Unique Things To Do in Kotor, Montenegro

An Overview of Kotor

Kotor is a stunningly beautiful town on the coast of Montenegro, tucked into an enclosed bay. Centuries ago, Kotor was founded by ancient Romans as the village of Acruvium, eventually gaining autonomous rule during the reign of Byzantium. Later, Kotor would be a free medieval town of Serbia, eventually changing hands between Venice, Hungary with sporadic decades as an independent republic. In the modern era, the town is known to be a walled community with Old Town structures, many outdoor cats, stark nearby mountains and access to numerous bays, waterways and caves. There are many unique things to do in Kotor.

Unique Things To Do in Kotor

Fortifications of Kotor

The Old Town of Kotor is completely encased in a series of integrated historical fortifications which include towers, gates, fortes, cisterns, a castle, walls, ramparts and a bastion. This defense system fortified the town while also moving up the nearby hills and mountains for further protection. Much of these fortifications are intact and can be explored.

Cats Museum Kotor

Kotor is notorious for the numerous felines which lounge in sun-patches throughout the Old Town streets, especially around the antique monastery of Our Lady of Angels. This museum pays homage to the cat population with engravings, antique books, small coins, odd medals, illustrated postcards, old photographs, sheet music and other various object. The cats are considered an integral part of Kotor so a certain percentage of each purchase is used to provide food for street cats.

Sveti Đorđe Islands

This is one of the two islands found off the coast of Perast in the Bay of Kotor. Unlike it’s sister island, Sveti Đorđe is a natural island with a monastery built upon it, the Catholic Monastery of Saint George. The island briefly appears in naval history during a confrontation between France and an invading force of British and Sicilian naval vessels.

Kotor Cathedral

Better known as St. Tryphon’s Cathedral, this well-preserved structure was built in honor of Saint Tryphon, the patron saint of Kotor. Saint Tryphon was known as a healer, especially of animals. He was furthermore granted a place as one of the Church’s Holy Unmercenaries, a honorific describing those who did work without accepting payment. The interior of the church has a rich collection of old artifacts, including frescoes, stone ornaments and reliefs of gold and silver.

Beaches of the Bay of Kotor

As an enclosed bay, there are many beaches to be found in the Bay of Kotor. The closest beach to the walled town is simply called Kotor Beach, a small strip of sand leading into shallow, blue waters. While the waters are excellent for swimming, know the bay gets cold rapidly at night, due to the sun being blocked by mountains and most of the Bay becoming shrouded in shadows.

Piazza of the Arms (Trg od Oružja)

This central plaza is the heart of Kotor, filled with cafés, tourist shops, historical structures, a clock tower and views of the cobbled lanes. During the Venetian occupation of the city, the plaza was a major location for storing armament manufactured goods. The plaza is an easier landmark to work with when exploring the city.

Our Lady of the Rocks

This island can be found off the shore of Perast in the Bay of Kotor. The island, which has a church and a few other small, artful features, is entirely artificial. It was created by using a bulwark of rocks and purposely sinking seized ships full of stones. Once the shipwreck foundation was deemed stable, the Church of the Madonna dello Scalpello was built, along with several walls and small tourist attractions.

St John Fortress of Kotor

Overlooking the town of Kotor, this fortress made of well-fitted ruins is a steep climb for splendid views of the bay. The Fortress works as a crossroads for various hiking trails which trace the upper mountains around the bay, The fortress can be reached by using the staircase, also known as the Ladder of Kotor. This passes other sights, including San Giovanni. Hike are recommended for early morning or later afternoon, as there isn’t much shade and the weather is often hot.

Maritime Museum

Located in Kotor’s Old Town this is a long-running nautical museum stocked with model ships, elegant paintings and seafaring furniture.

Perast

Located just a few kilometers away from Kotor, Perast is an Old Town looking directly at the Bay of Kotor’s islands. Despite its tiny size, Perast is a idyllic village with ancient buildings, splendid views and romantic waterfront eateries.

Lovćen

Lovćen is a mountain and national park in southwestern Montenegro, home to numerous hiking trails, two imposing peaks, rocky trails, scenery pocketed with fissures and panoramas of moutnains falling into seas. Due to the mountain’s unique structure and placement between climates and altitudes, it supports unusual biological systems.

Skurda Canyon

Near the Old Town of Kotor, a series of amazing canyons and ravines open up between mountains with sheer cliffs, small waterfalls and naturally formed stone sculptures. The incredible natural scenery can be accessed through professional canyoning tours.

Swimming Cave in the Bay of Kotor

Thanks to it’s unique rocky formations and shallow waters, the Bay of Kotor has numerous caves and caverns which can be accessed by boats, kayaks, tours or simply swimming.

Fortress Gorazda

Located to the south of Kotor, this impressive earthwork fortress can be accessed by following twisting roads up low mountains. The Austro-Hungarian Empire fortifications are home to a 100-ton Gruson rotating turret on its roof, the last of its kind.

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