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Ulcinj

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Local houses in Ulcinj Old Town or Stari Grad, an ancient castle and neighborhood in Ulcinj, Montenegro

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Overview

For a taste of Albania without actually crossing the border, head down to buzzy, beautiful Ulcinj (校谢褑懈褮). The population is 61% Albanian (68% Muslim), and in summertime it swells with Kosovar holidaymakers for the simple reason that it鈥檚 a lot nicer than the Albanian seaside towns. The elegant minarets of numerous mosques give Ulcinj (Ulqin in Albanian) a distinctly Eastern feel, as does the lively music echoing out of the kebab stands around Mala Pla啪a (Small Beach). Ulcinj鈥檚 ramshackle Old Town looms above the heaving beach and is a fantastic spot for people-watching without being surrounded by people.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Old Town

    Old Town

    Ulcinj

    The ancient walled town overlooking Mala Pla啪a is largely residential and somewhat dilapidated, a legacy of the 1979 earthquake. This is part of its charm鈥�

  • Mother Theresa statue

    Mother Theresa statue

    Ulcinj

    Aptly located at Ulcinj's medical clinic is a statue of Mother Theresa, the most famous Albanian of recent years (although she was actually born in North鈥�

  • Ladies' Beach

    Ladies' Beach

    Ulcinj

    This lovely, boulder-strewn little cove 鈥� and its cave 鈥� are strictly for the ladies. It was given its name and status thanks to the high level of sulphur鈥�

  • St Nicholas鈥� Cathedral

    St Nicholas鈥� Cathedral

    Ulcinj

    Colourful frescoes fill this Serbian Orthodox cathedral, set among a picturesque grove of gnarled olive trees just below the main gate to the Old Town. It鈥�

  • Liberty Monument

    Liberty Monument

    Ulcinj

    On the cliff above Mala Pla啪a, this imposing monument is a lovely piece of socialist art that鈥檚 now neglected and covered in graffiti. Its two V-shaped鈥�

  • Sapore di Mare

    Sapore di Mare

    Ulcinj

    This pine-fringed rocky beach makes for a good break from the blaring pop and incessant preening of some of the more populated strips of sand near Mala鈥�

  • Aquarius Beach

    Aquarius Beach

    Ulcinj

    If you care more for socialising than sand, this one's for you. The rocky little cove is renowned to locals as the young folks' beach; ear-shatteringly鈥�

  • Mala Pla啪a

    Mala Pla啪a

    Ulcinj

    Come July and August it's hard to see this little grin of a cove under all the suntanned flesh. If you're after a little more seclusion, go for a鈥�

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