Herceg Novi, Montenegro

Herceg Novi is a town of roughly 33,000 people at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. Bosnian King Tvrtko I founded it in 1382, and centuries of rule followed under Spanish, Ottoman, and Venetian powers. A 7-kilometre seaside promenade now links the old town to Igalo, once a well-known spa resort drawing mineral mud from the sea floor at a steady 17 degrees. Above the harbour, the 14th-century Kanli Kula fortress and the Spanish-built Sea Fort of 1539 still stand and serve as stages for a summer opera festival. The story behind that 1382 founding reaches further back than most visitors expect.