Living in the Montenegrin Town of Tivat.

This article is dedicated to Memo. I miss you, old friend. 

Living in the Montenegrin Town of Tivat.

August & September 2021.

When I think back on the autumn of 2021 I can’t help but smile. After a tough year living in Belgrade in the apartment from hell we were finally ready to embrace the start of what I guess you could call the post-COVID era. In fact, Sladja and I now had both AstraZeneca shots and felt ready to take on the world. Or at least a bit of the Balkans.

Montenegro felt like a natural choice. After all, it is an incredibly beautiful country that I had yet to visit and it sat virtually right on our doorstep begging to be explored. Moreover, we would be exchanging the increasingly grim temperatures of landlocked Serbia for an altogether warmer climate with bountiful opportunities for coastal walks and swims.

After a few days’ research we settled on a monthlong stay in the gorgeous coastal town of Tivat. Seductively situated on the Bay of Kotor, it is home to just under eleven thousand people. And while that number typically triples or even quadruples in the summer months, we had arrived just as the tourist season was beginning to wind down.

We took an apartment up in the hills above the town centre. It was a basic one-bedroom setup, but had more or less everything we needed. On Airbnb it looked like an idyllic place to live, but sadly our immediate surrounds proved far from perfect. It’s a tale that is too long and obnoxious to go into for the purposes of this article, perhaps I’ll cover it in a short story one day.

Living in the Montenegrin Town of Tivat.

Nevertheless, we did enjoy having access to the small garden that came with our apartment.

A place where, in rare moments, we could enjoy a peaceful cup of coffee or lunch beside the flowers, plants and fruit trees.

Most days we would find a cat or two wandering the garden, or just hanging around outside our back door. On several occasions one would even come inside in the hope of getting a bite or a taste of milk.

Lovely Tivat practically begged us to explore. It took about twenty minutes to walk down to the centre through a series of leafy residential lanes.

Along the way, we would stop to admire the various houses and gardens, many of which had cats mooching around. Yup, we soon got to know the local kitties during our daily walks.

The Cats of Tivat.

Some came running over for a stroke, or to rub themselves around our legs. Others proved far more cautious, a few completely standoffish. As is the way with cats. In any case we were always happy to see them.

Not everyone was as excited by the local cat population as we were.

Who was our favourite cat? That’s hard to say, but I should give a special mention to the regal kitty who resided on the stone steps outside Idea Supermarket. A shrewd move, I imagine, if one wants to guarantee regular strokes and titbits.

We liked the fact that Tivat isn’t overloaded with specific attractions. Rather, it is simply an extremely pleasant place to wander. The green, clean town centre, with its compact network of crisscrossing streets and pedestrianised squares, has everything one needs in terms of shops, cafes and local services.

An abundance of art adds to the overall charm. To name just a few, we appreciated the headless Fallen Angel sculpture on Luke Tomanovića Street. The piece literally has zero online footprint, though Chat GPT (if we can trust it) suggests the artist might be the Croatian sculptor Mateo Mornar.

Fallen Angel.

Equally dramatic, but much more playful, is the Giant Bench by Dejan Mirošević and Mitar Jovanović. Again there is very little info, though it is possibly inspired by The Big Bench Community Project, a European art initiative that encourages bench-sitters to bring out their inner child and grab an alternative perspective of one’s surroundings.

The beating heart of Tivat is its swanky waterfront district, Porto Montenegro. Crafted as a cheaper and less crowded answer to the glitzy harbours of Monaco and Saint-Tropez, it is almost impossible to imagine that the district was a rundown eyesore as recently as 2007.

That was the year the Canadian real estate and electronics magnate Peter Munk bought up all the land and announced plans to transform Tivat into Europe’s most exciting up-and-coming marina.

It’s no surprise that someone like Munk saw such huge potential in Tivat. Straddling the Bay of Kotor, a strip of coast that the English poet Lord Byron once described as “the most beautiful encounter between land and sea”, it is virtually impossible not to get reeled in by its beauty.

Living in the Montenegrin Town of Tivat.

