Budva

In Serbo-Croatian, the town is known as Будва or Budva; in Italian and Latin as Budua; in Albanian as Budua, and in (classical/ancient) Greek as Bouthoe (Βουθόη) and Butua (Βουτούα).

A legend recounts that Bouthoe (Βουθόη - Bouthoē) was founded by Cadmus, the founder of Thebes, Greece. When exiled from Thebes, he found a shelter in this place for himself and his wife, the goddess Harmonia. The first record of Budva dates back to the 5th century BC. Originally, the site belonged to the state of Illyria. In the 6th century BC, during the Greek colonization of the Adriatic, a Greek emporium was established. In the 2nd century BC, the area of Budva became part of the Roman Republic and from 27 BC, of the Roman Empire. Upon the fall of the Empire and its division into east and west, the defensive barrier that separated the two powers happened to run across this area, subsequently making a lasting impact on the history and culture of this town. …

Budva has a Hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa).

Among the cultural events and establishments in the city, the annual cultural event Theatre City (Budva Grad Teatar) is of particular importance. Founded in 1987, and held in July and August every year, this festival transforms the entire Old Town into an open-air venue for a programme of theatre, musical, literary and visual art events and performances. Another event in Budva was the Pjesma Mediterana ("Song of the Mediterranean"), annual pop musical festival, held in Budva from 1992 to 2010. Its format was similar to that of Sanremo Music Festival, featuring a competition of previously unreleased songs. The song contest attracted performers from the EX Yugoslavia region. However, the festival was cancelled in 2011 due to lack of funds, and has not been renewed since. In 2014, the Sea Dance Festival was organized at Budva's Jaz Beach for the first time. …

Tourism is the main driver of the economy of Budva. It is a significant tourist destination on the eastern Adriatic, and by far the most popular destination in Montenegro. During 2013, Budva recorded 668,931 tourist visits, and 4,468,913 overnight stays, thus accounting for 44.8% of tourist visits to Montenegro, and 47.5% of its overnight stays. Although Budva is notable for its long history and its well-preserved Old Town, it is not primarily known as a destination for sightseeing or cultural tourism. Unlike Kotor or Dubrovnik, Budva has an image of a crowded beach resort, with a lively and vibrant atmosphere and a very active nightlife. Mogren Beach is arguably the best known and most attractive of the Budva city beaches, nested beneath the cliffs of the Spas hill, between cape Mogren and the Avala hotel. …

Budva is connected to inland Montenegro by two-laned highways. There are two ways to reach Budva from Podgorica – either through Cetinje, or through the Sozina tunnel (opened 2005). Either way, Podgorica, the capital and main road junction in Montenegro, is around 60 km (37 mi) away. Budva is connected to the rest of the coastal towns of Montenegro by the Adriatic Highway, which extends from Ulcinj in the far south to Herceg Novi in the north, and on to Croatia. Tivat Airport is 20 km (12 mi) away. There are regular flights to Belgrade and Moscow throughout the year, and dozens of seasonal and charter flights land daily at the airport during the summer season. Podgorica Airport is 65 km (40 mi) away, and it has regular flights to a number of European destinations throughout the year. …