Old Town

Top choice in Ulcinj


The ancient walled town overlooking Mala Plaža is largely residential and somewhat dilapidated, a legacy of the 1979 earthquake. This is part of its charm – this Old Town really does feel old, with its uneven cobblestones and paucity of street lighting. Allow at least an hour to simply ramble around to your heart's content. Whatever else you find, spectacular views of Ulcinj and the beach below are guaranteed.

A steep slope leads to the upper gate, where just inside the walls there’s a small museum containing Roman and Ottoman artefacts and a relief map of the town. On the site is a 1510 church that was converted to a mosque in 1693; you can still see the ruined minaret.

Just outside the museum is a 17th-century fountain – these days, it's more like a tap – with an Arabic inscription, a crescent moon and flowers carved into the stone.

There has been talk for time immemorial about installing an elevator from Ulcinj's little harbour up to the Old Town, so that everyone – rather than just able-bodied types – can enjoy its ambience. Locals have stopped holding their breath.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ulcinj attractions

1. Fountain

0.06 MILES

Just outside the Old Town museum, this 17th-century fountain (these days it's more like a tap) has an Arabic inscription, a crescent moon and flowers…

2. Ulcinj Museum

0.07 MILES

Just inside the Old Town walls, this small museum houses Roman and Ottoman artefacts and a relief map of the town.

3. Upper Gate

0.07 MILES

The entrance to the Old Town is reached via a steep slope.

4. St Nicholas’ Cathedral

0.13 MILES

Colourful frescoes fill this Serbian Orthodox cathedral, set among a picturesque grove of gnarled olive trees just below the main gate to the Old Town. It…

5. Sailors' Mosque

0.17 MILES

Right on the waterfront, this imposing stone structure was completed in 2012, replacing a mosque (destroyed 1931) which predated the Ottomans. The…

6. Mala Plaža

0.19 MILES

Come July and August it's hard to see this little grin of a cove under all the suntanned flesh. If you're after a little more seclusion, go for a…

7. Pasha’s Mosque

0.2 MILES

The 1719 Pasha's Mosque is an elegant complex with a defunct hammam (Turkish bathhouse) attached.

8. Liberty Monument

0.23 MILES

On the cliff above Mala Plaža, this imposing monument is a lovely piece of socialist art that’s now neglected and covered in graffiti. Its two V-shaped…

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