europe | Travelling Simply

Visiting Dubrovnik and have a day to spare? Do yourself a favour and visit Kotor. Read about how to spend a day in Kotor, Montenegro on a day trip from Dubrovnik. Or even better, stay for a day or two to savour its unspoilt beauty and explore further afield.

Nestled between the mountains and the Adriatic Sea, UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kotor is picturesque and historic and an easy day trip from Dubrovnik. It’s a great way to escape the crowded Dubrovnik Old Town when cruise ships are in port.

Travelling between Croatia and Montenegro

We travelled by car between the two countries. It’s a comfortable two-hour drive each way on the highway, and remember to travel with your passport.

Croatian border security is tight, with long queues in the summer months. We left early to avoid the long queues at border control. We were lucky; it took only an hour to pass through.

The stunning Bay of Kotor

We drove past busy seaside towns and tourist parks before the road tapered into the Bay of Kotor. What a sight to greet us!

How to spend a day in Kotor, Montenegro — The Bay of Kotor

The mountain scenery toward Kotor took our breath away. We had to photograph the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks on a small islet in the bay. The camera came out.

There are numerous photo opportunities and viewpoints on the road hugging the coastline. Be prepared to take your time driving around the Bay!

Our Lady of the Rocks, Bay of Kotor — Our Lady of the Rocks sitting in the Bay of Kotor

Kotor is becoming a major tourist attraction, and traffic can be heavy if you’re arriving by car. A parking area is conveniently located on the waterfront, just a short walk from the old city.

Things to do in Kotor

Kotor Fortress

Walk to the entrance gate and look for the 13th- and 14th-century Venetian Kampana Tower and Citadel that protected the city.

Walk along the Kotor City Walls

A walk along the walls of the fortified old town, Stari Grad, gives you orientation, views of the bay and the walls stretching up the mountainside above.

Meander Stari Grad’s streets, squares and alleyways

After walking the walls, venture into the maze of streets and alleyways. You’ll meander in and out of squares, and plenty of little stores and cafes will distract you along the way.

You’ll also see lots of signs of daily life, like laundry hanging over the streets.

The streets and squares of Kotor's Stari Grad

Keep an eye out for some of the city’s landmarks too.

Kotor Clock Tower

The Kotor Clock Tower is one of Stari Grad’s most notable landmarks. You’ll find it in the main square as you enter the West Gate. The original tower, built in 1602, survived the 1667 earthquake but was severely damaged in the 1979 earthquake. The reconstructed version is the one you’ll see today.

The Clock Tower, Main Square, Kotor — The historic Clock Tower in the main square, Kotor

Church of St Luke

Built in 1195, this small Serbian Orthodox Church gives visitors a real feel of the intimacy of Kotor’s Stari Grad.

St Nicholas’ Church

Built on the site of an abandoned Dominican Monastery in the early 20th century, the Church of St Nicholas is a Serbian Orthodox church and one of the city’s main churches.

Cathedral of Saint Nicholas — The Cathedral of St Nicholas is one of the major churches in Kotor

Have some lunch and people-watch

We picked a little cafe (Hoste Apertivo and Bokeria) tucked in a quiet corner of a small square for a light lunch before driving back to Dubrovnik. The cafe owner, well-versed in the queues at Croatian border controls, suggested we take the opportunity to enjoy a more pleasant drive through Bosnia and Herzegovina for our return journey, assuring us that the border crossing would be less busy. The travel time would be the same, and instead of waiting an hour or two at the Montenegro/Croatian border, we would have a chance to pass through another Balkan country and the beautiful countryside this part of the world has to offer.

Hoste Apertivi and Bokeria, Kotor — This quiet little square was the perfect spot to enjoy lunch and people-watch.

Hike up to Kotor Fortress

Sitting high above Stari Grad is Kotor Fortress/San Giovanni Castle. For a fee, you can hike the official path to the Fortress, where you’ll be treated to expansive views over the Bay.

Our conclusion

We recommend a day visit to Kotor if you have a free day in Dubrovnik. For the best experience, check to ensure your visit doesn’t coincide with a cruise ship docking in Kotor’s port.

