Kotor is one of the most beautiful places in Montenegro. When I think of Kotor, I think of the dramatic fjord landscape, the Italian ice-cream, and swimming in the bay. Kotor is perfect, even though in the summer months you have to deal with the cruise ship tourists. I spent five days in this city and I saw it as an ideal base for discovering Kotor and the rest of the bay. In this blog post, I am sharing 7 great things to do in and around Kotor.

7 things to do in and around Kotor

1. Stari Grad

The Stari Grad is stunning. Set at the foot of a rocky mountain and enclosed by a city wall. The old center of Kotor was built between the 12th and 14th century and has been an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. There are many churches located in the Stari Grad. My favorite is the small church of Sveti Luka at Piazza Greca. No one knows whether it is a Catholic or Orthodox church. Both religious groups have agreed to use the building for their services.

Stari Grad feels like a maze, but I loved it. Aimlessly wandering around is the best way to discover new places. I also saw many ice cream shops and pasta & pizza restaurants. This is a culinary heritage of the centuries of Italian domination of the city by the republic of Venice.

Stari Grad Kotor things to do
Stari Grad Kotor things to do
Stari Grad Kotor Muur things to do
Stari Grad Kotor things to do
Kotor things to do
Stari Grad Kotor things to do
Sveti Luka Kotor things to do

2. View from Sveti Ivan mountain

On the list of almost every tourist in Kotor: walking from the Stari Grad to the fortress of Sveti Ivan. This fort is situated high on a hill above the city making the walk up the 1350 steps equivalent to a work-out. Moreover, in the summer it can be an even bigger challenge when you have to deal with the constant sun in your face. However, once you have reached the first hundred steps, you will understand why you are doing this. The view of the triangular city center ​​surrounded by water and mountains is truly phenomenal. You will get the best view from the sixteenth-century Church of Our Lady of Health. Honestly, the view over the city was the biggest reason why I wanted to climb the Sveti Ivan mountain. There is not much to see in the fortress itself.

Sveti Ivan Kotor
Sveti Ivan Kotor
Sveti Ivan Kotor
Walking to the top of Sveti Stefan is one of the best things to do in Kotor.

3. Cat town Kotor

A remarkable detail of Kotor: this city has a large number of cats. The cat is one of the symbols of Kotor and there is even a museum dedicated to it in the Stari Grad. Where do these cats come from? According to legend, the cats come from the old merchant ships that were docked in the city. In that time Kotor suffered a lot from mice, rats, and snakes and the hunting cats solved this problem. Nowadays the cats are not so much hunting anymore, but napping in the sun.

Katten kotor

4. Abandoned Kotor: hotel Fjord

Near the bus station, you will find a number of abandoned buildings. The most well-known abandoned site is Hotel Fjord. In the late eighties, this was a five-star resort in the Bay of Kotor. Unfortunately, the hotel was only in operation for 19 years. After the Balkan Wars in the nineties, local tourism had declined dramatically. However, today tourists are finding their way back to the hotel, but this time for a whole different reason: urban exploring.

Hotel Fjord is easy to find. Outside the Stari Grad there is a sign with ‘hotel Fjord’. The fence around the hotel is torn in many places, so you can easily walk inside. Tip: walk all the way to the top floor and enjoy the view over Kotor from the roof.

Read next: In Dubrovnik I explored the abandoned Belvedere hotel.

Fjord hotel kotor
Kotor Fjord hotel

5. Alternative art: Dukley Art Center

Visited the Stari Grad and the Fjord hotel? Then I also recommend you to visit the Dukley Art Center. You will pass it anyway, as it is situated between the old city and the abandoned hotel. The Dukley Art Center is located in the former headquarters of the shipping company ‘Jugoceanija’. Before the cruise ships docked in Kotor, the maritime sector played a major role in this port city. Nowadays an artists’ collective is located in this building and used it for experimental creative expositions. There are 40 workshops in the building, each with a different focus. It is free entrance. For me, this gallery was an unexpected surprise!

Dukley Art Center Kotor

6. Discover the bay: beautiful Perast

The Bay of Kotor is about 20 kilometers long and along this route, there are more villages like Kotor that are worth visiting. One of these villages is Perast, a small car-free town with no less than 16 churches for 350 inhabitants. Many tourists visit Perast to see the two islands off the coast: Sveti Đorđe and Gospa od Škrpjela. The first island is a monastery island and it is off-limits for tourists. Fortunately, the second island is accessible to tourists. This is an artificial island built on a rock in the middle of the sea. The island offers just enough space for the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks which also functions as a small museum. The only way to get to the island is by boat. Boats are available at the quay and they will offer a return ride to the island.

Perast Kotor
Perast Kotor
Perast Kotor

7. Discover more of the bay: old Budva

Budva is known as a party destination for Russian tourists. It is less charming than Kotor, but it does have a beautiful Stari Grad. Narrow alleys, a beautiful orthodox church, and a citadel: enough things to see for a few hours!

The real tourist attraction of Budva is not located in the city itself, but 6 kilometers south of Budva. This is the island of Sveti Stefan. This used to be a fishing island, nowadays it is a luxury island resort with its very own casino. The island can only be accessed via a dam that splits into two strips of beaches. One beach is a public free beach, for the other beach you have to bring your wallet. This will cost you €80 per stretcher. The difference between the two beaches? Nothing, it is the same piece of beach with the same view.

Budva Kotor
Budva Kotor
Budva Kotor

Practical tips for kotor

  • To travel from Kotor to Perast by bus, I recommend Blue Line. This bus stops at the market outside Stari Grad and runs once every hour. Price is 1 euro and you pay the driver. There are also other buses available, but they pass Perast at the top of the hill.
  • Good to know: they use the euro. In 2002 Montenegro introduced the euro as they lacked their own national currency.
  • Traveling from Dubrovnik to Kotor in summer? Keep your schedule flexible. Bus companies will say the drive takes 2 to 3 hours, but in reality, it could take 4 to 5 hours due to queues at the border.
  • The Bay of Kotor has much more to offer. On my list for the next time in Kotor would be Herceg Novi, Risan and the Ostrog monastery (enclosed by a mountain).

Where to stay?

We stayed in an apartment just outside Stari Grad, but I cannot remember the name. It doesn’t matter anyway, because I would not recommend it. The room was small and there was a huge hill in front of the complex. A better option might be Guesthouse Palazzo Drusko, rated with a 9,5 on Booking.com. Click here for an overview of hotels in Kotor.

And there you have it, a list of things to do in Kotor. Have you been to the Bay of Kotor?

This blog post contains affiliate links. If you book something through these links, I earn a small commission without you paying extra for it. You can read more about it in my disclaimer.

Author

"Don't let your dreams be dreams. Go live your dreams. Go travel".

Write A Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.