City of Tivat

Tivat is located in the central part of the Boka Kotorska bay. Although it is the youngest town in the Boka region, Tivat has a lot of interesting and attractive destinations. Renaissance Summer House Buca in the centre of city, Ostrvo Cvijeca (flowers’ island) with sacred monuments, Gornja Lastva, the old nucleus at an altitude of 300 m, the magnificent beach at Plavi Horizonti and the island Sv. Nikola are tourist destinations that should be visited in Tivat. In the city it self there is the natural marina Kaliman. Tivat is also the only place at the littoral with an airport. There is also a choice of cultural events, such as Bocarska Olympiad and Ljetnje Feste.

 

HISTORY

According to the opinions of the historians Tivat is the youngest town in Boka Kotorska, as well as on the Montenegrin coast. There are three different opinions about the name of the town. One directs us to an opinion that Tivat got its name by the name of the Illyrian queen Teuta, who besides having Risan for her capital also had several summer cottages in the immediate vicinity of the town now known as Tivat. The second opinion directs us that Tivat maybe got its name by the names of the Christian saints that ate much alike to the name Tivat, like for e.g. Theudorus, Theodosius, Theodotus, Theodulus or middle-aged names dating from the XII century – Theudo and Teodo. However, we often hear the third opinion, which directly clarifies, that the name Tivat comes from the Celtic word “teuto” meaning town.

Historically known facts show that on the soil of Boka Kotorska, and by that in the history of Tivat, several epochs, important for the development of the town, stand out. Those are: Illyrian, Roman – Byzantium, Serbian, Venetian – Turkish and Austrian reign.  The archeological discoveries, the monuments of the old architecture and the written historical sources best testify about the all above-mentioned epochs.

According to the records known to the public, the first epoch in the development of the town Tivat that is characterized by the Illyrian period, ended in 168-7 year B.C. Even though only few archeological discoveries testify about that period, that epoch is historically important because of the fact that, that was the period of the fall of the Illyrian state.

The period of the Roman reign in Tivat was significantly richer than to the one in the Illyrian period. In certain older books, one can find the opinion that in the area better known as Boboviste (near Tivat) there used to be a very old town. It is still not quite proved, but it is thought that on that place in the past there used to be a town called Akruvijum (Acruvium). Such opinions are frequently mentioned even today, but besides Boboviste, there are other localities, in the nearer or further surrounding of Tivat that are also mentioned.

In the historical documentation, Tivat is rarely mentioned as the locality, because it is more connected for the area of Boka Kotorska, and the very town of Kotor, and with the historical facts about Tivat you can often see the definition, Kotor district.

Namely, the Serbian state rules with the area of Boka, that is to say, with Kotor and its district at the end of the 1185. Tivat, until 1370 was under the patronage of the medieval state, on whose head was the Serbian dynasty Nemanjic. According to the certain historical data, the coasts of the Tivat bay at that time became famous because of the development of the spiritual reign. In the XIII century, a Serbian saint, better known as Sveti Sava (St. Sava), establishes a Serbian church. In the same period on the Island  Prevlaka (Coating) near Tivat, Sveti Sava (St. Sava), enthrones the bishop of Zeta, and on the remains of the benediction monastery, a monastery dedicated to archangel Mihailo, which today exists in the same place, began to be built.
In the year 1420. the coast of Boka Kotorska and the towns that are found on its soil are ruled by the Venetians. Except the Kotor district, Venetian Republic takes over the peninsula Lustica near Tivat as well as the Island Prevlaka (Coating).

The entire period of the Venetian reign which lasts until the end of the XVIII century, the soil of Tivat is characterized by the often battles between the Venetians and the Turks.

Still, the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797. represents a very significant turnover in the history of Boka Kotorska. After the Venetians, many other foreign authorities rule Boka and also Tivat, for almost twenty years.
In the year 1814. the government of Austria, whose reign lasted until the year 1918, is ruling the area of Boka Kotorska and by that also the area of Tivat.
As all the other towns of Boka Kotorska and Montenegro, after 1918 Tivat is included in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenians, later called Kingdom Yugoslavia.

In 1941 Tivat is being occupied by the Nazi troupes. Until the liberation of the town by the partisan squads in November of 1944, German and Italian soldiers dwell.

After the year 1945, after the foundation of SFRJ, Tivat begins to develop as a town, which is primarily, oriented to development of tourism, as a prior economic branch in the former Montenegro and Yugoslavia. Today Tivat is a modern tourist town.

 

YOU MUST VISIT

We suggest the following top 5 places in and around Herceg Novi that should definitely be visited:

LJETNJIKOVAC BUCA
GORNJA LASTVA
BIG TOWN
PARK ISLAND SV. MARKO OR ISLAND STRADIOTI
CONSULATE OF SFRY
LJETNJIKOVAC BUCA

Summer cottage house Buca – Even though compared to other towns of the Montenegrin coast Tivat is less recognizable by its magnificent buildings or places which should be seen because of the great cultural and historical importance, staying in Tivat you will easily see the complex better know as the Summer cottage house Buca. Namely, this complex is found in the center of Tivat and it represents a harmonious renascence entity with the smaller number of details of the late Gothic. The Summer cottage house originates from XVII century, and it belonged to a famous Kotor noble family Buca. The complex of the Summer cottage house Buca has 5 facilities: residential facility, economic house, church, a chapel dedicated to Sveti Mihailo (St. Michael) as well as the porch with the entrance part that is used for multiple purposes. All the facilities are made of fine white trimmed stone and are surrounded by a stonewall. The Summer cottage house Buca is revitalized for the present needs of the culture of the town Tivat, so the residential facility is turned into a gallery space while the garden serves as a summer stage, where during the tourist season interesting literary night, painting exhibitions and various other cultural events take place.

