May 30, 2018 - It is one of several dozen luxurious villas that were built in the former Yugoslavia and served the lifetime Yugoslav president Tito. The reason for the construction of the complex was the success of Tito's treatment at the old spa in Igalo, which had greatly benefited his health and is why the government decided to build the villa near this spa. It is in this part of Igalo that the Mediterranean climate, from the entrance to the bay and continental from the hinterland of Herceg Novi, are mixed, because Orijen, the highest mountain on the eastern Adriatic coast, is located just 6 km from the spot. The climate generated here at the micro-location is suitable for recovery, so Igalo became a well-known spa center.
The four-story, 5,500 square-meter building is surrounded by 75,000 square meters botanical garden.
The villa is designed for 30 guests, with the possibility of using medical and rehabilitation services. It has hosted many world political leaders as well as public figures. Tito visited it only four times.
Today, the villa is open for public tours. The interest in visiting the former residence of Josip Broz is enormous, and part of the villa is open for sightseeing. It is possible to see the rooms in which Tito and his guests held meetings, apartments in which his guests stayed, as well as his and his wife's apartment. Additionally, Tito's working cabinet, conference room, restaurant hall are available to visitors. Within the villa, there is a pool with mineral water, mud and pearl baths, as well as an atomic shelter in the basement.
Within the villa, there is even a cinema hall in which Tito liked to watch cowboy movies in the evenings. He loved people from the world of art, especially film, who were his frequent guests - Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Barton, among others. The first foreigner who stayed in the villa was not a politician, but a Mexican musician Henrik Szeryng, who held a concert for Tito and his guests.
After the death of Josip Broz in 1980, until 2007, the villa "Galeb" was closed to the public. Since 2000, it has been mostly rented by wealthy Russians. However, since June 2014, the villa has been reopened for those who want a breath of the past. The villa is open to interested parties on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 6 pm.
