Two stylized carved fish forever joined and their tails facing each other, which can be seen on many souvenirs today, are an exclusive symbol of the city of Budva. The fish belong to modern local lore; the city's founding legend is much older and tells a different story. The legend says that Budva was founded by Cadmus, son of the Phoenician king Agenor. Since he failed to return his fugitive sister Europa, who was abducted by Zeus, to his father's home, Cadmus founds the city of Thebes abroad. He came from Thebes with his wife Harmony, came to these areas and founded Budva (Butua, Budoe). In the myth, Cadmus and Harmonia were later turned into serpents, not fish; the two fish are not part of their story. Budva is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic, and it attracts an increasing number of tourists every year. Budva was first mentioned in the 5th century BC.

The Old Town is thought to have begun as an island that later joined the mainland. Stone houses and churches, as well as narrow streets and small green giardini (gardens) surrounded by ramparts on all sides - make Budva a typical medieval coastal town. It offers a view of the blue open sea, kilometers of beaches and the nearby island of Sveti Nikola, the largest island off Budva. The Sveti Stefan peninsula is unique in the world as a luxury city-hotel and inseparable from the image of Budva, to which it gravitates and belongs to its ambience. Budva has many different attractions to visit, so in addition to its beautiful sandy beaches that you can choose for yourself, we suggest a few cultural sights that you should not miss.

1. Church of St. Three Whether you planned to visit it or not, chances are high that you will find yourself on the largest square in Budva, in front of the temple dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It is one of the sites that comes up most when you search the internet for information about Budva, and for good reason. First of all, the church is located in the very center of the city, surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bars, souvenir shops, boutiques and shops. The square, where the church is located, is extremely frequented by both local and foreign visitors, but this was not always the case. After the collapse of the Venetian Republic in 1797 and the arrival of Austria, with the efforts of the Montenegrin bishop Peter I and at the request of the Orthodox citizens of Budva, in 1798 the construction of the church dedicated to St. Three. Completed in 1804, it was modelled on the Dormition church of Podostrog monastery. It was built with hewn white and reddish stone arranged in belts, and the interior is decorated with an iconostasis of great artistic value, from 1833, made by the Greek painter from the island of Milos, Naum Zetiri. The temple has a bell-gable with three bells, while the area around the church is beautifully paved and is where the grave of the famous Montenegrin writer and politician, Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša, born in Budva, is located.

2. The Great Bell of the Old Town The bell is accompanied by a story about the filming of one of the most popular films of the 60s. Namely, we are talking about "The Long Ships" (1964), directed by Jack Cardiff and based on Frans G. Bengtsson's novel, which was shot around Budva. The film's budget was about 3 million dollars, and the most famous actors of that time were staying in Montenegro: Richard Widmark, Sidney Poitier, Russ Tamblyn, but also one of the most beautiful Yugoslav women, Beba Lončar. The plot of the film revolves around two Viking brothers who steal the ship of the king of the Scandinavians and go in search of a precious, large bell that was known as the "mother of voices", and later in the conflict between the Moors and the Vikings over the same golden bell. The film brought about historical changes in Budva. The famous beach Richard's Head, which locals still call Brijeg od Budve, got its name thanks to the main actor of the film, Richard Widmark. The name now covers the pebble beach, about 100 m long, that runs from the Old Town walls to the Avala Hotel. The big bell from the movie now occupies a place of honor in the square in front of the entrance to the Old Town. The Big Bell, a prop from a famous film, today represents an interesting attraction and gathers a large number of tourists and passers-by on the way to the Old Town of Budva.

3. City Museum The city museum was founded in 1962, after ancient necropolises (Hellenistic and Roman) near the Old Town were excavated in 1957–1958. During that period, the collection of archaeological objects was exhibited in non-standard rooms that did not meet museum standards. Only later, after the earthquake in 1979, when thousands of museum objects from the Budva necropolis were discovered, was the concept of a museum in a suitable space formed. The modern museum building was opened in 2003, in the center of the old town and is of exceptional importance for Budva, Montenegro and beyond. The exhibition space covers over 400m2, where the history of the city of Budva spanning more than 2500 years is shown on four levels. The time period begins with the first inhabitants of the Illyrian tribe, through the Greeks, the Romans, the culture of the Slavic tribes to recent history, when rich merchants, artisans, sailors, and fishermen lived in Budva. In 2005, the Budva City Museum received the "Green Apple" award in London for the preservation and development of authentic architectural and other cultural and historical values.

