KOTOR: Europe’s most beautiful, young, fairy-tale and free Balkan City
The best part of our Balkan tour that we wanted to do for a long time. one of the stops was Kotor. Although the 2-3 hours we spent in the city were quite sufficient as a tourist attraction, we could not get enough of the fairy-tale atmosphere of this city.. The postcard nature scenery that accompanies us along the way is the only reason we took 8508530257 photos 🙂 Let’s move on to Montenegro and its history first, and then our city tour..
Kotor is an old Mediterranean port within the borders of Montenegro.. Montenegro in Italian; Monte means Mountain and Negro means Black. This is a city hidden inside Europe’s largest fjord, the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska, Bay of Kotor).. We haven’t discovered the Norwegian fjords yet, but as we can see from the photos, there are fjords in Montenegro that are as good as those in Norway.. It would be good if we say that we have never seen such high mountains and sparkling waters stuck between them in our lives.. In the old city center surrounded by walls bearing the traces of Venetian architecture, a fairy-tale medieval atmosphere prevails.. Influenced by tourists in summer and winter, Kotor is one of the most beautiful cities of the Balkans in our opinion.. Of course, we do not need to mention that the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, right?
Montenegro continued its existence as Serbia-Montenegro for a while after the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1992 and gained its independence with 55.3% of the votes in the referendum held in 2006.. Although Montenegrin is their main language, Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian are used in the country.
Kotor, a Venetian fortress during the time of Grand Vizier KöprĂĽlĂĽ Mehmet Pasha, was besieged for 77 days but was returned without a conquest.. In Evliya Çelebi’s travel book, “Kotor Castle stands with its bastions and bodies like a boil in the OsmanoÄźlu state.. Shame on OsmanoÄźlu state and honor.” he wrote..
TO REACH TO KOTOR: HOW TO GET TO KOTOR?
By plane: Two trips to Montenegro There are two airports. One is Podgorica Airport located in the capital and the other is Tivat Airport, which is a more ideal option as it is close to Kotor.. However, you can only travel directly to Podgorica Airport with Turkish Airlines from Istanbul.. There is no direct shuttle service from Podgorica Airport to the city center or to Kotor, so you can reach the bus station in the city center by paying about 10 € by taxi, and then you can reach Kotor by bus by paying a fee of 8 € per person.. This way a trip will take at least 3 hours. If you are traveling with 3-4 people, it would be logical to rent a car from the airport or take a taxi directly to Kotor, which costs about 1.5 hours and around 45-50€.
Alternatively, if you have a Schengen visa. (Croatia) You can fly to Dubrovnik and get to Kotor by renting a car, taxi or bus.
By Sea: The port of Kotor is a stopover for large cruise ships. You can also take the ferry from Bari, Italy, to Bar, Montenegro, and then take the bus to Kotor.
By road:Â It looks like a postcard to Kotor through the winding roads. You can reach it with a beautiful mountain, lake and sea view, we loved this journey.. If you wish, this is an alternative where you can travel safely and cheaply by your own car or by bus.. We recommend those who prefer the highway, especially if it fits their budget, to rent a car because you should visit at least 2-3 cities when you come to Montenegro.
By train: From Serbia’s capital Belgrade to Montenegro. You can directly reach a train station.
KOTOR CITY TRANSPORTATION
You will not need a motor vehicle in this city, as places to visit in Kotor are within walking distance.. Only those who will go from Kotor to other nearby cities will of course need a vehicle to keep their feet off the ground
ACCOMMODATION IN KOTOR: IN KOTOR WHERE TO STAY?
Actually, the most beautiful and enjoyable option is to stay in one of the hostels in the old city center of Kotor.. It will be a very pleasant and panicking experience to get lost by walking in the narrow streets between the walls surrounding the old city center in the dark at night.
Those who own or rent a car should prefer villages-towns outside the city center.. A little far from the city, there are accommodation alternatives where you will sleep in the lap of a perfect nature that will make both your eyes and your heart a feast, and you will enjoy the silence and peace.. You should do some research.
THINGS TO DO IN KOTOR?
Let yourself go with the flow of time and see quiet churches in Kotor. visit, have a nice meal, take a walk by the sea and climb the castle. And while you’re here, don’t forget to travel to other close distances we’ll suggest under alternative tours.
WHAT TO EAT IN KOTOR? WHAT TO DRINK?