 

GORNJA LASTVA

Gornja Lastva – it is a nice Tivat village, which is especially interesting for touring during the summer season. Today, Gornja Lastva, close to Tivat represents an especially valuable rural area. The village Gornja Lastva is situated at 300 meters above sea level, in the hinterland of Tivat, on the slopes of the hill Vrmac.
In the Statute of the town Kotor, Gornja Lastva is mentioned in the XVI century, as a part of the Kotor district. The village Gornja Lastva, has about 20 stone houses, which are very simply built. In the majority of the village yards you can see the trellises of grape, interior gardens, stone benches and some water cistern. In Gornja Lastva there is a church dedicated to the Birth of the Holy mother of God, built in baroque style. The village square was used for various festivities and parties, as well as for the trading.
Today the village and its inhabitants are especially interesting for the researchers of the traditional coastal building. In the recent years, in Gornja Lastva the members of the NGO “Expeditio” are organizing international architectonic workshops. The village Gornja Lastva, close to Tivat, from year to year, more and more, attracts numerous tourists and visitors. The reason for that are traditional “Festivities of Lastva” which are organized in August. It is a cultural – artistic manifestation, which has for a goal cherishing of culture, tradition and cuisine of Boka Kotorska. The visitors can enjoy in listening of the authentic music from Boka, in folk round dances, and folk games, and the funs of culture have the opportunity to see the exhibitions of the paintings of Tivat fine art creators.

 

 

BIG TOWN PARK

Big city park – one part of your vacation in Tivat, we suggest that you dedicate to a round about of the town’s park, which is situated in the vicinity of the beach Przno. The reason for such visit could be a fact, that there can never be enough of recreation and the walks in nature. Still, the knowledge about the Big city park, or the green oasis, as this place is also called, we will complement with a story that the park owns the biggest botanical garden in the South Adriatic. That it is indeed so, confirm the records that the park encloses the space of 4 ha. The park was made on the land of the famous Tivat noble families Radali and Lukovic. The botanic garden is better known as Navy Park. It is interesting to point out that the commander of the War navy of the Austro – Hungarian monarchy, admiral Maksimilijan Daubleski fon Sternek , in 1892., came to an idea to cultivate the surrounding of the former military shipbuilding industry and the war fleet better known under the name Tivat Arsenal, with flowers. Namely, in 1892. Admiral fon Sternek issued an order with which he ties all the captains of the Austro – Hungarian navy, to bring from their travels the specimen of various herbs and plants. After their cruising over the far away seas, in Tivat after a while, the specimen of various exotic herbs were brought, which are even today found in the Tivat botanical garden. Today, in the Big Tivat city park there are several specimen of very rear and valuable plants like: Chile fir, various kinds of arises, cedars, pines, palms, magnolias, and other kinds of attractive trees, herbs and vegetation.
The Big city park in Tivat is the only facility that is protected, in the area of Tivat. The decision about that dated from the 1968. year. Still, lately the idea that even better decision about the protection and revitalization of the park should be brought, is heard, which according to the announcements will soon be a task of the municipality of Tivat and the Bureau for the protection of the nature of Montenegro.

 

ISLAND SV. MARKO OR ISLAND STRADIOTI

The Island of Sveti Marko or the Island Stradioti – the island with a nice beach is situated west from the Tivat peninsula Prevlaka (Coating). To the island you can come by a tourist taxi boats or barges, which are usually anchored in the Tivat harbor. The Island Sveti Marko, today is a mysterious green island, on which in 1962, a tourist lodgment with 500 Tahiti houses with no electricity and water were built. The Island Sveti Marko for decades was an exclusive facility under the lease of the French club “Mediteranee”. Until the war in the area of SFRJ, (until 1991.) the guests of the island were mostly young people – adventurers, who along with the sun bathing and swimming spent their vacation enjoying in various water sports, while the numerous animator cheered them up with cultural – entertaining shows and spectacles. There used to be a hundred visitors a day on the Island Sveti Marko. Today it is a completely different story. It is abandoned, and the tourist facilities, which were built on it, are overgrown with weed and grass. The island is entirely left to the ravages of time and it waits to be bought.
Still, if you have adventurer’s ambitions, go to this island, at least because of the beach, which will enchant you with its look.
The Island Sveti Marko is differently called Stradioti, because according a legend on the island there used to be a camp of the Venetian soldiers of Greek origins, and from there stems that name (Stradiotes – soldier).

 

CONSULATE OF SFRY

The Consulate of SFRJ – it would probably sound strange in other destinations when someone would tell you that an extremely interesting and tourist attractive place of your tour could be a consulate of a former state. Such a thing is possible to do in Tivat. Namely, the Consulate of the Socialistic Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, which is more of a museum memory of the past period (1945. – 1989.), today is situated not far away from the promenade Pine in Tivat. The Consulate is opened almost three years ago, and the honorable consul Marko Perkovic has tried to make this place interesting for the people nostalgic for Yugoslavia as well as for the young people who almost don’t have any information about the former communist product – Yugoslavia. Lately, especially from May to October, the Consulate of SFRJ in Tivat, is interesting for tourists also. In the consulate you can see flags, uniforms of the former president of SFRJ, Josip Broz Tito, and in front of the Consulate there is one of the more prestigious vehicles in which Tito was driven, better known as the state limousine form the 1960’s. In the building of the Consulate you can see numerous symbols, which remind on the past days of the former Yugoslavia. You can also hear the anthem “Hej Sloveni”, register yourself in the visitor’s book, and as a memory on your staying in the Consulate you can get a red passport with the symbols of SFRJ, which in the past used to appreciated very much.