At one time the Stari Grad was similar geographically to Sveti Stefan across the wider bay: a clenched fist joined to the shore by a short isthmus. From today's walkway one can picture how it must have looked. After the cataclysmic earthquake in 1979 the ancient enclave has been meticiously restored, almost to that borderline where to the eye, at least, real slides into replication.

  The guide goes on to say that calling the Stari Grad a replica of what was originally there would be unfair since the same stones of the old city were used for reassembly... but I don't agree. Stones or not, 'meticiously restored' or not, it is still a replica. And since I knew that entering the old town, I never became emotionally attached to it. Even after visiting the Musej Grada Budve (Budva's archaeology museum), I couldn't find the sprit in Budva. It was a Disneyland to me. Or, as one man from Kotor told me: "Budva is like hamburger: processed!