Kotor Old Town Guide

Kotor Old Town is a small triangle of stone wedged between the end of the bay and a sheer mountainside, with walls that climb up the rock behind it. You can cross it in ten minutes. You can also lose an afternoon in it, which is the better plan.

We walked it on a morning in late August 2024, and the two places we photographed are the ones everyone does: the Clock Tower on the square just inside the main gate, and St Tryphon's Cathedral with its two bell towers and the mountains rising behind. Morning is the right time, before the day's cruise passengers arrive.

A short route

Enter through the Sea Gate, the main entrance facing the harbour, with a Venetian lion carved above it. You come out on the Square of Arms, the largest square, with the 17th-century Clock Tower in front of you. Bear right through the lanes to St Tryphon's Cathedral, consecrated in 1166 and patched up after earthquakes since; its square is lined with cafés under umbrellas. From there, wander towards the North Gate by the river, where the main entrance to the fortress path sits. Kotor's cats are everywhere, and the town has adopted them as a mascot.

The climb to St John

The path up the walls to the Fortress of St John is roughly 1,350 steps, passing the small Church of Our Lady of Remedy about halfway. There are two gated entrances inside the Old Town, the main one near the North Gate, and tickets are sold at the entrance. Allow a couple of hours up and down. In summer start as early as you can, because the steps are exposed and the heat builds fast. Check current access and fees locally before you go.

Cruise days

Large ships moor right in front of the walls. On busy days the lanes around the main square fill from late morning, then empty again by late afternoon. Look up the port schedule before you choose your day, and if it's a heavy one, see the town early and spend the middle of the day on the water. A boat to Perast is the obvious escape.

Is it overrated?

At midday in August, with four ships in port, it can feel like it. Early or in the evening, when the stone cools and the walls are lit up, it's one of the finest small towns on the Adriatic. Timing is everything here.

If you stay overnight, the quieter waterfront villages of Dobrota and Prčanj are a short walk or bus ride away; our where to stay guide compares them with the Old Town itself.