We’re here for the history, frankly: that’s why we chose Kotor over several other pretty Montenegrin places on the water. So what’s so great about Kotor’s Old Town? Walls enclose it, for one thing, with three gates (an enormous mountain takes care of the fourth side). That whole business is so spectacular it deserves its own post. Once you’re inside, though, you can wander around the adorable cobblestone streets, stopping in all kinds of shops and eateries. City planners intended invaders and outsiders to wander aimlessly. For tourists, this means no straight lines, and maximum cuteness.
But you won’t get lost for too long; Kotor’s Old Town isn’t all that large. The main joy is wandering around the piazzas and looking at all of the old family palaces, plus finding the ‘pillar of shame’ at the base of the leaning clock tower. But if you are the sort who needs things to tick off a list (we get you: no judgement from us!), here are some genuine sights to see.
Churches of Kotor’s Old Town
St. Tryphon’s church is the big draw of the old town, architecturally speaking. It’s a Catholic church, consecrated in 1166, in the Romanesque style. The bell towers out front were destroyed in the 1667 earthquake, and rebuilt in the Baroque style. In spite of this, the whole thing looks remarkably coherent.
It’s a beautiful space with clean lines, and the treasury on the upper floor contains lots of religious artefacts, some of them dating back to the 13th century, including a wooden crucifix, not in great shape but impressive nonetheless.
And as a bonus: Byzantine mosaics in some of the arches!
There’s also St Nicholas’ church, a Serbian Orthodox church built at the beginning of the 20th century, and the most important Orthodox site in Kotor. Among the principal attractions are its icons and silver.
And then there’s St Luke’s, which the ecumenical among you will especially like! Dating to 1195, it contains both Catholic and Orthodox altars. And both religions held services there, for two centuries, until the Catholics ceded it to the Orthodox (peacefully, for a change). Also, the floor is made of tombstones.
Maritime Museum
This is a small but lovely museum, full of artefacts from Kotor’s maritime history, with a lot of material on Montenegrin history in general. There are rooms full of maritime material, including sextants, chronometers, and numerous models of various sailing vessels. But the 18th century building, worth a visit in its own right, was once a palazzo. So there are quite a number of rooms with period furniture (from houses belonging to sea captains, so it all kind of fits), luxury goods such as gilded clocks and Japanese vases, and beautifully carved wooden furniture. And a shout-out to the excellent audio guide (in English), included in the admission price!
Other Attractions
There are restaurants and cafes on every corner, more or less, many of them offering outdoor seating so you can capitalize on the people-watching. The denizens of Kotor sit out to eat in all sorts of weather, but the restaurants are especially full when there’s even a bit of sunlight. And as far as animals are concerned, it’s like being back in Istanbul or Limassol. The cats are everywhere underfoot in Kotor’s Old Town, and also overhead. You run into them almost every time you turn a corner. Also, there are several cat-focused stores and cat museums, which seem to be more popular than we would have thought! All in all, it’s very easy to get caught up in the charms of Kotor’s Old Town – we find ourselves here pretty much every day.
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