Are you curious enough to learn about the history of a very special drinking glass, one of only four in the world? Are you fascinated by a priceless archeological treasure discovered on a 180,000-year-old site? Come unearth the secrets hidden in a prehistoric cave, ancient cities, forgotten cemeteries, and much more.

Budva Roman Baths

Underneath the plateau that borders Budva and in front of the church of Saint John (believed to be originally built in the 7th century), we find the Roman public baths (called terme) hidden from view. Archaeologists who have studied Old Town Budva date these Roman public baths to the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.

Doclea Roman Ruins

Doclea (also Dioclea) was a Roman city, the seat of the Late Roman province of Praevalitana, and an Archbishopric, which is now a Latin Catholic titular see.
The Romanized Illyrian tribe known as Docleatae that inhabited the area derived their name from the city. It was the largest settlement of the Docleatae, founded in the first decade of the 1st century AD. Doclea was built to conform to the terrain. It was a large town with 8–10,000 inhabitants. The surrounding area had a relatively high population density within a radius of 10 km due to the city's geographical position, a favorable climate, positive economic conditions and defensive site that were of great importance at that time.
After the administrative division of the Roman Empire in 297, Doclea became the capital of the newly established Roman province of Praevalitana.
In the 4th and the 5th centuries, it was taken by the barbarian tribes and went into decline. At the beginning of the 5th century, it was attacked by the Germanic Visigoths. A severe earthquake destroyed it in 518. The South Slavs proceeded to rebuild the settlement in the 7th century. The historical ruins of the town can be seen today.
Circa 400, the city became the seat of an archdiocese, apparently Metropolitan as capital of a Late Roman province Dalmatia Superior. It was suppressed in 927. From 1034 till circa 1100, it was nominally united (as a title) with the then still Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bar (Antivari), also in modern Montenegro.

The prehistoric city of Šas

If you are interested in archeology, but also want to enjoy a scenic natural environment, then climb to the top of the hill (85 m) north of Šasko Lake. Not only will you see a miniature version of Skadar Lake, Lake Šas, but you will also be able to see the river Bojana as it meanders calmly towards the sea.
You can take all this in while standing among the ruins of Svač, a once-developed episcopal town. The city minted coins with the inscription "sovacii civitas" which hold priceless value because they depict the city Renaissance-style, showcasing three-story buildings, colonnades, and towers.

Roman mosaic in Risan

A Roman mosaic that decorated the floor of Roman villas during ancient Budva's development can be found in the lapidary of the Museum of the City of Budva. And if this mosaic piques your interest, make your way to Risan, because a real find awaits you there: a mosaic with an unusually rare representation of the dream god Hypnos, which was supposed to provide the owner of the palace with peaceful sleep.

Budva Necropolis

During the digging of the foundations for the hotel “Avala” between 1936 and 1938, several graves from the Hellenic and Roman periods were discovered, together with a lot of precious materials – especially gold and silver jewellery, different dishes, glassware, ceramics, and weapons.
The necropolis has two parts, the older one that belongs to the Hellenic period between the 4th and 1st centuries BC, and the newer one belonging to the Roman period from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. A total of 450 graves were discovered and it is believed that the necropolis had been used for more than a millennium. Apart from in the City Museum of Budva, many objects discovered in the Budva necropolis, especially those discovered between 1936 and 1938, can now be found in many other museums in the region (Cetinje, Belgrade, Zagreb, Split), as well as in private collections.