Ulcinj

Ulcinj today: the southern coast of Montenegro

Ulcinj is Montenegro's southernmost municipality, located in The Coast region. It has 20,507 inhabitants, according to the 2023 census, and covers 255 km². The municipality is the only coastal municipality in Montenegro with an Albanian majority population, and its old core is marked by dominant Oriental-Ottoman architecture. A long sandy beach and an Oriental old town distinguish this southern setting.

What to see and do in Ulcinj: Old Town, Velika plaža and Ada Bojana

Stari grad Ulcinj is an archaeological locality with continuous settlement from the 4th to 5th century BC. Its upper military section includes Kula Balšića, the citadel, while the lower section formed the civil part of the town; both are enclosed by ramparts. Remains of Cyclopean walls of Illyrian origin stand alongside Venetian layers from 1421 to 1571 and Ottoman layers from 1571 to 1878. Crkva Svetog Nikole is located within the old town, which appears on UNESCO's Tentative List as "Ulcinj Old town", submitted in 2018 as a cultural property under number 6300.

The municipality has ten arranged beaches and bathing areas. Velika plaža extends from Port Milena to the Bojana river, while Mala plaža lies in the town centre. Ada Bojana is a triangular river island on the border with Albania, with a sandy beach of around 3 km and an area of 4.81 km²; it is Montenegro's largest island. Valdanos is a small bay with a pebbled shore, surrounded by an olive grove containing more than 18,000 olive trees across more than 400,000 m².

Kitesurfing is the leading summer activity at Velika plaža and Ada Bojana. Sasko jezero and the Ulcinj saltworks draw visitors for observation of migratory birds, with the saltworks attracting more than 200 species. Private guided visits of Stari grad Ulcinj are available throughout the year and address pirate stories and the legend of Miguel de Cervantes as a captive. Hotel Palata Venezia, in the old town, contains an exhibition on pirates and the legend; olive oil is produced in the Valdanos area.

Getting to Ulcinj

Ulcinj is most readily reached by car. Podgorica Airport is around 72 km away, with a driving time of around 1h20min to 1h35min, while Tivat Airport is around 84 km away, with a drive of around 1h45min to 2h. Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia lies 135 to 155 km away, with a journey of around 3h20min to 3h30min including the Montenegro and Croatia border crossing. The Adriatic Highway links Ulcinj with the rest of the coast, a two-lane road connects the municipality with inland Montenegro, and the Kamenari to Lepetane ferry assists access from the direction of Herceg Novi and Croatia. Ulcinj has no marina.

When to visit Ulcinj

Ulcinj has a Mediterranean climate, classified as Csa. In January, the average maximum air temperature reaches 11.5°C. August brings an average maximum of 31.3°C and a minimum of 20.1°C, while the sea temperature in summer is around 23°C. The recorded absolute temperature extremes are 41.1°C in summer and -8.4°C in winter.