Keriolet manor dates back to the 15th century. It was redesigned in the 19th century by princess Zénaïde Narischkine Youssoupoff, the aunt of Russian Tsar Nikolai II, for her young spouse, the Count of Chauveau in Concarneau, a commoner for whom she purchased two noble titles. Extremely fond of the region, the princess"s design uses numerous symbols to represent Breton history and tradition (Breton couples in traditional dress, stoat"s paws, Breton nationalist symbols, etc).
During the 20th century, the Château de Keriolet belonged to several different owners, including the princess’s grandson, Felix Yusupov, who was famous for his role in the assassination of Rasputin. Since 1988, the Château has been wonderfully restored. Nowadays the site hosts some top electronic music events.
References:Herceg Novi was founded (on a former small fishing village, existing since Roman Empire times) as a fortress in 1382 by first Bosnian King Stjepan Tvrtko I and was called Sveti Stefan or Castelnuovo. The Turks conquered Herceg Novi in 1482, and ruled for 200 years, until 1687. However, there was a short pause between 1538 and 1539 when it was held by the Spaniards before they were defeated in the Siege of Castelnuovo. Turkey ruled again until 1687, from then until 1797, the town was ruled by the Venetian Republic.
The Herceg Novi old town is amazing. It is on a fairly steep hill that leads all the way down to the sea. Wandering through the small stairways to the various plazas and fortresses is a many hour adventure.