The Old Town of Ulcinj is very similar to many other medieval towns on the Montenegrin Coast. It is surrounded by massive stone walls and fortresses that have been the guardians of Ulcinj, its history, culture and tradition for centuries. The people of Ulicnj say that the Old Town is a fortress of unique beauty. The walls surrounding it rise directly from the sea and cover an area of 3 hectares. They consist of the fortress, still called the upper town, and a military fortress located on the highest stone plateau, as well as the urban complex surrounding the southern part surrounded by defensive walls. The real builders of the Old Town of Ulcinj are thought to be the Greeks from Epirus, who built the city at the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century BC.
That this period can be considered the time to which the birth of the city can be attributed is evidenced by an inscription on the pedestal of the icon of the goddess Ara: “The union of the stonemasons (thorns) with Artemida Elafavoli (goddess of the hunt)”. This leads us to the fact that the walls of Ulcinj, still called the “Cyclops” walls, were built by Greek masons. The city built by the Greeks was destroyed by an earthquake in the 5th century, so the credit for the current appearance of Ulcinj Old Town goes mostly to the Romans who built a new city in the 6th century.
There are many stories about the old town. Until 1900, 100 black people lived in Ulcinj. The most important for the arrival of the first blacks is the period when Ulcinj, at that time Port Valdanos, was a pirate shelter. Since the slave trade was carried out from Mediterranean countries, the main square in Ulcinj is still called Slave Square.
Also, even today you can hear a story that the famous Spanish writer Miguel de Servantes was one of the pirate captives and slaves imprisoned in Ulcinj. Servantes spent 5 years in Ulcinj. Later, when he returned to his hometown, Servantes wrote his famous work “Don Quixote”. It is assumed that the two female characters mentioned in this work were inspired by Servantes’ imprisonment in Ulcinj.
The old town represents a real home of Ulcinj’s cultural-historical heritage. A museum complex is located on the central plateau next to the northern gate of the city. There is also a church, a mosque and a museum where all relevant documents and discoveries are kept today. Among the remarkable exhibits are: an ancient pedestal with a transcription of the Greek goddess Artemida, an ancient cameo with the image of a helmeted goddess, 2 axes from the Bronze Age. In the collection of stone artifacts from the Ionian capital, fragments of the 9th-century Small Church and numerous artifacts from the Turkish period are preserved.
Behind the old Ulcinj museum is the “Balsici Tower”, part of which is used as a gallery. The “Balsici Tower” is considered one of the most representative objects of medieval architecture in Montenegro. In front of the tower is the Small or Slave Square, surrounded by field mice (casemates). Nearby is a high wall from the Venetian period, known as Balani. In front of the entrance to the museum is a ramp “ravelina” (the outer part of the crescent or half-moon-shaped fortification, usually located in front of the central rampart and between the parapets) and a Turkish fountain from 1749.
Just a few meters from the main road is the Ulcinj Ethnological Museum. It has an extremely rich collection of exhibits. From here, many streets lead to the upper plateau of the old city castle. In front of the southern entrance to the city are the foundations of the old Orthodox Church of the Mother of God, dating back to the 12th century; later it was converted into the Catholic Church of St. Marko. Near the church there is also a large Venetian cistern. A little further away is the 18th century. There is a Turkish powder magazine from the 14th century. Nearby is the extremely luxurious building “Palata Venecija” (“Venetian Palace”); on its site there were ruins of an older building, so it is believed that during the time of the Venetian Republic “Palata Venecija” was the residence of the rulers of the city.
The above-mentioned Montenegrin rulers used the palace as a residence and court due to the beauty, luxury and functionality of Balsici. Approximately close to the palace is the large Venetian building “Dvori Balsica” from the 14th century – today it is a well-known hotel establishment.
Right in front of the entrance to the Old Town is a burial chamber, a distinctive sign of the Ottoman Empire.
According to legend, the tomb chamber witnesses a duel between two brothers or friends for the love of a woman. According to this story, two men fought to the death so that the winner would win the love of the woman he loved. Unable to make up his mind and unable to even watch their fight to the death, the young woman, according to legend, jumped out of the house and committed suicide. Nevertheless, the duel between the young men, who were highly respected in ancient Ulcinj at the time, continued. One died in the fight, and the other died shortly after the first. The tomb chamber, located where they fought, is believed to represent a sacred place that radiates light and provides healing.
Many Ulcinj residents and tourists pass through the Old Town, which is still surrounded by railings, toss coins for good luck.
Despite the extensive damage to the southern part of Ulcinj and the poor quality of public infrastructure, the Old Town remains a Category I monument and is a candidate for UNESCO protection.