Kotor, Montenegro

Official Language: Montenegrin Currency: Euro

Kotor is a city near the west coast of Montenegro with the port and Old Town situated within the Bay of Kotor. Surrounded by the limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovcen, Kotor and the surrounding bay area is striking. Kotor, back in 168 BC was originally settled in Ancient Roman times, and was part of the province of Dalmatia. Full history of Kotor, and Montenegro in general is extensive - up until 2006, Montenegro was part of the Yugoslavia. An earthquake in 1979 damaged much of the buildings in Kotor including many of the fortifications, but adds to the history of these buildings (or what is left of them).

Having known very little about this city before we planned our visit, this was one city that was a huge surprise - in the best way. Kotor still has that small town feel, but it definitely an ‘up-and-coming’ city. Cruise ships are now coming into the port allowing tourists to check out this incredible spot. Montenegro was by far one of the cheapest destinations I’ve been to in Europe, and fingers crossed that it stays as this hidden gem for a while. We only managed to squeeze in 2 nights here, though had we known how incredible this country was, it would have been high up on my list of places to check out further. I would go back to Montenegro in a heartbeat - hopefully before all of the other tourists do anyways!

Old Town Kotor

The old city of Kotor is captivating. The town was devastated by a Mw 6.9 earthquake in the Spring of 1979, and though a significant portion was rebuilt, some parts have been left as is, showing us the real history behind the city walls.

The atmosphere is inviting, and wandering around the small streets and alleyways of the medieval city is incredible, night or day. At night, once the cruise ship passengers have left and the city quiets down, the old town mainly fills with the few tourists who remain, and the locals who come into town for the evening. Wandering through the old town walls by foot (no vehicles allowed), is enticing. The sheer beauty of the old palaces, delicate stonework and many historic churches gives us a sense of what Kotor may have once been like long ago. Many of the old buildings have nameplates on them to help provide a sense of history, without having to take a formal tour.

The official symbol of Kotor is a lion, though the most ferocious animal you will see everywhere is its much smaller feline friend - the kitty cat. Cats were used in the maritime industry to help keep pest control down on ships, and as those ships arrived from around the globe, so did the cats into Kotor. You will find cat themed museums, shops, and souvenirs all over the Old Town area (and the cats themselves), so if you’re a cat person - all the more reason to visit! If you do decide to buy some kitty souvenirs to take home, may I suggest buying them from one of two shops - Kotor’s Cats & Cats of Kotor. These 2 shops directly give back and aid the town’s cat population. They not only feed and support the cats, but sterilise and provide medical treatment for them as well.

If you are looking to spend a laid back day in the old town, grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine, find a seat in one of many cafes within the old walls, people watch (or kitty watch if you prefer), and enjoy the captivating beauty that you will find around every corner.

Castle of San Giovanni

The Castle of San Giovanni or ‘St. John’s Castle’ is a must do for any visitor to Kotor. The castle sits up top the Mountain of St. John, overlooking the Bay of Kotor, old town, and surrounding fjords and mountains. Its a relatively easy hike (from an Albertan’s point of view anyways), with a few different ways to get to the Castle.

For centuries, and to this day, this area is a hot commodity. With a highly desirable location in the Mediterranean, many armies have been battling for this area as long ago as the 4th century. What we see today began to take real shape in the late 1400’s (though was initially started in the 2nd century BC) with the Ottoman Turks & Venetians taking turns defending the opposite sides. After the Austrians defeat in WW1, they were the last to man the fortress. Other world events include the Axis Forces taking control of the area during WWII. Historically, the Castle is not necessarily about a place of safety, but rather a wall of protection. Navy vessels have a shot at enemies sailing in around the bay, and on land, the Old Town city gates and walls are yet another line of defense. The Kotor castle acts as a shield to protect the rivals from advancing any further inland (though was breached a number of times). The final line of defence is Mount Lovcen close by. Along with human power, the natural mountains surrounding make advancing past this point much more difficult. A proud moment for the Montenegrin people is that this final line of defence, the mountains, remain unconquered by any outside forces to this day.

The most well known way to get up to the castle is using the main entrance through the town centre. If you love the Stair Master, this is the route for you. Here, you can pay a small fee (between May and September, 8am-8pm) to do the climb up the 1300+ steps ( ~1200m incline) to the top. With this said, the gates are open before and after these times, at which point entry is completely free. This is by far the most popular route, though likely because its the most well known & advertised.

Alternatively, you can do as we did*. The ‘Ladder of Kotor’ hike has an entrance at the NE corner of the Old Town, and is the entire path has a total of 70+ switchbacks and continues much further up the mountain than just the castle. This route is definitely less traveled as we only passed 2 others on our way up, had pretty incredible views the entire way, and saw many donkeys and kitty cats along the way. 

We left our hotel at 6am so that we could watch the Sun rise over the mountain illuminating the bay and houses beyond, not to mention escaping the heat of the summer! I would highly recommend the early wake up to anyone going to Kotor in the summer months, even if morning’s aren’t your thing (they certainly aren’t my fave), its 100% worth it. Taking this route, you will walk up switchbacks for ~30-45 minutes until you reach a break in the paths. Take the right exit and you will be on your way to the castle. The entrance to the castle requires you to physically climb up a wooden ladder and through a window, opening up into the castle. From here, you have free roam around the entire complex. Enjoy the sunrise, incredible views over the bay, and significantly fewer crowds than during the mid-day when the cruise ship guests fill up the castle steps! You can take the path/steps down as you would to return back to the Kotor town.

*I have heard from some people since, that they may have started to guard the ‘ladder’ entrance to the castle during the day, requiring you to pay the fee anyways, but I’ve heard mixed things about this. So long as you’re willing to do this at sunrise as we did, you will have no issues!