One of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic, known according to historical sources more than two and a half thousand years ago as the “city of Illyria”, is an unmissable place when visiting the Riviera. According to legend, Budva was founded by Cadmus, the son of the Phoenician king Agenor and queen Telephos.
He was the conqueror and ruler of Boeotia, a province in Greece, and when he was expelled from her city of Thebes together with his wife Harmonia, he found refuge with the Illyrian tribe of Enhelea. Legend has it that Cadmus entered Budva on an ox cart, hence the name Budva (bos means vo in Greek). The older names for Budva were Butua, Buthos, Butoba and Civitas Antique (Old Town). Throughout history, it was the target of several conquerors (Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Saracens, Turks, Venetians, Austro-Hungarians, French…) and belonged to many states, and with the immigration of the population from different regions, the structure of the original Illyrian region changed.
The old town forms a unique architectural and urban complex, surrounded by medieval ramparts, with a fortress, towers and gates. In the past, it was most severely damaged in the 1667 earthquake, and the consequences of the 1979 earthquake were also considerable, successfully repaired in the decade after that. Along the narrow streets, small squares and squares, cafes, boutiques, bars, restaurants, galleries are lined up… so that during the summer months, thanks to plays, concerts and exhibitions, the Old Town really becomes a Theater City, as the festival is called, which since 1987 has been ennobling old seaside town and gives it a special color and charm. Sacred buildings are of special value – the oldest church of Santa Maria in Punta, then St. Ivana, St. Trinity and St. Sava the Saint. Next to the church of St. Ivan are the remains of the early Christian basilica, and on the Citadel are the remains of the church of St. Maria. Between the churches there is also a stage for City Theater performances. Roman pylons, the walls of the oldest gate of Budva can also be seen in the Old Town. Among the cultural institutions, the most important are the Museum of the City of Budva with its archaeological and ethnographic exhibition, the Modern Gallery and the “Stefan Mitrov Ljubiša” memorial home.
