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Writer's pictureSecrets D'aventure

Kotor - the germ of Montenegro


I have to say Kotor is one of the most impressive places I have seen in Europe. It really took my breath away by its mountainous background, beautiful blue waters and medieval and Venetian-era settlements. I really did have to exclaim “What a beautiful place!”

Kotor's Stari Grad (old town) and best known landmark are listed with UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Kotor Bay is the deepest natural fjord-like bay in the Mediterranean Sea and the scenery around it (including the steep mountains which come almost straight down to the water edge) is spectacular.




Stari Grad 

The Old Town is the most famous part of Kotor, where the Kotor history, culture, and tradition are being preserved. It is fully walled (the mountain functions as a rear wall) and shaped roughly like a triangle. Four gates offer access to the town: The Main Gate, along the Bay, the North Gate, the South Gate, and a smaller New Gate. There are no cars allowed in the Stari Grad. It has a great number of monuments of the medieval architecture: churches, cathedrals, palaces, and museums. They are complemented with the multitude of narrow streets, squares, and markets.





St. John’s Fortress

I think the number one attraction for anyone visiting Kotor is a climb up to St. John’s fortress. Its wall is stretching about 4.5 km directly above and east of the Old Town, on almost vertical cliffs. It looks a little like a short version of the Great Wall. It is a hike including 1,350 steps, 400 meters up. This is quite a physical challenge for people who are not sportive. Some of the steps are broken but the path is in relatively good shape. The 400m ascent may take 30mn to 1h depending on your condition. But the view along the way may inspire and support you a lot to get to the top. When finishing the 1350 steps, you will be rewarded by an excellent view of Kotor and the bay from the Church of Our Lady of Health (half way up) and the St John's fortress on top.





We can start from the entrance points within the city walls near St. Mary’s Church or Pjaca od Salate which means Salad Square (such a funny name, isn’t it?) to go up and then go down by another route called Austro-Hungarian road, one of the most famous hair-pinned roads in the world. This road is mostly a narrow one-lane road offering stunning views of Kotor from above.


At the fortress, you will see a window look out a small abandoned church. The window is big enough for you to climb out.


And then just follow the route, you will pass by the small abandoned church, a hidden small bar where you can enjoy some fresh rakija or cheese, Madonna Della Salute Church - a halfway stopping point where you can find some chilled beverages and souvenirs and of course some mountain goats finding something to eat.





The road will end just outside the city walls near the Northern Gate. Just some steps from there, you will meet the Venetian fortifications of Kotor.



Gornji Stoliv

Gornji Stoliv, a semi-abandoned village, is another fantastic spot to catch some great views of the Bay. It is a short climb up (about 30 minutes) from the small village of Donji Stoliv. Between the post office and mile stone 38, you will find a narrow path to go up. There is  an old pebble road that takes you zigzag up through chestnut woods and olive groves. Many houses are abandoned, but the village has succeeded in keeping its original form and authenticity. Along the way, there are many great view points for enjoying. The photos we took were not that great because of the weather.








Perast

We missed this famous town actually. This town is 30 minutes by bus from Kotor. There are not many things to do (a few churches, a bell tower, the island of Our Lady of the Rock, the island of Abbey of St. George, having a drink or meal at one of the restaurants along the water and enjoying the views) except you want to look for some of the most incredible scenery you’ve seen in your life. That is where Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones bought their summer home a few years ago.

Walking around the coast

Doesn’t matter if it’s day or night, you will be able to catch breathless scenery when wandering along the coast.



We even discovered one special thing when wandering at night here. The heart shape is the wall of the St. John’s Fortress decorated with lights and its reflection on the sea. It depends on where you stand and the stillness of the water to catch a beautiful heart shape. Unfortunately, all the photos we took were a bit blur. But no problems, people said the most beautiful photo of something is its image in our heart.



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