Kotor, Montenegro: undiscovered natural beauty and history

The medieval town of Kotor, Montenegro sits at the end of a placid bay that cuts deep into the surrounding limestone mountains. Often called the southernmost fjord in Europe, it is actually a submerged river canyon. Once you arrive in Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you’ll have to catch your breath before you can attempt to name the majestic scenery surrounding you. You’ll be surprised that more people haven’t discovered it. No matter where you look your senses are overwhelmed by either the natural beauty of the area and the depth of history from which the Venetian influenced town has emerged.

Kotor Old Town

The market just outside the town walls

While tourists flock to the nearby, cheesy and overdeveloped town of Budva to party throughout the summer, Kotor has managed to maintain a sense of history and tradition. There is still a nightlife to be found as delicious restaurants dot the bay’s shores and a few nightclubs rock the old town’s walls at night. However, Kotor’s old town has managed to maintained a lived-in feeling despite the restaurants and shops catering to the tourists who do come. The old city is nice to stroll around, but the main action still takes place in the shadow of the town’s walls where a wonderful market bursts to life each day. Plants, prosciutto, and olives are sold everywhere and you get the feeling that locals enjoy the market as much as the visitors. The olives are particularly delicious and I bought my fill from a seller dressed in loose white cotton paints, a tight red t-shirt and a classic sweater tied around his shoulders. He looked like he had just arrived from his stone house surrounded by olive fields overlooking the deep blue Adriatic Sea.

No matter where you go in Kotor three things are constantly in view, the sheer limestone mountains surrounding you, the calm waters of the bay, and the ancient castle fortifications that scale the mountain behind the town. The fortifications are a dizzying mix of ramparts, towers, gates, bastions, forts, cisterns, a church, a castle and steps…so many steps. Over 1,500 steps lead you on a steep climb through history to the top of the citadel. You are free to scramble and climb around the ruins in a way unheard of in other countries. The climb is steep and it pays to take along some water, and appropriate clothes for hiking. The climb only takes about 40 minutes but it usually takes longer as with each step another amazing vista opens up to appreciate. Start early as the afternoon sun can be quite hot and the path becomes crowded with visitors in high heels and jeans unprepared for the steepness and the heat.

The tower of the Church of Our Lady of Remedy

Once you’ve taken in the old city and fortress you are free to enjoy the laid back atmosphere of the surrounding towns and the beauty of the mountains and bay. I would recommend spending time on the southern side of the bay where the small towns are filled with traditional stone houses and accompanying rock jetties which protect the simple row boats used for fishing. This is where the true rhythm of the area can be felt as neighbors meet for drinks by the water while they wait for husbands to return from fishing.

While the nightlife in the old city heats up in the summer I prefer the smaller towns where you have a chance to meet the locals and indulge in home cooking. One night we stumbled upon a quite little place on the water called Lantern. Full of wood, local memorabilia and hospitality it’s run by an older couple who go out of their way to socialize. At some point in the night, after a number of drinks on the house, a local entered to play the electric piano. Without any hesitation the wife grabbed a patron from a table and started dancing in the middle of the restaurant. Her husband wasn’t far behind and before you knew it most of the four occupied tables were up dancing. It was simple fun that would have been lost in the more touristy areas closer to Kotor.

The tranquility of the water penetrates deep inside the visitor and local alike. It’s impossible not to become relaxed by the majesty of the steep mountains, the deep blue skies, and the easy pace of the locals. Life is celebrated every moment in Kotor as it springs from the fish in the sea, the rich olives from the hills and the deep red vranc wine full of body from the fertile mountains.

The view from the southern side of Kotor Bay

While the area is relatively unknown and visited compared to Dubrovnic, Croatia (about a 2 hours drive to the north) and the grand tourist areas of Italy across the sea, it pays to visit in the off seasons if you are looking for true peace and quite. Visit in the Spring or Fall when the little medieval town is not too full. Of course if you want to party with the best of them come in the Summer and don’t forget to hit the clubs and beaches in Budva as well. Kotor will be waiting to help relax your mind and ease your hangover when your done.