Ulcinj Things to Do

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Ulcinj is one of the oldest towns on the Adriatic coast,
with evidence of settlement dating back to 500 BC
withstanding the ravages of time for 25 centuries.
Stari Grad juts up magically on the cliffs above the open sea,
with its face towards Otrant it is guaranteed to captivate all your senses
and give you somewhat of an awning of past civilizations and empires
as you weander round the stone walled city walls and steep alley ways.

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Beach hawkers selling stuffed pheasants
and ducks, a crew of 3 with a monkey shouting
as they moving along the shoreline, "FOTO, FOTO"
cruel to see a poor monkey who should be swinging
about the trees in Africa and not used as a means
to get money. But the region has come through a
horrible war and these people were probably fearing
for their lives or the future 16 years before.

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Instead of stuffy museums and dusty
artifacts from bygone epochs, then try
feeling the pulse of the region with most
people coming from Bosnia, Macedonia,
Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro.
Of course this resort must host predominately
Muslim tourists and one can feel the much more
friendly atmosphere to that of other resorts further
north up the coast. No burkas or bearded men, but
the more tolerant side of believers of Islam with
women in bikinis and beach attire like any western
beach resort.

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OLD ULCINJ

I sort of stumbled upon this part of the city by
accident, while checking out various accom
and rooms advertised.
Old Ulcinj emits a real Oriental spirit that might
be a reminder that Ulcinj has the largest Albanian
community and used to even be part of Albania..
It is situated about 2 km away from the centre of
the new town with newer apartment buildings, offices and banks.
Narrow, steep, twisting, and layered with the threadbare
cobblestones streets, still faithfully testify about all the past
epochs that have marked this town:
reign of the pirates, Byzantium, Venetians, Turks…
When you walk down the streets of the Old Ulcinj, it looks as
if for a moment you're going back to the time of the sultans,
pashas or aga (despots), in the centuries when except by
the sabers, yataghan , the events were remembered by
beautiful slave women, or the sounds of the wooden slippers
which were an unavoidable elements of the folk female Islamic
costumes. Small and low buildings, family houses in a district style,
are situated along the narrow city nest.
However, more recently due to tourism,
there are various souvenir shops, barbershops, pastry shops,
market stores and many other similar shops,
which emit the spirit of Orient. Your visit to
Old Ulcinj simply will be an
unforgettable part of your tour along and around
the narrowest part of the Montenegrin coast.

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Just down the ramp leading from the Old Town on the western side of the town, is the Orthodox Cathedral of St. Nikola. The church was built in 1890 on the site of an earlier 15th century monastery dedicated to Archangel Mihailo. The Cathedral sits in the middle of a beautiful garden filled with ancient trees with beautifully knarled trunks. (see pics)

Velika Plaza is one of the Adriatic coasts best beaches. The 12km long is the scene of a mass invasion of sun-worshipers during the summer but like Mala Plaza was virtually deserted during our visit bar a few dog walkers and fellow strollers. During the summer there are bars, cafes and restaurants along the beach but none were open in April. Sun-loungers and parasols can also be rented during the summer. The beach is about a 45 minute walk east from Ulcinj beachfront but I believe there are buses running the route during the summer.
Sorry boout the lack of pic. Didn’t have my camera with me...for once!

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Although severely overcrowded during the summer, the Mala Plaza was virtually deserted during and visit and was a lovely place for a short stroll, especially at sunset when the sun drops behind the Old Town sitting high above the eastern side of the bay. Behind the beach Obala B Kidrica runs parallel to the beach and is lined with a string of cafes, bars, restaurants and fast food joints. Looked very tacky but may appear more pleasing when spruced up for the summer season. At the western end of the beach is a lovely, part-stilted bar which sits overhanging the water below. Great place to watch the sun go down across the bay.

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The small museum located in the Stari Grad has a limited but interesting display of local artefacts. Many of the architectural items were recovered after the 1979 earthquake and are displayed in alcoves outside the museum building. Inside are items from Ulcinj’s past and Bronze age and Turkish artefacts. A building close to the museum has a model of the Stari Grad before the earthquake and more remains of pre-earthquake Old Town buildings.