Kotor – A Medieval Fairytale Town

Kotor is nestled between dramatic mountains and the interior of Kotor Bay. Here you will find a medieval Old Town, a sparkling clear bay, and tons of friendly felines. I visited this timeless town twice this year. The first time just for 5 hours on the last day of January during a cruise and the second time for a week during the hot days of early June.

While visiting Kotor you should spend time in the Old Town, enjoy the cats, hike up the mountain for great views, and enjoy the beauty of the landscape and the bay. Below is a summary of highlights I recommend checking out while in this charming little city.

Visit Old Town Kotor

The top thing to do during a visit is to wander through the medieval fairytale that is Old Town Kotor. The charming old town is so well preserved and I loved getting lost in the small stone walkways. The entire historic area is surrounded by impressive fortress walls that creep up the mountain behind the town connecting to the fort high above.

Walk the Walls

Visitors are welcome to climb on the fortress walls and walk around the edge of most of the encased old town for free. Benches offer a nice place to enjoy the view from the top of the northern wall. The river hugs the wall on one side and on the other is a view of towers and the steep mountain.

^{On top of the northern wall surrounding Old Town Kotor}

The walls extend far beyond the Old Town, climbing up the mountain behind to a fort perched high above. These grey stone walls mostly blend into the mountain during the day but at night the walls are illuminated an orangish glow snaking up the mountain.

The Sea Gate

The Sea Gate was built in the 16th century and is the most commonly used entrance into Old Town by visitors. Above the gate opening is the coat of arms of Yugoslavia which has been there for almost a century. Below this is engraved a quote from Marshal Tito: ‘Tuđe nećemo svoje ne damo/ Do not take ours we do not take yours.”

River Gate and Gudrić Gate

There are 2 other gates into and out of Old Town. These are the River Gate with its arched bridge on the northern side of Old Town and the Gurdić Gate on the southern side which is guarded by a bastion and has a moat-like bridge leading to the entrance. The Gudrić gate actually has 3 parts to it, the oldest being built in the 12-13th century and the newest in the 18th century.

^{Gurdić Gate is the southern entrance in to Old Town.}

^{The River Gate entrance into Old Town.}

Clock Tower and Arms Square

Walking through the Sea Gate leads you directly into Arms Square named after Venetian times when munitions were stored here. The stone Clock Tower will be the highlight of your view as you enter Old Town. It was originally built in the early 17th century but was rebuilt in 1979 after an earthquake. Notice how you can see the mountains rising up behind the buildings of Old Town.

Churches

St. Tryphon’s Cathedral

St. Tryphon’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral consecrated in 1166 and dedicated to Saint Tryphon who is considered the protector of Kotor. It was badly damaged in the Dubrovnik earthquake of 1667 and was thereafter rebuilt with the addition of the bell towers. It was also damaged in 1979 by another earthquake and had more restoration completed.

St. Luke’s Church

Saint Luke’s Church is a small church with oxidized stone walls creating a scorched appearance. It was originally built as a Catholic Church in 1195. From 1657 to 1812 it served as a place of worship for both the Catholic and Orthodox faiths with two altars. It was then given to the Orthodox Church.

Church of St. Nicholas

The Church of St. Nicholas is a Serbian Orthodox Church that was built from 1902-1909. It was built in the location of a previous Orthodox Church (1810-1896) which had burnt down. The church is dedicated to St. Nicholas who is considered a protector of sailors and travelers.

Old Winery Wine Bar

The Old Winery Wine Bar is tucked in a narrow street towards the back of Kotor’s old town. They have multiple Montenegrin and surrounding countries’ wines on offer. We really enjoyed sitting at a table surrounded by the historic stone buildings, sipping our wine while listening to music drifting out of the open windows of the winery.

Get Your Cat-Fix

Kotor is well known for all the friendly cats and the most friendly are those in Old Town. They are everywhere and adorable. You will find them perched on windowsills, napping on stone steps or cafe tables, and hanging out in Cat Park hoping you sit on a bench so they can sit in your lap. Cats are considered good luck in Kotor and are treated well.

^{Cats are found everywhere in Old Town of Kotor.}

^{Cafe tables make great napping locations for the cats of Kotor.}

^{Napping cats in Cat Park of Old Town Kotor.}

Cats are so loved in Kotor that there is even a Cat Museum in the Old Town. The museum is filled with cat art, cat postcards, cat postage stamps, etc. It only costs 1 euro to enter and the money helps feed the town’s furry felines. You will also see lots of “Cats of Kotor” items for sale in the souvenir shops.

^{Interesting cat art in the Cat Museum of Kotor.}

^{Old cat postcards in the Cat Museum of Kotor.}

^{Lots of cat themed souvenirs for sale in Kotor.}

Take a Refreshing Dip in Kotor Bay

During our visit in June it was quite hot with clear skies in Kotor so we especially enjoyed submerging ourselves in the chilly bay water. While we loved the water, we were less excited by the beaches. Kotor only has a couple actual beaches which were small and rocky. Rocks aren’t the most enjoyable to sit out on or walk upon to wade into the water.