4. Citadel The most monumental medieval building within Budva's city walls is the Citadel fortress. The complex is characterized by the fact that it is completely autonomous and represents one of the most important fortifications of the Middle Ages on the Montenegrin coast. Within the complex there are ramparts, the remains of the medieval church of St. Mary, gates, several plateaus and the building of the former barracks. Within the Citadel there is also a maritime museum with one of the most valuable collections of books and maps dedicated to the Balkans, which is privately owned. Among the exhibits, a significant number of unique books and very rare copies of hand-colored historical maps stand out. On the first floor, in the Citadel, there is a restaurant where you can enjoy top culinary specialties and excellent service in an intimate setting. From the terrace of this restaurant, on the eastern tower, there is a fantastic view of the island of St. Nikola and the open sea of ​​the Adriatic. In the southwestern part of the complex, there is also a viewpoint from which one of the most beautiful views of the whole of Budva, and on the other side, the Budva beaches.

5. Core of the Old Town It is exciting to walk through the narrow passages paved with old stone in the center of Budva and to imagine how people used to live here through the ages. You will be delighted to walk through the streets of the Old Town, the stone walls with towers and the fortified city gate. You'll want to take as many photos as you can of the Old Town which reveals remnants of Venetian rule, while archaeological evidence shows traces of Illyrian, ancient Greek and Roman fortifications. The city walls offer a view of the sea and the island of St. Nicholas. In the southern part, the ramparts expand to form the Citadel, once a large fortification that is now privately owned, with a museum and a restaurant. Therefore, let Budva's Old Town be a part of your plan during your visit to this charming city.

6. Traditional dessert rustula In one of the streets of the Old Town of Budva, there is a pastry shop that serves traditional sweets. One of the must-try dishes in Montenegro are rustula - delicious cakes that can be served with sweet or savory toppings. Rustule is a primordial Mediterranean delicacy that is prepared along the entire Adriatic. It would be a sin to visit the coast of Montenegro without trying them. The people of Budva, that is, the people of Paštrov, claim that their version of rustula is the best. All you have to do is try them and judge whether you like this traditional delicacy.

7. ⁠Mogren fortress On the slope of the Spas hill, which is located above the famous Mogren beach in Budva, there is the Mogren fortress. This part of Budva is a green wooded area and an observation deck with a panoramic view of the surrounding mountain peaks and the endless sea. A beautiful view from above puts things in a different perspective and offers a better way to see where you really are. While you are at the top, you can explore the flora and fauna of the area, as well as Mogren Fortress itself. Since 2025 the fortress has had repaired walls, lighting, safety fences and an info point, and it is used as a summer stage by Grad Teatar. Stay inside the fenced areas: the director of Budva's museums has warned that two or three parts of the fortress are structurally very unstable and could collapse. Just be careful, in the summer you may come across a snake, because in the rest of the year it is their habitat. The fortress was built in 1860 and was a former barracks and military stronghold of the Austrian army. In the surroundings, there are several plateaus and viewpoints from which you can enjoy a fantastic view, and which are excellent places for photography and meditation.

8. Church of St. Ivana On the largest square in the Old Town of Budva, above the walls and roofs rises the belfry, built in 1867, of the Catholic Church of St. John. In the immediate vicinity are other old town churches: Santa Maria in Punta, Sveti Sava Osvećeni, Sveta Trojica, as well as the remains of an early Christian basilica from the fifth century and the remains of the church of St. Mary in the Citadel. Church of St. Ivana is considered one of the oldest churches on the Montenegrin coast. It is traditionally dated to the 7th century, and since then it has been reconstructed many times. The church was rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1667. It is considered that it has retained its present appearance since the late 17th century. The interior of the church is decorated with the icon of the Virgin with Christ or Madonna in Punta, which is made of wood and is one of the oldest icons in this region. As the biggest shrine of the Old Town, this icon is also known as "Our Lady of Budva". It dates from the late 14th century, and it was brought to this church at the time of the arrival of Napoleon's army in 1807. The bishop's palace, which is located on the south side and overlooks the Citadel, was the seat of the Budva diocese until 1828, until its abolition. A large mosaic in glass, with the image of St. John the Baptist, by the Croatian painter Ivo Dulčić, is located behind the main altar in the church.

9. Podmaine monastery If you're looking for attractions outside the city center, why not explore the Podmaine Monastery, located on a gentle rise above the Budva field, about 2km north of the Old Town? It is often treated as one monastery with Podostrog, although the Budva museum describes the two separately. At Podostrog there is a small Dormition chapel on 15th-century foundations, renewed in 1630, and a large Dormition church built in 1747–1756, probably by the bishops Sava and Vasilije Petrović, while Podmaine's church is dedicated to St. Petka and has an iconostasis from 1747. In 1830 Njegoš sold Podmaine to the Austrian Empire; the monastery burned in 1869 and, after damage in the 1979 earthquake, was fully rebuilt by 2002. New lodgings and other facilities were built, so that church and cultural events are organized in the monastery today. In the past, the monastery was the meeting place of the Maine tribe. Bishop Petar II Petrović Njegoš often spent time in this monastery. The turbulent history makes this place attractive for visitors who are fascinated by the origin, culture and history of this region.