Risan

Risan originated in the 4th century BC as a Greek colony. The safe harbor in the bay of Kotor is the oldest settlement in the area; it served for trade with the Illyrian population.  For the middle of the 2nd century, the Illyrian Ballaios is known as the ruler of Risan. He minted his own silver coins here, while only bronze coins are known from the city itself. During recent archaeological excavations, a large coin find from Ballaios' time was unearthed in Risan. This contains over 4000 coins with a total weight of 15 kg. After the Second Roman-Illyrian War, Risan, like the entire eastern Adriatic coast, came under the influence of Rome. Under Emperor Augustus, Risan was incorporated into the province of Dalmatia and received the status of a municipium. Imperial Risinium quickly Romanized and managed to maintain its status as a regional trade center until the 6th century. In the 6th century Risan is mentioned as a bishop's see (Risinium); however, at the end of the same century the town was destroyed and abandoned during the Avar and Slav invasions. In the Middle Ages, from the 8th to the middle of the 13th century, it belonged to the Serbian kingdom of Travunia. From the middle of the 13th century it was ruled by the Serbian dynasty of Vojinović or Altomanović. Nikola Altomanović conquered vast territories in west-central Serbia before being defeated in 1373 by a joint action of the Bosnian prince and later Serbian king Tvrtko I and the Serbian prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and his territory was divided between the victors. After 1370 Risan belonged to the Montenegrin principality of the Serbian Balšić dynasty. After their end in 1421, the place became Venetian. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Ottomans managed to capture Risan. The place, together with Herceg Novi, was one of the two Turkish bridgeheads on the Bay of Kotor. During the Turkish War from 1683 to 1699, the Venetians managed to capture Risan in 1687. The Peace of Karlowitz with the High Porte confirmed the possession to the Republic of Venice. After the end of the Republic of St. Mark, Russian, English and French occupations alternated in the Bay of Kotor. By the provisions of the Congress of Vienna, the bay and with it Risan became part of the k.(u.)k. Monarchy. Belonging to Yugoslavia since 1918, Risan became part of the Republic of Montenegro in 1944.

The quiet town is a popular tourist destination mainly because of its many beaches. Risan is also a starting point for mountain tours to the Orjen Mountains, as a well-built road leads up to the top of the pass (1,594 m) from here.