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Tivat

Bobbing super yachts, a posh promenade and rows of swanky apartment blocks: visitors to Tivat (Тиват) could be forgiven for wondering if they're in Monaco or Montenegro. The erstwhile-mediocre seaside town has undergone a major makeover – courtesy of the multimillion-dollar redevelopment of its old naval base into a first-class marina – and while it bears no resemblance to anywhere else in the country, Tivat is now attracting the uberwealthy (and less-loaded rubberneckers) in droves.

The town has a reputation as being one of the sunniest spots in the Bay of Kotor. While Tivat will never rival Kotor for charm, it makes a pleasant stop on a trip around the bay, and is a useful base for exploring the Vrmac and Luštica Peninsulas.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Tivat.

  • Marina

    Porto Montenegro

    Single-handedly responsible for Tivat's transformation, this surreal 24-hectare town-within-a-town occupies the former Arsenal shipyard and naval base. Primped, preening and planned right down to the last polished pebble, the almost impossibly glamorous complex includes upmarket apartment buildings, a 'lifestyle village' of fancy boutiques, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities, a museum, a resort-style hotel and berths for 450 yachts (with a total of 850 berths planned by completion).

  • Museum

    Buća-Luković Museum & Gallery

    Aristocratic families from the inner bay once built their summer residences at Tivat to take advantage of its sunnier outlook. One of the few survivors is this 500-year-old fortified enclosure with its own Catholic chapel, which once belonged to Kotor's Buća family. The solid stone defensive tower houses a collection of Roman bits and bobs; next door is a well-presented ethnographical museum with fishing and farming artefacts. Head upstairs for beautiful jewellery and folk costumes.

  • Museum

    Maritime Heritage Collection

    Porto Montenegro doffs its hat to its past with this well-curated display (in Montenegrin and English) devoted to the history of the Arsenal shipyard and naval base, housed in one of the site's beautiful old boat sheds. The star exhibits are too big for the museum: the two Yugoslav navy submarines are dry docked outside.

  • Beach

    Town Beach

    You're better off heading to the Luštica Peninsula for a proper swim, but Tivat does offer a couple of options if you're desperate for a dip. Town Beach is a long concrete platform with a 20m pebbly section right by the main promenade.

  • Park

    Large Town Park

    North of the centre, this park is a leafy, peaceful retreat, originally laid out in 1892. It's a serene antidote to the excesses of Porto Montenegro.