Munk and his fellow investors certainly succeeded in their vision of creating a Balkan Monaco. Up sprang fancy cafes, bars and restaurants on spotless new streets home to classical fountains, potted plants, stone benches and manicured trees.

Gradually, the new marina began filling with boats… then yachts… eventually super yachts. Apparently, demand is so great that they expect hundreds more births to join the waterfront by 2030.

On the one hand it’s hard not to be impressed by these nautical titans. On the other hand Sladja and I do find this unabashed presentation of uber-wealth more than a touch distasteful.

One super yacht I stopped to picture, though it was far from being the biggest or most opulent, was the 46-metre Elena. Finished in 2014 by the Dutch company Heesen Yachts, she can accommodate up to 10 guests and features an open plan saloon and spacious sun deck with jacuzzi.

Elena’s bedrooms are kitted out in oak panelling, walnut flooring, lacquered ceiling and silk bedding. In 2023 she was valued at around €26,000,000. Ah nuts, just out of our price range.

Elena.

Today Porto Montenegro is owned (surprise surprise) by a Dubai-based investment company. Their ambitious additions to the neighbourhood, which show no signs of slowing, have seen an influx of moneyed holidaymakers that continues to increase year on year.

Many of these Gucci-wearing fashionistas stay at the Renaissance Venetian style Regent Porto Montenegro. The 163-room complex has its own bars, cafes and restaurants, in addition to infinity pools, saunas, a Turkish bath, tennis courts and a bowling alley.

Its main drinking spot meanwhile, the ritzy Onyx Bar and Garden, looks out over the bay.

One night, having walked past the joint many times, Sladja and I finally buckled and stopped in for some cocktails. I went for an Espresso Martini, Sladja for an Elder Mule which featured vodka, fresh ginger, mint leaves, elderflower and tonic water. Yummy, and pricy.

Living in the Montenegrin Town of Tivat.

Much of Tivat’s local food, drink and shopping scene is similarly fancy. So many deep pockets floating around you see. Take Gallardo Steakhouse, for example, where the rib-eye wags steak (1000g) goes for a cool 550 Euros.

Or how about Salon Privé, a private members sports bar and casino club that  offers live sports, VIP gaming rooms, a cigar bar, cocktail mixing performances and helicopter rides around the bay.

A clutch of the world’s most recognisable high end brands have also set up shop in Porto Montenegro. Balenciaga… Alexander McQueen… Dolce & Gabbana… all that jazz.

Even Rolex has got in on the act. You have to wonder how many of these exceptionally expensive watches and accessories they actually sell. But hey, I guess they must be doing ok to stay open.

Porto Montenegro.

So well, one might conclude, that they have happily donated a public clock to the neighbourhood.

In recent years the neighbourhood has cranked up its efforts to attract not only tourists but expats who might want to call Tivat their forever home. Indeed there are now a string of luxury apartment blocks across the neighbourhood and a dedicated Sotheby’s. Some of the listed properties are eye-watering, including an 18th century palace that once belonged to the Tripković family.

No matter where you walk in Porto Montenegro, one is never far from an interesting piece of public art. The most represented artist is the French-Israeli sculptor Idan Zareski, whose bulbous Bigfoot Family characters inhabit numerous streets, squares and corners. It’s fun tracking them all down.

Away from the bling and kerching, it would be criminal not to report on Porto Montenegro’s historic nerve centre. One afternoon we spent an hour looking around the Naval Heritage Museum which has a number of small exhibitions. It was also here that we took the opportunity to have a guided tour inside a 1960s Yugoslav Army submarine! More on that in next week’s post.

Living in the Montenegrin Town of Tivat.

As fascinating a specimen as Porto Montenegro undoubtedly is, it was most definitely not our favourite part of Tivat. If truth be told we found that the further down the coast you go, in either direction, the more authentic the town’s appeal becomes.

Situated right on the edge of Porto Montenegro, Hotel Astoria is a very reasonable spot from which to have dinner with fine bay views. We ate here several times, trying their local fish soups, burgers and wraps.

We were also fond of the La Parisienne Pâtisserie, just a few doors down from Astoria.

