Sveti Stefan. Rest in Montenegro. Reviews, prices

Sveti Stefan is a resort in a fantastically beautiful country with the romantic name Montenegro. But do not immediately rush to the geographical atlas to find its location. This is Montenegro, a country familiar to us, a country in the south of Europe, which used to be a part of Yugoslavia. Today its name is increasingly written in the Western manner - it sounds more mysterious.

Mysterious Montenegro

Rest in Montenegro has recently been increasingly chosen. And this is not surprising, because this country is very beautiful and diverse. The war at the end of the last century closed this trend for tourists for a long time, but now everything is back to square one.

There is everything: picturesque nature, charming view, warm sea with impeccably clean water, long beaches with shallow pebbles and golden sand, inaccessible rocks, 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 a small Italy or Switzerland, only the prices for recreation here are much lower. And the language slightly resembles the Russian, because here live the descendants of the southern Slavs.

A wonderful holiday in Montenegro can be done at local resorts. There are a lot of them here and they are all 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 most often the best conditions, and the cost of services is much lower. There are very unusual settlements, for example Sveti Stefan, which will be discussed below.

Saint Stephen's City

Sveti Stefan (Montenegro) is not just a city or a resort. It is a small islet, distant nine kilometers from Budva. On this piece of land, connected to the shore by a natural, rather than an artificial dam, are several objects. It used to be a fishing village here, and now it's the only holiday complex - the Sveti Stefan hotel. And only those people who stay in it can get here.

If you believe the legends, 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. And it was like this: at that time, local residents were often attacked by Turks. After the famous battle in Kotor Bay, where the Montenegrins received a brilliant victory, the villagers of the village of Pashtrovichi returned home. But then they noticed the ships of the enemy near Yaz. Not frightened, they rushed into the battle and won again. In honor of such an event on the island, they decided to build a fortress and a temple dedicated to the heavenly patron of their village. Especially since the funds were - military trophies.

City in history

Sveti Stefan (Montenegro) grew and developed. In the Venetian Republic, he was an important center of trade. And on the square in front of the entrance gate until 1929, tribal court was administered. But the economic decline also affected him: a prosperous city turned into a quiet abode of fishermen. Only in the middle of the twentieth century, the authorities decided to create a resort complex, which has no analogues throughout the Mediterranean. So there was Sveti Stefan - hotel on the island, city-hotel, where the most important persons 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 everyone can visit it, however, for this it is necessary to remove the number 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 there it is strictly forbidden to lay down your towels. According to the rules of the institution, a rest is obliged to pay a table and two beds (about 50 euros). If such a tourist's price does not suit, then he can go to the left half of the coast. But here you can already lay your lounger 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 most recently, before the island appeared a village, which is also called.

Sights of the island

There are other attractions here - Sveti Stefan has a lot of them and they are just as interesting as the island itself. Houses under the red tile roofs are visible from afar. They give the city such an original appearance. A special atmosphere is created by massive ancient walls. But the most interesting objects in the resort are the temples: St. Stephen's Church, which gave the name of the island, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin and the Church of Alexander Nevsky. A walk through the narrow streets with medieval color will give an unforgettable impression.

Sveti Stefan will enjoy excursions to the Durmitor mountain range, where ancient and very dense forests with dark foliage grow. Among the tops are crystal clear lakes, but the canyon of the Tara River enchants with its pristine beauty. He 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. Ski routes are not inferior to the Swiss. Not a single traveler will be left indifferent to the Skadar Lake and the fantastic Boka-Kotor Bay.

The path-promenade connects the island of St. Stephen with the village of Milocer. And in it you can walk through the extensive park, which previously belonged to the monarchs, to sunbathe on the beach of the Queen - the most beautiful in Europe. In the vicinity of the island there is a monastery of Praskavica and a temple carved into the rock.

Since the island hotel has an advantageous location, it often starts with tours to neighboring countries of Montenegro (Italy, Croatia, Albania).

For those who do not sit still

The Montenegrin town 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 dive with aqualung, go to rafting, take a walk on a yacht, ski and snowboard.

Delicacies

Montenegro is a country with a special color and a similar cuisine. And though it was strongly influenced by the traditions and preferences of neighboring countries, it retained its uniqueness. To understand Montenegro to the end, it is worth trying such local delicacies:

• Prosht is a ham, which is smoked and dried; Eat it with bread and cheese, and some gourmets even with fruit;
• Cheese from Negushi - a kind of cheese, which is made in a single mountain village;
• Kaimak - soft white cheese, which is essentially the top layer of melted milk;
• From chopped meat, very delicious sausages (kevapi) and large cakes (pancake) are cooked here;
• "Meso under Sach" - meat, which is cooked on charcoal with vegetables, and the pot is covered;
• Alcohol: rakia (grape-plum vodka), Krstach (white wine), Vranac (red wine), moonshine from honey and various fruits;
• Fish - an important part of the menu of coastal residents .; In Montenegro, it is divided not by name, but by category; Also it is worth trying seafood;
• "Fish chorba" is an ear, but it is not at all like a dish familiar to a Russian person;
• Tulumba - pastry soaked in honey syrup, very sweet.

And what do people say?

People who chose Sveti Stefan, the reviews leave the most enthusiastic about him. They argue that the vacation spent here can not 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 housing.

There is, of course, a negative, but it is connected with the high cost of living in a hotel. After all, not every tourist can afford to relax in a place loved 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 sign resort of Montenegro. In the waters of Sveti Stefan there may be an E. coli, which causes severe poisoning, diarrhea and vomiting. Especially infectious young children. And if you consider that there are almost no pharmacies and hospitals in the city, this can be a real problem. Travelers who rested here with young children note that it is painful for babies to walk barefoot along the pebble beach, and the places for bathing themselves are not suited to their needs.

How to get there?

If you decide to rest on the most famous island in Montenegro, you can get to the country by road, by train and by air. If you have chosen an airplane, then it does not matter in which Montenegrin international airport it will land. It can be Tivat and Podgorica - from them it is equally convenient to get to Budva and Sveti Stefan. Without any problems, you can order a transfer to the hotel or from the hotel, only it is better to do it in advance, especially at the height of the holiday season. From Budva, trolley-buses, fixed-route and ordinary taxis go to the island.

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 issuing a visa. Also without it, Ukrainians, Byelorussians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians can rest in Montenegro. If the traveler intends to spend more than one month in Montenegro, then the embassy should issue a special visa, the cost of which is 62 euros.

For customs control, a tourist must present a foreign passport, the validity of which can not end 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 does not matter what kind of resort the traveler has chosen, because each of them will give a truly paradisiacal vacation. The natural beauty and wealth of this land will surprise even the experienced tourist, and the cost of recreation will please the thrifty person. So pack your bags as soon as possible and go to Montenegro. We welcome guests here in winter and in summer!