Herceg Novi Guide: The City of Stairs & Fortresses

I. A Melting Pot of Empires

Herceg Novi was founded in 1382 by the Bosnian King Tvrtko I to control the salt trade. But the location was too tempting: Ottomans, Spaniards, Venetians, French, and Austrians all left their mark. Each nation built upon the foundation of its predecessor, giving the city its eclectic, almost theatrical appearance today.

The Quartet of Fortresses:

• Forte Mare: The foundation of the city's defense. Its massive walls seem to grow directly out of the Adriatic rocks. Particularly fascinating are the narrow cannon slits and the stairs that vanish into the darkness of the stones.
• Kanli Kula: A grim legacy of the Ottomans. In the dungeons of this "Bloody Tower," you can still see hand-carved drawings of galleys and crosses on the walls – testimonies of the despair of medieval prisoners. Today, it is the cultural heart, where operas and films are performed under the stars.
• Spanjola: The "Unfinished." Although the Spaniards held the city for only one year, they created a bastion at 170 meters altitude. Today it is a place for "Urban Explorers" – wild, overgrown, mystical, and with a view reaching as far as the Croatian peninsula of Prevlaka.
• Citadela: Walking along the harbor, you can see the ruins in the water. The Citadela was swept into the sea by the great earthquake of 1979. Today, it remains a solemn and picturesque photo motif.

II. The City of 100,000 Steps & 1,000 Scents

It is no myth: anyone exploring Herceg Novi must climb stairs. But these "Skale" are not mere exertion; they are the lifelines of the city. Each step leads past gardens that tell stories from all over the world.

The Captains' Legacy: It was a moral duty for the captains of Herceg Novi to bring back a plant from every distant voyage. The result is a microclimate where Japanese camellias flourish alongside Australian eucalyptus and Mexican agaves. In February, the city turns into a yellow sea during the Mimosa Festival (Praznik Mimoze) – a celebration that bids farewell to winter with fish, wine, and parades.

III. Literary Paths: The House of Ivo Andrić

The only Yugoslav Nobel Prize winner for literature, Ivo Andrić, chose Herceg Novi as his sanctuary. In his former residence (now a museum), one can understand why. "When I open my eyes in the morning and see this light, I know that life is good," he essentially wrote. The city possesses an intellectual melancholy that has attracted artists for decades.

"Herceg Novi is a city of eternal youth because here everyone is forced to walk like a young man – thanks to the steps."