Many a night, after dinner, we dipped inside to grab some sweet bites to take home for our cup of tea with an episode of Big Little Lies. Whatever we tried, from their cookies, cakes, tarts and chocolates, we were never disappointed.

From Astoria and La Parisienne we would often walk down the coast towards the serene woodland neighbourhood of Zupa. Within ten to fifteen minutes we’d left most of the tourist buzz behind.

Living in the Montenegrin Town of Tivat.

There were a handful of cafes en route where drinks prices weren’t inflated and we even had the rooftop seating area all to ourselves.

Eventually, the stone promenade gives way to the wooded trails, grassy outcrops and pebbly beaches of Zupa.

There was never much going on here, which we loved. Despite its close proximity to the marina it somehow felt like Tivat’s best kept secret. The wood here isn’t the biggest, but there are some lovely walks which lead to a number of elevated viewpoints over the bay.

While exploring the woods it’s almost impossible to miss the abandoned mansion known as Complex Bizanti. Its history is somewhat shrouded in mystery, with the few online references that exist offering frustratingly brief and contrasting accounts.

From what I gather it was originally owned by the wealthy Bizanti family from the nearby town of Kotor. After they vacated the premises (possibly due to the town’s occupation) the Austro Hungarians used it as a military base.

Complex Bizanti.

At some point the building was purchased by a private developer who had planned to turn it into a hotel and hospitality complex. However, the plans never came to fruition and it has sat neglected for decades.

Sladja and I explored the spooky structure, which enjoys killer views in all directions. I’m sure someone will restore it to its former glory one day.

Another historic structure in Zupa sits right on the bay with its own pier. This one, Old Palace Verona, also belonged to the well-to-d0 Bizantis. But by 1760 a sea captain by the name of Anton Andrijin Verona bought the old joint as a family home.

And here he lived for around twenty years before the building gradually fell into disrepair. Today it has been renovated and features a number of charming apartments set around a pretty albeit cluttered garden.

Back at Hotel Astoria one can also choose to set off down the coast in the opposite direction. This walk culminates in a visit to the neighbourhood of Donja Lastva, Tivat’s small but characterful historic quarter.

Living in the Montenegrin Town of Tivat.

The walk only takes half an hour but presents a whole other side of Tivat. Indeed you will soon find half a dozen winding streets and narrow lanes huddled around a few quiet beaches and secluded swimming spots. Some of the houses meanwhile, such as the incredibly endearing Villa Marie (1908), are certain to stop you in tracks for a photo.

What’s more, a drink and a bite at the atmospheric Giardano Restaurant feels like a Donji Lastva rite of passage. Tables and chairs sit in the shade under a straw roof and tree cover. You can’t miss the place, just look out for the skeleton of an old fishing boat parked in front of the World War II memorial.

Next to the restaurant stands St Roch Church, a Roman Catholic house of worship dating back to the 19th century. Apparently Saint Roch (or Saint Roko) is the patron saint of plague victims and a protector against illnesses in general. The saint is highly venerated in the Adriatic region.

Our favourite Donja Lastva spot though might just be this astounding carob tree. According to an accompanying plaque, a local man by the name of Antonio Nino Stjeprevi planted it in 1886 just a day or two before setting sail to The United States to start a new life.

Donja Lastva.

The tree stands in front of Eco Hotel Carrubba where the pick of its 7 rooms sit right on the water’s edge. They also have a little restaurant and bar, but sadly the waterside terrace wasn’t open when we swung by.

Curiously, we came across a James Bond plaque on the side of the hotel. Disappointingly, Bond has not been to Donja Lastva at all. Rather, it is a nod to the 007 movie Casino Royale, the plot of which plays out in several locations across Montenegro. But wait… even more disappointing is that director Martin Campbell didn’t shoot any of the film’s scenes in the country. Boo!!!

As I reach the end of my article about our month living in Tivat, the more astute among you may have realised I have left out a crucial element of the town’s huge appeal. Yes… it’s the beaches. But fear not, I’ll be putting out an article dedicated to our beach afternoons and evenings later this month.

Like this? Check out my many articles from across Montenegro.

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