the difficult access is probably why it’s so tranquil.”