Combining a trip to Croatia with a trip to Montenegro is a fabulous vacation idea. You’ll have the best of both worlds, and Kotor, which is in Montenegro, is definitely worth a visit. In fact, taking a road trip from Croatia to Montenegro is a great idea and you’ll be spoiled with beautiful views all along the way.
This fortified town on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast is situated in the beautiful UNESCO Bay of Kotor. Staying here overnight you’ll have beautiful views across the bay.
As a bonus; If you’re a cat lover, you’ll love Kotor. Besides the several cat stores, the cat museum, and the Cats’ Square you will spot water and food throughout the city, put out for the cats to feed on. You can donate to a local charity to help to spay and neuter the cats and along your walks through town, you might be rewarded with some unexpected purring-cuddles. 😊
The medieval old town has many Romanesque churches, including Kotor Cathedral. While you’re there, make a point of visiting the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon (dating back to 1166). You can view the relics on display and climb up to the tower for views over the small town square. There are many beautiful little shops and beautiful, medieval, dungeon-like, walled alleyways to explore.
Walking around in the town of Kotor, you’ll often be rewarded with beautiful, cobbled stone streets and then suddenly when looking up, the unfolding of a beautiful mountain scene right in front of you. Basically, everywhere you’ll find beautiful views. From amazing stonework on buildings to views across the bay and mountains. It is just beautiful all around.
An early morning hike up to the Fortress to catch some spectacular views and photo opportunities is a definite itinerary item for nature lovers….and cat lovers. 😊 PS: If you’re anything like me, you would want to take them all home with you, but you can enjoy their friendly greetings along the way. The people of Kotor love their cats. Maybe that is also a huge reason why I love Kotor. 😊 Ok so back to the Fortress. From up here, you’ll have spectacular views, so it is worth the climb. Keep in mind that there is a huge amount of very steep and somewhat rugged steps to climb to the top.
For a less adventurous and more relaxing experience, booking a boat tour to get a different view from the sea towards land, is very nice. By boat you can visit Our Lady of the Rocks, a man-made island in the Bay of Kotor.
Montenegro has two of its own international airports – Podgorica in the capital city and Tivat on the coast, in the Bay of Kotor.
If you’re thinking of combining a trip to Kotor with one to Dubrovnik, you can also fly into Dubrovnik’s international airport, Cilipi, which is just a half hour drive from the Montenegrin border.
Although English is not a widely spoken language in Montenegro you will find that most people within the tourist areas do speak English.
Probably anywhere near the Bay of Kotor – I would say anywhere that has a view on the Bay. The Old town of Kotor is also very popular and you can get very affordable accommodation with beautiful views.
A great traveling tip, is to coordinate your visit to Kotor to fall over the summer period (June, July and August) when they usually have their Summer Carnival. This is great fun. But Christmas time (in winter) is also very nice with twinkling lights along the coast of the bay. The city is rarely covered in snow during Christmas time, although it does sometimes happen.
During your stay, you’ll see the cruise ships coming into the bay. So, this is also a different option, booking a cruise that includes Kotor as a destination.
In summary, if there is one travel tip I can give you for your visit to Kotor, it would be to book a “room with a view”. This is what Kotor is all about. Booking a place to stay with a view over that lovely bay is really worth your while. Then make time to just relax on a balcony with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and enjoy some of the local cuisine.
Although it is much smaller than Croatia’s Dubrovnik, I do believe you will be charmed by this medieval town surrounded by spectacular mountains. Go on. Put on your comfortable shoes and walk the winding streets of Kotor to appreciate its magic.
On your way back from Kotor, remember to let us know if you loved this destination. Post photos on our Facebook group and tell us what you loved most about your trip to this beautiful destination.
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