Sveti Stefan
Big attraction on the Riviera of Budva is Sveti Stefan. The former fishing village situated on a peninsula became a hotel-town 50 years ago and that’s how one wonderful place, where even the most famous people like Claudia Shiffer and Sylvester Stallone like to spend their time, has been made.
According to the tradition, a fortification was built in 1442. on the island of Sveti Stefan and in that period people settled there. A wall was built around the fortification in order to provide protection for families from surrounding places before the Turkish and pirate’s invasion.
According to legend the settlement was established after an armed attack of Pastrovici against the Turkish crew galleys and they built a fortress from what they had confiscated with one house for each twelve Pastrovic tribes. On the balcony above the entering door in Sveti Stefan, court house of Pastrovici shared justice and solved disputes therefore it’s called the“place of justice”.
There are small churches in Sveti Stefan: Svati Stefan church, after which the island got its name and it is placed at the highest part of the peninsula; the Church of Alexander Nevski, and the smallest one dedicated to the Holy Converting, is situated at the entrance to the town, which is connected with the shore by a narrow causeway.
Because of its position Sveti Stefan was a mercantile center of Pastrovici. It was of a big strategic and trade importance during the period of Republic of Venice and traded with Venice. It started to lose its importance at the end of 19th century when the townsfolk started to leave the town. The complete migration happened in 1955. When the peninsula was completely adapted and transformed into hotel-town. Streets, walls, roofs, house facades kept their original shape and look and the inside of them got the most contemporary hotel comfort. One of the villas, situated by the shore of the bridge that connects the island with the land, named Villa Montenegro, got a “Five Stars Diamond” price in 2006. which is given by American Academy of hotelier Sciences for top-quality service.
