TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE
Top things to see and do in Kotor, Montenegro
Dani De Leo, Solo Traveler, lousiana
08 June 2021
I honestly wasn’t really sure what to expect when visiting the small Balkan country of Montenegro, as I had
never met anyone that had been there and sort of last minute planned to go there. I am so glad I decided to
check this country off my list because it has easily become one of my top 5 countries that I have visited. Its
small size makes it easy to pick a base and do day trips from there so that you do not have to keep changing
accommodations. My base is was in Kotor, a cute city surrounded by the bay and mountains and complete with the cutest old town that you can spend hours wandering around. Montenegro is not the cheapest country in the Balkan region, but it is beautiful and well worth a visit. It was hard to pick 5 things to do in Kotor on a budget, as there are multiple things to do as well as plenty of day trips to be taken.
The Young Globetrotters
Photograph by Dani De Leo
Hike to the fortress: free
views and epic pictures. The hike is relatively easy if you are an active person and takes about 45
minutes- 1 hour to reach the top of the fortress (according to my own personal experience). I would
recommend doing the hike in the morning time during the summer months because of the hot weather
as the whole hike is exposed to the sun with no shade in sight. There are two shacks selling water and
other drinks along the way if needed, but be sure to pack plenty of water. The hiking path is pretty
obvious so it shouldn’t be easy to get off track, but you can always follow your location on google
maps, as you can see the hiking trail online. Just make sure to pre download your offline maps if you
don’t have internet. Right before you reach the fortress, there is a small abandoned monastery that
you can look inside if you are interested. You can walk up and down the fortress for different vantage
points and angles. I also would recommend going in the morning because of the lighting for pictures.
The sun is behind you while on the fortress in the morning and early afternoon, so the lighting is
perfect and the old town is bright with vivid colors. Please note: if you would rather a shorter and
easier route, you can pay an 8 euro entrance ticket to climb the stairs to the fortress which is shorter
and quicker. If you do this hike in the evening, you can walk down the stairs to exit the fortress after
8pm (this is when the ticket booth closes) so that you only will have to hike one way instead of both
ways.
Spend a half day in neighboring Perast: 5-10 euros
the small but charming village of Perast. The bus ticket from Kotor is 2 euros each way and leaves and
returns to the bus station right in front of the city gate of the Kotor old town. Beware because the blue
line bus only comes every hour, so plan accordingly. I did not know this and ended up just missing the
bus by a few minutes and had to wait almost a whole hour for the next one. Another option is to take a
ferry boat from Kotor to Perast which is about 5 euros a person and takes 50 minutes. This is a nice
scenic route and also allows you to cruise the bay of Kotor and admire the stunning scenery. Perast is
a pretty small village and can be explored in a relatively short time. There is plenty of spots to swim in
the beautiful water so make sure to bring your bathing suit if you want to take a dip as the weather can
be very sunny and hot in the summer months. Perast is most famous for its two small manmade
islands located just off of its shores. It is an island that was man made out by sinking old and seized
ships.
You can take a 5 euro round trip ferry boat to and from the Lady of the Rock Island, as the other island, Saint
George, is closed to visitors. . There is a very small and cute church on the island and a little museum.
Watch the sunrise or sunset at “Lovers Hillt”- 35 cents USD
Another great place to watch the sunrise and sunset and also offers a great view of the town of Gnome from above, go to “Lovers Hill”. If you want to go to the platform and have the best view, you have to pay a small entrance fee of 3 Turkish lire (35 cents USD) at sunrise and sunset time. There are plenty off shops and restaurants that are very cute and photogenic looking surrounding this view point, but be aware that they are a bit more tourist which also earns more expensive. This view point offers you a full fledged sky with the hot air
balloons so it is a view that will not disappoint! It is also a short walking distance away from the cave hostel I Mentioned above.
Visit the churches in the old town: 0-3 euros
of St. Mary Collegiate, and the Katedrala Svetog Tripuna Cathedral. The Saint Nicholas Church and
Church of St. Mary Collegiate are free to enter and look around, although you should cover your legs
and shoulders and dress appropriately to make sure you are respecting the rules of the church. The
third church, Katedrala Svetog Tripuna Cathedral, charges a small cost of 3 euros to enter. All of these
churches are well worth a visit or quick peak inside and you can find them all just by wandering around
the old town.
Take a boat trip- varies
summer months it makes for a perfect swimming spot and a nice place to tan and relax. There are
many companies that do boat trips around the bay of Kotor that you can partake in for a whole day,
half day, or just a few hours. I was lucky that my amazing hostel organized one for all of the travelers
so we got the great price of only 9 euros a person. We also were able to go to the market to buy cheap
alcohol to bring on board along with a big speaker to play all of our favorite tunes. This boat trip is also
known as a “booze cruise” with lots of loud music and partying so if this is your scene, I would
recommend staying at the Old Town Hostel which is located right in the walls of old town. This social
and party hostel organizers all sorts of activities including this boat trip. Whatever kind of boat trip you
decide to do, it’s more than worth it to be able to jump from the boat and cruise around the beautiful
bay of Kotor, especially on a hot and sunny day
Explore old town: free
The best way to explore the old town is to put away your iPhone maps and just simply
get lost. There is plenty of souvenirs shops, fast food, restaurants, and anything else you could need during your stay located within the city walls, but be mindful that these are higher touristy prices.
Anything else beyond the walls are generally cheaper. Within the old town are several different
squares where you can find some of the churches to check out as well as museums. Luckily, there is a few water fountains located throughout old town where you can fill your water bottle with drinking water for free, a big deal and money saver when traveling during the hot weather!
Make sure to give yourself enough time to truly wander and explore the old town and to take pictures of the cute old town gates and draw bridges as you transform yourself back in time.
that cannot be missed and will leave a lasting impression on your travels
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