We spent a day wandering around the quaint old town of Kotor in Montenegro during our Balkan Road Trip. The walled city sits nestled between the stunning Bay of Kotor and Mount Lovćen. Inside the formidable city walls are a labyrinth of old buildings squeezed into narrow cobbled streets, all lined with hundreds of cats and thousands of people disgorging from the many cruise ships moored just outside town.
Our time in Kotor was marred by our inability to locate our Airbnb host, who was finally tracked down by the very helpful people at the Tourist Information Centre. In addition, our arrival coincided with the arrival of a cruise ship the size of a small country, so the old town was spectacularly crowded. Our departure coincided with the arrival of a cruise ship the size of a bigger country. Try exiting through a narrow mediaeval stone gate with several thousand people coming in the opposite direction – carnage!
How to get to Kotor
Kotor is on the coast of Montenegro. This little country has a population of just 623,000, a third of whom live in the capital, Podgorica. We drove up the coast from Albania, stopping to admire the view of the island of Sveti Stefan and spend some time in the beautiful town of Budva along the way. The whole drive through Montenegro from the Albanian border to the Croatian border is just 80 miles (or 90 miles if you drive round the Bay of Kotor, which I thoroughly recommend!)
If you drive, parking is available at various spots around the edge of the old town. It’s not cheap; with the prices ranging from €0.80 to €2 an hour, increasing the closer you are to the town. We parked some considerable way from town and payed €10.
By air, it is possible to fly to Montenegro; Podgorica airport is around 55 miles away. However, it is probably easier (and cheaper) to fly into Dubrovnik in neighbouring Croatia, which has many more flights and is only 45 miles away. There are also bus services (national and to neighbouring countries). The bus station is a ten minute walk from the old town. A useful list of bus times can be found here.
Getting around Kotor
The only way to get around the cobbled old town is on foot. It’s a labyrinth – be prepared to get lost!
Where to stay in Kotor
Accommodation in the old town is limited and rather pricey. We booked an Airbnb, which was not particularly successful. The host was impossible to find, the accommodation wasn’t great and the old town is extremely noisy at night. In addition, with no parking nearby, you have to carry your belongings through the hordes of jostling people to reach your accommodation. With hindsight, I would suggest staying nearby rather than in the old town itself.
Kotor in 1 day Itinerary
| Sea Gate |
| Clock Tower |
| Cats |
| St Tryphon’s Cathedral |
| Gurdić Bastion & Gate |
| Town Walls |
| St Mary’s Collegiate Church |
| River Gate |
| Park Slobode |
| Bay of Kotor |
Sea Gate
We enter the old town via the Sea Gate. There are three gates in the city walls, built by the Venetians in the 16th Century. The main entrance to the town is via the 16th Century Sea Gate, so-called because the sea once reached right up to the entrance.
Sitting rather incongruously above the gate are a red star, commemorating the city’s liberation from the Nazis, and a carving of the Madonna and Child sitting between St Tryphon and St Bernard.
There is also an an oversized bench – obligatory to stop and take a dangly legged photo.
Clock Tower
Once inside the old town, in the Main Square, you will find the symbol of Kotor; the 17th Century Clock Tower. It sits atop a former prison, complete with pillory once used to shame delinquent citizens. Above, is a watch tower.
Cats
My favourite thing about Kotor is that cats are revered. There are cats everywhere; real cats, cat souvenirs, there’s even a Cats Museum where, if you so desire (between May and October), you can see thousands of feline themed books, prints, coins, medals, advertising, postcards etc. Entry costs €1. We (I) took lots of pictures of cats!
St Tryphon’s Cathedral
Kotor’s cathedral is named St Tryphon’s Cathedral because it holds the saint’s remains (they were en route to Dubrovnik, but ended up in Kotor due to a storm). The building dates from the 12th Century, although much of it was damaged during an earthquake in 1667. Financial issues at the time meant that the reconstruction remained unfinished, thus the left hand tower is two metres shorter than the right.
Gurdić Bastion & Gate
At the southern end of town is Gurdić Gate, watched over by the formidable Gurdić Bastion. Follow the corridor to the gate and pass through it to admire the wonderful view of the Bay of Kotor.
Town Walls
Rather than just surrounding the town, the fortifications of Kotor’s Town Walls run high up onto St John’s Hill. You can scale the 1200 metre, 1350 step line of wall interspersed with fortresses for a view across the town and the bay beyond. There are two entry points; one near the cathedral and a second just inside the River Gate. Our prolonged accommodation issues meant that we didn’t have time to complete the climb. Instead, we admired the view of the walls from the bottom and then went in search of beer!
Entrance to the walls costs €15 between May and September.
St Mary’s Collegiate Church
Built in 1221, St Mary’s Collegiate Church is one of the oldest churches in Kotor. Inside, you will find 14th Century frescoes and a glass coffin containing the body of Saint Osanna; claim to saintly fame – being walled into a small cell attached to a church in order to devote her life to prayer.
River Gate
The third city gate, River Gate, is on the northern side of the city leading to a bridge across the Škurda River. Across the bridge is a shopping centre, where we stocked up on provisions for a picnic with a spectacular view.
Park Slobode
Just outside the old town, nestled between the River Škurda and the bay, is Park Slobode. Here, you can escape the confines of the walls, enjoy the view and watch the comings and goings in the port.
Bay of Kotor
Departing from Kotor, the road runs close to the shore along the Bay of Kotor, backed by mountains which reflect in the waters beneath. It’s quite magical and I lost count of how many times we stopped to marvel at the view on our drive round the bay as we headed for Croatia.
- Trip taken: September 2018
- Updated: August 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
Jane's Midlife Journey 
Leave a comment