The Bay of Kotor is one of Montenegro’s most recognizable gems. The turquoise, calm fjord of the Balkans is hard not to admire and one of the best views of Kotor is from the city’s medieval fort walls built during the 9th century so I was looking forward to the walk. Actually, it’s more of a steep climb with 1,350 stairs and is 4,000 feet above sea level.
Before coming to Kotor, we were in Dubrovnik, Croatia and while Old Town Dubrovnik also has fortress walls that can be walked on, it was always very crowded with cruise ship tourists. We never found a good opportunity to do the walk, so being able to walk along the walls in Kotor was something to look forward to. Don’t get me wrong, Kotor has it’s fair share of cruise ships, but after 3 p.m. the wave of tourists began to dwindle down.
The fort walls which extends out for over two miles, was built by the Byzantines to protect the city from invaders which proved unsuccessful because the city of Kotor became under siege by Venetian, Ottoman and even British rule over the centuries.
In 1979 the fort walls of Kotor became a UNESCO World Heritage site that is like a walking museum of architecture with styles from Illyricum, Byzantium, Venice, and Austria. While walking along the wall you’ll find ramparts, gates, churches, forts and bastions which are still well preserved however, the actual walking path is a bit rugged which is why it’s a better idea to walk the fort walls during day so you see where you’re stepping. Since we started just as the sun starting to fall behind the mountains across the bay we had an interesting time navigating the trail down at dusk.
Access to the fort walls is through Old Town Kotor and costs 3 Euros, a small price to pay for such a rewarding climb that gives you fascinating views and historical architecture. It takes about 30 minutes to climb the steep steps to the bastion so give yourself enough time to pace yourself and enjoy all the structures before nightfall. Also be sure to wear sturdy shoes, this isn’t a walk in the park.
The first historical landmark on the wall that we came across was the Church of Our Lady of Remedy. The church was built in 1518 and significant for a couple of reasons. For one, underneath the church is the oldest known building in Montenegro dating back to the 6th century. The other significant point was that the church was built by survivors of the 14th century plague and became a site for people to make pilgrimages to.
Our goal was to make it to the Fortress of Sveti Ivan, or St. John, the highest point of the walls, before sunset so we hiked for another 10 minutes up a steep path before reaching the fort. The fort’s structure had obvious damage from an earthquake, but a great deal of it was still intact with different quarters that you can walk through and from almost every angle you have a stunning view of the bay.
Though as beautiful as it is, I couldn’t imagine walking along the walls every day as a Venetian soldier especially during the middle of summer where the heat and the steepness of the climb would be brutal. If the heat is to much to bear, there are a couple of people posted along the path with ice cooler and drinks for sale. I don’t think that the option of a refreshment break was available long ago 🙂
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