First of all, Kotor is not a very expensive place.. A beer 2€, 1 coffee 1€, a huge pizza 7-8€. Of course, without converting these figures to TL according to the current euro rate, we say that it is not a very expensive place when you compare it with any European city You don’t have to sit in a restaurant, but when you take a look around, the places that draw your attention the most are pizzerias anyway. You have the alternative to fill your stomach by giving €.
We ate margarita pizza and drank beer at Kantun restaurant. In addition, the Tanjga Family Restaurant attracts attention with its affordable, large portions and delicious menu.. The old city center is full of cafes and restaurants, you can take a look at the menu and choose whatever you want.. You will encounter a very European menu in Kotor, as this is a small and touristic place with not very local cuisine such as pizza, pasta, hamburgers, etc.
By the way, wine lovers, we call you: Vranac. must try the wine.
WHAT TO BUY FROM KOTOR? WHERE TO SHOPPING?
It is possible to buy magnets, postcards or small souvenirs from the small souvenir shops in and around the old city center.. Since there is nothing specific to this region that you should definitely buy, your budget will not be shaken in terms of shopping
KOTOR CITY TOUR
Kotor old city center Stari Grad . Here; You can enter through three gates, namely the Sea Gate, the North Gate and the South Gate.
Marshal Tito’s “Tude Nećemo Svoje Ne Damo” meaning “We do not want what is not ours, nor can we give what is ours to someone else”, on the Sea Gate, which is the main entrance of the city. There is a sentence that means “we don’t give”.
Just at the entrance of this door, there is a tourist office where you can get a free map of Kotor, and the iconic symbol Clock Tower as soon as you enter the door. Although it is not as famous as in Prague, you will not be able to continue without stopping here and taking a photo.. When you take the road from the right or left of the clock tower and dive into the side streets, if you do not come across a crowded tourist group, you will encounter narrow cobblestone roads that will make you shiver as if you just stepped out of a fairy tale book, and an important building that you will come across on almost every street.
[/box]You can click here for a walking route that will take you more than half a day with exit to the castle, photo breaks and museum or church entrances in the old city center, which can be completed in half an hour. [/box]
There is a bastion called the Belfry (Kampana Tower) at the corner where the Ĺ kurda River, which is crossed to the north gate with a bridge, and the castle.. The columned building located just above this door is the Duke’s Palace and the Napoleon Theater on the corner right next to it, and next to the theater there is the building that was formerly used as the Armoury.
There are many churches in the old city centre. Built in 1166, St.. Tryphon Cathedral is the most important of them.
Also Church of Sveti Nikola, St.. Luke’s Church, St.. Mary’s Church, St.. Paul’s Church, St.. Anne’s Church, St.. Michael’s Church and St.. Francis Monastery.
Apart from the Duke’s Palace, Drago Palace used as the Cultural Heritage Preservation Institute, Grgurina, used as Maritime Museum Palace, Grubonja, Pima, Byzantine Palaces, BuÄŤa Palace and BeskuÄŤa, LombardiÄŤ and Vrakjen Palaces are located.
Kotor Castle: It is paid to go up to the castle, but when there is no security guard, that is, at 7 am or 7 pm. After , you can pass illegally without paying any fee.. At the summit, which you reach by climbing 1350 steps, you will encounter a perfect view.. The church you will see halfway down the road is ‘Church of Our Lady of Remedy‘.
ENTERTAINMENT AND NIGHTLIFE IN KOTOR
Especially Kotor old city center, which has a very lively nightlife in summer, is full of pubs or bars.. We recommend doing a pub crawl, especially the most popular bars such as Bokun pub, Letrika, Havana.
OTHER PLACES TO VISIT CLOSE TO KOTOR: ALTERNATIVE TOURS
Perast is definitely a town worth visiting. With its cobblestone streets and medieval architecture stretching across the Adriatic, this is a breathtaking film studio place.
You shouldn’t miss two excellent must-see islands in Kotor: The Island Gospa od Skrpjela and   Island Sveti Djordje (St.. George)
If you have set your mind to take a sea vacation, you should definitely go to Budva.
KOTOR TRAVEL NOTES
- Free internet access is available in many cafes and restaurants.
- Euro is used even though it is not a member of the EU.
- It is among the countries that do not require a visa from Turkey.
- Especially those who will travel in the summer, you should prefer early morning or evening hours to avoid being exposed to excessive crowds.
- Kotor is famous for stray cats.. It’s the kind of view we’re used to, but it attracts a lot of attention from foreign tourists, don’t be surprised.. There is also a Cat Museum in the city
- Montenegro, a four-season country that will be preferred for summer tourism between May and October and for skiing in winter.
- Church and museum entrances are paid.. prices are around 2-3€ at least.