Petrovac (pronounced [pětrɔ̝v̞at͡s]; Serbian Cyrillic: Петровац) or Petrovac na Moru (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Петровац на Мору, Italian: Castellastua) is a coastal town in Montenegro, within the Budva municipality, 550km away from Soko Banja spa in Serbia.

Petrovac is located on the coast between Budva and Bar, where the old mountain road from Podgorica reaches the coast. It has a 600 metre long sandy beach and it is a popular tourist destination. Petrovac is seen as a somewhat "calmer" resort, in contrast to the lively and developed nearby towns of Budva and Sutomore.


History

The history of Petrovac began in Roman times, when a couple of villas were built at Krš Medinski: a 4th century mosaic floor, remains of a villa and baths have been found behind St Ilija's church.[1] Later, there was a Slav village. The village was first mentioned in the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja. At the northern end of the bay is a 16th century Venetian fortress, Kastel Lastva, built to discourage pirates.[1] The name, Petrovac, was given at the beginning of the 20th century after King Peter I Karađorđević.

In the bay are two islets (Katič and Sveta Nedjelja), one of which is topped by a small chapel, built in thanksgiving for a shipwrecked sailor's life.[1]

At the beginning of the 20th century, Petrovac had around 300 inhabitants.

In World War II, British agents were landed at nearby Perazica Do. They intended to establish contact with Yugoslav partisans (Operation Hydra).[2]

Tourism

Between the two world wars, Petrovac was famous as a popular destination for wealthy tourists from (the former) Yugoslavia. Petrovac is today a popular summer beach resort, its visitors coming predominantly from Montenegro and Serbia. Tourist accommodation has expanded greatly in recent years, although less obtrusively than at Budva and the quality has also improved in response to market demand. The resort's main attraction is its beach. There is a night club in the old castello.

There is ready access to neighbouring beaches at Lucice and Buljarica.


Sport

Despite the town's small size, it has a football club, OFK Petrovac, in the Montenegrin First League. They play at the town's stadium, called Pod Malim Brdom, which literally means Under the Little Hill in Serbo-Croatian.

Popular culture

In the 21st James Bond film, Casino Royale, Petrovac was the location of the eponymous casino . In the film, little is seen of the town, only the casino's environs and an outdoor cafe. A part of the movie Brothers Bloom was filmed in Petrovac. The locality has often been used in music videos of regional singers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrovac_%28Montenegro%29

Photo: Virtuelne panorame