Breathtaking hiking in Kotor
I really didn’t know what to expect when we first landed in Kotor Montenegro.
I had done very little research prior to arrival so Kotor came to much the surprise when we did get exploring (and in a good way).
Kotor Montenegro is situated in this fjord-esque bay situated relatively close inland from the coast, making boat accessibility rather easy. Driving takes a little more time around the winding roads along the waters edge. I would recommend taking a boat in if you can, the morning views are beautiful from the bay.
The one journey i did plan for was the hike; 1 200 + steps or more up the Fort of San Giovanni. Basically the old stone walls spanning halfway up the mountain of a historic old fortress overlooking the old city of Kotor. There are about a dozen if not more, old ruins scattered along the walls that you are able to meander through. Locals mentioned to us that the ruins are pretty old (medieval 9-14th century BC.)
The first half of the climb is not too difficult, its just pretty steep (there are stone steps, so just take your time and enjoy the views). Majority of the people we encountered only took on the first half of the fort wall and then returned on the same path back down.
And it is 100% worth exploring the ruins. At some point i climbed out a stone window and dropped down the wall since i had noticed a little barely made out path on the side of the mountain. Which first lead us to off site church ruins and then to a little farm hut in the mountains. This had to be one of my favorite highlights of this climb. The owner of this little farm offered us some beer, fresh goat cheese, tomatoes, smoked meats, and a shot of slivovica. His noisy donkey in the background, and a view worth a million bucks; Best lunch i ever did have.
After tons of exploring it was time to head back into the city. We decided to take the second half of the loop for the descent. We encountered only 2 other couples taking this way down. It is more challenging and not for those with fear of heights as there are narrow overhangs, crumbling missing steps and areas where a misstep can send you tumbling down a mountain. Make sure to bring good shoes and prepare for the weather! As my father always said, mountain weather is unpredictable (i did not heed his warnings).
And not shortly after that thought crossed our minds, halfway down our descent it began to pour. It became a bit of a slip and slide down the mountain path, we were soaked and i couldn’t help but think, i wish i had my super tourist bright yellow “I ❤ Venice” poncho. By the time we reached the base of the climb, the sun had returned and within 20 minutes we were completely dry.
We spent the latter half of the day, strolling through the city admiring all the churches and landmarks. Find an information booth (there’s a few booths just outside the old city’s walls) and grab a free map. They are pretty good at showing the the major landmarks. We spent a lot of time wandering throughout the Old City Kotor until we were all worn out from the day.
And to that a day well explored.
Want to see more pictures of this destination? Click here for Kotor Montenegro Gallery
Extras to know:
- There is a fee for the climb. Ticket booth is at the base to enter Fort San Giovanni (Fluctuates with season, we paid around 5.00 € for two tickets )
- Take your time exploring the Fort, the whole circuit can take upwards of 4 hours or more but if you want to do the lookout ONLY about 1.5 hours round-trip for the first half of the loop should be enough.
- Bring good shoes, poncho for rain if mountain climbing
Want to see more pictures of this destination? Click here for Kotor Montenegro Gallery