Coast guide · about 1.5 hours from Podgorica
A walled medieval town at the end of the bay: the old town and St Tryphon, the climb to San Giovanni, Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks, and where to eat and stay.
Montenegro feature
Mountains plunge into the sea, and at the innermost corner of the bay a medieval town hides behind its walls.
Climb the walls at dawn, wander the squares of the old town, take a boat to Our Lady of the Rocks and stay for dinner on the water.
Read the full back story below, then plan your trip.
The back story
A walled medieval town at the end of a fjord-like bay, under mountains that drop straight into the sea: a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
UNESCO World Heritage
A walled medieval town of stone lanes, squares, churches and palaces at the head of the bay.
Consecrated in 1166
Kotor’s Romanesque cathedral, consecrated in 1166, with two bell towers and a treasury.
The view of the bay
The walls that climb the mountain behind Kotor to the fortress of San Giovanni, with a sweeping view of the bay.
Kotor’s sailors
The story of the sailors of the Bay of Kotor, in a baroque palace in the old town.
Kotor’s cats
A small museum in the old town devoted to cats, the unofficial symbol of Kotor.
An island built by hand
The baroque town of Perast and its two islets, with the church of Our Lady of the Rocks on an island made by hand.
On the water
A seafood restaurant on the water by Kotor’s marina, with views of the old town walls.
In the old town
A traditional konoba inside the old town, with fish, meat and Montenegrin dishes.
On the main square
A hotel on the main square of Kotor’s old town, just inside the Sea Gate.
In Napoleon’s theatre
A four-star hotel in the old town, partly in the building of the former Napoleonic-era theatre.
Bus or car
Buses run from Podgorica to Kotor in about two hours; by car it is about an hour and a half.
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