The shape of the town
Herceg Novi is built onto a steep slope between the Orjen massif and the mouth of the Bay of Kotor. It rises from the shore to roughly 100 metres of altitude inside its built-up core, and much further behind, with the Savina ridge at around 300 m. The result is a town organised not as streets and blocks but as a stack of narrow terraces connected by stone staircases. Locals refer to it only half-jokingly as "the city of stairs". The exact count is somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 individual steps depending on what you are counting; no one has ever produced an authoritative number and you should not trust anyone who says they have.
What you can say with confidence: most of the old staircases are polished limestone, laid in the Venetian, Ottoman and early-20th-century periods in visibly different styles. They are slippery after rain. In flat shoes with some grip you are fine; in smooth soles after a shower, they will catch you out.
Level 1, the Igalo promenade and harbour
The easiest place to start is the seafront Pet Danica promenade, which runs for around 7 km from Igalo east along the bay. Park near the old railway line in Igalo (free, mostly empty outside July-August) and walk east. This is the flat stretch: cafes, small beaches, the old town walls eventually rising on your left. The key set of stairs up into the old town begins near the covered market and the small harbour (Skver).
Level 2, the old town squares
Climb through the Sea Gate (Vrata od Mora) and you are in the compact walled old town. Two squares matter: Trg Nikole Djurkovica, with the clock tower (Sahat Kula), an Ottoman structure from 1667, rebuilt later, and Belavista Square, above it, ringed with cafes and home to St Michael Archangel Church, a mid-19th-century Orthodox church that replaced an earlier mosque on the same site.
Level 3, between the old town and Kanli Kula
From Belavista, continue up through the stepped alleys. You will pass small shops, an occasional garden gate, and the back of the old gymnasium. The surfaces vary: worn limestone, then concrete patched in, then limestone again. This is the hardest stretch for anyone with a rolling suitcase. It is also the most photogenic, with sudden openings onto the bay far below.
Level 4, Kanli Kula and the Upper Gate
Kanli Kula, "the Bloody Tower" in Turkish, is the Ottoman fortress that caps the old town. It dates from the 16th century and was used as a prison for most of its active life. Today the inner courtyard has been converted into a stone amphitheatre used for the Herceg Fest summer concerts. Entry is modest (a couple of euros), and the walls give a near-complete panorama of the bay mouth. This is the natural top of a shore-to-fortress walk. For the fuller fortress history, see the guide to Herceg Novi's three fortresses.
Level 5, above the fortress
Beyond Kanli Kula the stairs give way to narrow roads winding up toward Spanjola fortress and the Savina neighbourhood. If you have still got energy, it is another 20-30 minutes of uphill walking. Otherwise, stop, have a cold drink at one of the Belavista cafes, and take the stairs back down, much faster than the climb up.
Practical tips
- Shoes: Trainers or flat shoes with rubber soles. Heels and smooth leather are a bad idea on polished limestone, especially after rain.
- Timing: Start before 10:00 in summer. By midday the south-facing stairs are in full sun and the climb is punishing.
- Water: Carry a bottle. There are taps in the squares but the stretches between them are exposed.
- Luggage: Do not try to roll a suitcase to accommodation above the old town. Either hire a local porter, or have your host meet you at a parking point, your car cannot reach most guesthouses above Belavista.
- Accessibility: Honestly, the old town is not wheelchair-accessible above Sea Gate. The lower promenade is flat and pleasant.
Where to park
The free options are along the Igalo end of the promenade and at the large public lot next to Meljine hospital on the eastern side. Both require a 15-20 minute flat walk to the old town but avoid the painful bit. The paid multi-storey near the Skver is convenient but small and fills quickly in season.