Ulcinj, Montenegro Photography

Photographing Ulcinj

Ulcinj is an Albanian-majority port town at Montenegro's southern tip, where a walled Old Town fortress sits on a cliff above Mala Plaža and a 13-kilometer sand beach runs south to the river border with Albania.

Where to shoot

Ulcinj Old Town — a cliff-top fortress of stone lanes, the Balšić Tower, and Slave Square, with views straight down to Mala Plaža.
Velika Plaža — roughly 13 kilometers of fine sand running from Ulcinj to the Bojana River, among the longest beaches on the eastern Adriatic.
Ada Bojana — a river-delta island on the Albanian border, known for its naturist beach, afternoon kitesurfing winds, and stilt-house fish restaurants.
Ulcinj Salina — a former salt works turned protected wetland where 252 bird species have been recorded, from flamingos to Dalmatian pelicans.

When to go

June or September, when the sea is warm and the long beach has space; come in spring or autumn instead if the Salina's migrating birds are the main draw.

What to eat

Order the catch of the day grilled over coals at one of Ada Bojana's stilt restaurants on the river, and try a plate of byrek or tavë kosi (baked lamb with yogurt) in town for a taste of Ulcinj's Albanian kitchen.

Where to stay

Stay on the hillside around Mala Plaža and the Old Town for walkable sights and sea views, or along Velika Plaža if the beach is the point of the trip.

Walk up to the Old Town in the late afternoon rather than at midday — the stone lanes have little shade, and the cliff faces glow in low western light just before sunset.