^{One of the small rocky beaches in Kotor (Kotor Beach).}

We preferred hanging out on one of the cement platforms built out over the bay with a ladder for easy access into the water. The bay has a line of restaurants with outdoor seating just a short walk from Old Town. These offer a perfect way to spend a couple hours hiding from the sun under the tarps while enjoying the gorgeous view and the light breeze coming off the water. I enjoyed a mid-morning coffee at Restaurant Mondo multiple mornings during our stay.

^{Swimming in the Bay of Kotor on a}*^{hot summer day.}*

Go on a Hike

There are two very popular options for a hike with views while in Kotor. Rising up behind Old Town, an old fortress wall climbs up the steep mountainside. This mountain can be hiked and there are two common routes. These are to hike to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy and Fortress of Kotor or to hike the Ladder of Kotor.

Hike to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy and the Fortress of Kotor

The most popular hike in Kotor is to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy and then on to the Fortress of Kotor. You access this hike from a path that leads up endless steps out of the back of Old Town. About half way up is a tiny church, the Church of Our Lady of Remedy.

^{Hiking up to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy.}

^{The Church of Our Lady of Remedy}*^{is partway up the mountain behind Old Town Kotor.}*

At the very top is the Fortress of Kotor, also called the St. John Fortress. I was in Kotor for just an afternoon back in February and I climbed up to the church but sadly didn’t think I had time to go to the fort on top. Gorgeous views over the bay and Old Town are visible from the church and I’m sure they are even better from within the fort above. This route unfortunately usually charges a fee which is currently 15 euros. In February there wasn’t anyone there to collect money, so I went partway for free but be prepared to pay.

^{View of the mountain behind Old Town Kotor. If you look closely you can see the Church of Our Lady of Remedy and the Kotor Fort on the mountain.}

^{View over the Bay of Kotor from the Church of Our Lady of Remedy.}

^{View over Old Town Kotor from the Church of Our Lady of Remed}*^y.*

Hike the Ladder of Kotor

The other hiking option also brings you up to the Fortress of Kotor but from outside the walls. This hike is called “The Ladder of Kotor” and it heads up from just north of Old Town. The Ladder of Kotor offers lovely views of the fort walls and over the bay along this route as well.

^{View over the bay from the Ladder of Kotor hike.}

^{View of the outer walls of the Kotor Fort from the Ladder of Kotor hike.}

When you reach the elevation of the fort, you can walk around an old abandoned church and some ruins. Then you can climb up on a stack of rocks and pull yourself into an open window of the fortress. I might have made it through the window with some help, but it looked a bit sketchy trying to get back out. We didn’t want to risk spraining an ankle so we chose not to sneak into the fortress. Once in the fortress you either leave back through the window or hike down the paid way, but if there are people at the payment kiosk on the way down they will likely make you pay the fee upon exit.

This hike can continue much higher past the height of the fort if you want an even higher view and a more intense workout. We did not continue beyond the fort.

^{Old abandoned}*^{church outside the fort walls along the Ladder of Kotor hike.}*

^{Ruins along the Ladder of Kotor hike.}

^{The window that you need to climb through to enter the fort from the Ladder of Kotor hike.}

When to Visit: January vs June

I found both January and June great times to be in Kotor. They each have their pros and cons but I would recommend visiting any time of year.

Visiting Kotor in January

In January the city was quieter as less tourists visit during this time of year. I had arrived on a cruise ship, so plenty of cruise passengers came in with me but it did not feel crowded and many only stayed a few hours. It felt quite relaxed walking around Old Town. Another thing I loved about my January visit was the weather. I found the view of the mountains really stunning with clouds clinging to and gliding along the mountains. It was also cooler (around 55 degrees Fahrenheit) which was great for a walk up the stairs to Church of Our Lady of Remedy to get views over the city. The con of this time of year is it would be too cold for an enjoyable swim in the bay.

Visiting Kotor in June

In June we had clear skies and hot days with temperatures ranging from 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit. You could always see the mountains well as they were free of clouds. The heat also meant we really enjoyed dunking ourselves into the refreshing water of the bay. In Old Town the narrow walkways offer some shade from the sun during the day. However the stones that make up Old Town absorb the heat throughout the day and in the evening when the air temperature has cooled down the stored heat radiates up and out of the stone pavement and walls. Therefore I recommend dressing in light clothing still when going out later in the evening to enjoy some dinner or music during the summer.

Time to Leave Kotor

We loved Kotor and I think it will keep a part of my heart for many years to come. We leave this charming town and are off to see a bit more of stunning Montenegro. We are off to the capital city of Podgorica and then to Durmitor National Park.

If you want to hear about another charming town along the Bay of Kotor, check out my post on Herceg Novi in Montenegro.

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Travel to Charming Herceg Novi - Beyond These Borders says:

September 16, 2025 at 11:42 am

[…] our hearts. However, we were also excited for the following stop, the medieval fairytale city of Kotor. […]

A Few Days in Podgorica, the Capital of Montenegro - Beyond These Borders says:

October 8, 2025 at 3:55 pm

[…] of Durmitor National Park. If you are thinking about visiting Montenegro, check out my posts of Kotor and Herceg Novi for two great destinations on the Bay of […]