Sveti Stefan is a resort in a fabulously beautiful country with the romantic name of Montenegro. But do not immediately rush to the geographical atlas to find its location. This is Montenegro, familiar to us, a country in southern Europe, which used to be part of Yugoslavia. Today, its name is increasingly written in a Western style - it sounds more mysterious.
Mysterious Montenegro
Recreation in Montenegro has recently been chosen more and more often. And this is not surprising, because this country is very beautiful and diverse. The war at the end of the last century closed this destination for tourists for a long time, but now everything is back to normal.
There is everything here: picturesque nature, enchanting sight, warm sea with impeccably clear water, long beaches with fine pebbles and golden sand, impregnable cliffs, ancient shrines, rich historical heritage. And also - delicious authentic cuisine, which surprisingly combines the gastronomic traditions of Turkey and Italy. Very hospitable people live here. ToIn a word, the state itself is often referred to as little Italy or Switzerland, only the prices for holidays here are much lower. And the language is a bit like Russian, because the descendants of the southern Slavs live here.
A wonderful holiday in Montenegro can be spent at local resorts. There are a lot of them here and all of them are good. The most popular of them are Budva, Ulcinj, Hercegnovi, Petrovac, Sutomore. In each city you will find luxury 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 conditions are better, and the cost of services is much lower. There are also quite unusual settlements, such as Sveti Stefan, which will be discussed below.
City of Saint Stephen
Sveti Stefan (Montenegro) is not just a city or resort. This is a small island, nine kilometers away from Budva. On this piece of land, connected to the shore by a natural, and not artificial, dam, there are several objects. It used to be a fishing village here, but now it is the only recreation complex - the Sveti Stefan Hotel. And only those people who stayed in it can get here.
According to legend, the island of Sveti Stefan was inhabited 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 the Turks. After the famous battleBay of Kotor, where the Montenegrins received a brilliant victory, the inhabitants of the village of Pashtrovichi returned home. But then they noticed enemy ships near Yaz. Undaunted, they rushed into battle and won again. In honor of such an event, they decided to build a fortress and a temple on the island, dedicated to the heavenly patron of their village. Moreover, there were funds - war trophies.
City in history
Sveti Stefan (Montenegro) grew and developed. In the Republic of Venice, it was an important center of trade. And on the square in front of the entrance gate, until 1929, a tribal court was held. 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 in the entire Mediterranean. This is how Sveti Stefan appeared - a hotel on the island, a hotel city where the most important people and movie stars stayed. Among the guests of the resort are the British Queen Elizabeth II, Sophia Loren, Sylvester Stallone, Bobby Fischer, Claudia Schiffer, Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas. And today everyone can visit it, however, for this it is worth renting a room in advance.
Sveti Stefan Beach
The beach at the resort of St. Stephen is divided into two parts. The right half belongs to the hotel, and it is strictly forbidden to lay your own towels there. According to the rules of the institution, the vacationer is obliged to pay for a table and two sunbeds (approximately 50 euros). If such a price does not suit the tourist, then he can go to the left half of the coast. And here you canalready lay down your sunbed or rent it.
Besides the beach and a prestigious hotel, Sveti Stefan has on its territory numerous cafes, elegant restaurants, modern shopping centers and even an art gallery. And quite recently, a village appeared in front of the island, which is called the same.
Sights of the island
There are other attractions here - Sveti Stefan has a lot of them and they are as interesting as the island itself. Houses with red tiled roofs are visible from afar. It is they who give the city such a distinctive look. Massive ancient walls create a special atmosphere. But the most interesting objects in the resort are the temples: the Church of St. Stephen, which gave the name to the island, the Church of the Assumption of the Mother of God and the Church of Alexander Nevsky. A walk through the narrow streets with medieval flavor will give an unforgettable experience.
Sveti Stefan will delight you with excursions to the Durmitor mountain range, where ancient and very dense forests with dark foliage grow. Among the peaks, crystal clear lakes are hidden, but the canyon of the Tara River captivates with its pristine beauty. It was highly appreciated by the UNESCO Foundation and declared a natural complex of world importance. Durmitor attracts tourists both in summer and in winter, when its slopes are covered with a thick layer of snow. Its ski slopes are in no way inferior to Swiss ones. Skadar Lake and the fantastic Bay of Kotor will not leave indifferent any traveler.
The promenade connects the island of St. Stephen with the village of Milocer. And in it you can walk alonga vast park that used to belong to the monarchs, sunbathing on the Queen's Beach - the most beautiful in Europe. In the vicinity of the island, there is the Praskavica Monastery and a temple carved into the rock.
Since the island-hotel has a favorable location, tours to Montenegro's neighboring countries (Italy, Croatia, Albania) often start from it.
For those who are not sitting still
Montenegrin city 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 bike, with a group of rock climbers. You can go scuba diving, rafting, yachting, skiing and snowboarding.
Gastronomic delights
Montenegro is a country with a special flavor and the same cuisine. And although it was strongly influenced by the traditions and preferences of neighboring countries, it retained its originality. To understand Montenegro to the end, you should try these local delicacies:
- prosciutto is a ham that is both smoked and dried; eat it with bread and cheese, and some gourmets even with fruit;
- Cheese from Negushi - a kind of cheese analogue, which is made in the only mountain village;
- kaymak - soft white cheese, which is essentially the top layer of baked milk;
- very tasty sausages (chevapi) and large flatbreads (splash) are made from minced meat here;
- “meso ispod sacha” – meat that is cooked on charcoal withvegetables, and covered with a bowler hat;
- alcohol: rakia (grape and plum vodka), Krstač (white wine), Vranac (red wine), moonshine made from honey and various fruits;
- fish is an important part of the menu of coastal residents.; in Montenegro, it is divided not by name, but by category; also worth trying the seafood;
- "fish chorba" is an ear, but it does not at all look like a dish familiar to a Russian person;
- tulumba is a pastry soaked in honey syrup, very sweet.
What do people say?
People who chose Sveti Stefan leave the most enthusiastic reviews about him. They claim that a holiday spent here cannot go wrong. Travelers note that the place is simply fabulous: beautiful landscapes and sea panoramas, clean air and waves, hospitable people, rich excursions, amazing cuisine. Tourists are satisfied with the service and quality of accommodation.
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 beloved 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 holidays in the iconic resort of Montenegro. In the waters near Sveti Stefan, there may be E. coli, which causes severe poisoning, diarrhea and vomiting. Young children are especially susceptible to infection. And given that there are practically no pharmacies and hospitals in the city, this can becomereal problem. Travelers who have vacationed here with small children note that it is painful for kids to walk barefoot on a pebbly beach, and the bathing places themselves are not well suited for their needs.
How to get there?
If you decide to relax on the most famous island in Montenegro, then you can get to the country by road, train and air. If you have chosen a plane, then it does not matter at 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 or from the hotel, but it is better to do it in advance, especially at the height of the holiday season. Trolleybuses, fixed-route and regular taxis go from Budva 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, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians can rest in Montenegro without it. If the traveler intends to spend more than one month in Montenegro, then the embassy should apply for a special visa, the cost of which is 62 euros.
For customs control, the tourist must present a foreign passport, the validity of which cannot expire before he plans to return home.
Instead of afterword
Mysterious Montenegro is a place where you want to return again and again. AndIt doesn’t matter at all which resort the traveler has chosen, because each of them will give a truly heavenly vacation. The natural beauty and richness of this land will surprise even an experienced tourist, and the cost of recreation will please a thrifty person. So pack your bags as soon as possible and go to Montenegro. Guests are welcome here both in winter and in summer!
