Herceg Novi stands at the mouth of the Bay of Kotor, the first town you meet when coming into Montenegro from the Croatian side, and it climbs the hillside in terraces of stone steps. It was founded in the fourteenth century by the Bosnian king Tvrtko, which is where the name comes from, and later held in turn by Ottomans, Venetians, Austrians and others. That layered history appears in the old town, where narrow lanes lead past a clock tower, small squares and the walls of the Kanli Kula fortress and the Forte Mare, standing right on the sea.
The town has a reputation for flowers. Mimosa blooms in late winter, and a festival celebrating it takes place in the early part of the year, while palms, agave and bougainvillea fill the gardens in summer. The sea air smells of salt and pine, and the long promenade, the Pet Danica, runs along the water toward Igalo, a spa area known for its mud and mineral treatments. Because the climate here is mild, with a lot of sun, the town has long been a place people come to rest.
For riding, it is a base rather than a destination. The coast road along the bay is narrow, busy and full of traffic in summer, with tourist coaches, local buses and cars with foreign plates, and on a hot Saturday it can be slow. Early morning is the time to ride it, when the water in the bay is flat and the mountains of Orjen stand behind the town. The road toward Kotor passes small villages, with the ferry at Kamenari shortening the loop across the bay mouth, and the road inland from Herceg Novi climbs toward Orjen with a few good hairpins and cooler air.
With nearly twenty thousand people, the town has all the usual services: several fuel stations, banks, shops and a good choice of restaurants, particularly for fish. It is an easy place for a break between border crossings, and the border with Croatia is close, so allow time in high season, as queues can be long. If you can, take a coffee on the promenade and watch the ferries and boats crossing the bay before you press on south.