Kotor sits at the innermost point of the Bay of Kotor, a deep inlet often described as Europe's southernmost fjord even though it's technically a submerged river canyon, the walled medieval old town below towering limestone cliffs, and a fortress climbing over a thousand steps up the mountainside above it, make Kotor one of the most dramatically situated towns on the Adriatic.
The Walled Old Town
Kotor's old town, a compact maze of marble-paved squares and Venetian-influenced architecture, has survived earthquakes and centuries of changing rule between Venetian, Austro-Hungarian, and Yugoslav authority, the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, dating to 1166, anchors the town's main square.
Cats roam freely throughout the old town and have become something of an unofficial civic symbol, with a small cat museum dedicated to the theme, a quirky footnote to an otherwise serious medieval fortified town.
The Fortress Climb
The climb to St. John's Fortress, along roughly 1,350 steps carved into the mountainside above the old town, is steep and shadeless for much of the route but rewards with a sweeping view down over the old town's rooftops and the full curve of the bay below.
Start the climb early morning to avoid both the midday heat and the crowds, there's a small fee collected partway up, and sturdy shoes are essential given the uneven, worn stone steps.
Recommended Stay · Kotor · Old Town
Hotel Cattaro
A boutique hotel inside Kotor's old town walls, with rooms overlooking the marble streets and a short walk to both the cathedral and the fortress trailhead.