The landscape is ever-changing, from craggy mountain roads to idyllic country lanes alongside springs and rivers, and the views are striking, as are the breathtaking views of the Bay of Kotor and beyond.

On the return journey, we there was a small queue at the border; however, we had wonderful views to enjoy while we waited.

If you have time

Our Dubrovnik host also recommended visiting Budva, another medieval town on the Adriatic coast, if we had the time. We instead decided to spend an unhurried day in Kotor and its surroundings.

We’ve saved Budva and its Riviera for another visit to this stunning little country. We’ll also include a return visit to Kotor; there’s much more to see and do in this beautiful little city.

In case you’re interested

We took the driving route recommended by the proprietor of our lunch venue for our return journey to Dubrovnik, which we have had the pleasure of visiting twice. Read about our recommendations through the links below.

Our exhilarating day trip to Kotor

Truly getting to know a new country includes meeting new people, sampling new food, visiting the sights and treasures unique and dear to that country and immersing ourselves in their art and culture.

An evening at a Big Band performance in Madrid’s main square

In a tour group, the itinerary is sure to include pre-organised events to showcase the country’s uniqueness – a traditional performance over a meal of local dishes, a private concert in a castle for your group, or a guided visit to the theatre or art gallery. We’ve attended and enjoyed many during our travels.

We prefer to travel independently these days, by-pass the ticket vendors selling tickets to the opera or a music show, and instead join the locals in their town’s piazzas, plazas and placas or sit in on a classical concert in a historic building where we can just wander in to take a seat.

A European Town square is a centre for gathering – a place to meet, eat, drink and enjoy entertainment. In winter, some will transform into mesmerising night markets but it is in summer where these town squares are the most vibrant.

Medieval parade in Arezzo, Italy
Sunday afternoon entertainment in Barcelona

Preferring to travel to Europe during their summer, we have had the opportunity to enjoy this vibrancy. In almost every major town or city, stages will appear and buskers will hold their position around town squares.

Performances are varied, but all are professional and first class in quality. Anyone can attend, entrance is free, there are no queues, and you don’t have to dress up! Often, a number of these performances are on at the same time and you can wander between them.

We’ve stumbled unexpectedly across many a performance:

On an evening stroll in Madrid, we came across a Big Band concert in Plaza Mayor and were entertained for almost two hours.
On an afternoon walk down La Ramblas in Barcelona, we veered into a square and into the middle of a human tower competition.
Instead of joining the others in the tourist hub of Monastiraki in Athens, we joined locals at an outdoor music concert featuring traditional Greek music and performances.
As tourists queued to enter the opera in Vienna, we walked across the road to join the large crowd at the annual film festival in front of the Town Hall.
Enjoyed a professional fashion show in the enchanting hilltop town of Paola on our drive back to Rome from Sicily.
On the Old City walls of Treviso, we enjoyed two nights of incredible entertainment, Nina Zilli who represented Italy in the 2012 Eurovision performed one night and the Beuna Vista Social Club performed on the next evening. The atmosphere was electric!
Wandering along 3^rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, we stopped to listen to three brothers showcasing their music right at the end of the street. They are outstanding musicians who tour the US performing at schools and small venues and enjoy busking so much that their mother drives them the one hour to come down to Santa Monica every Saturday and then waits to take them home again.
Staying a few days in the Tuscan town of Arezzo, we enjoyed the annual jousting competition held every night complete with a medieval parade through the streets of the town.
In Seville, we wandered into an outdoor courtyard in a small Palais to join a small audience and listened to a spectacular classical piano concert.
Recently, in Prague all the seats were taken by the time we arrived in Old Town Square, so we joined locals and other travellers like ourselves to sit on the kerbside to enjoy an evening of jazz.

A recommendation, next time you are travelling in Europe during the summer, take a peek in the town square or if like us, you decide on using apartment accommodation, ask your host.

Beuna Vista Social Club playing at the Summer Festival in Treviso, Italy

Tag: europe (Page 8 of 8)

How to spend a day in Kotor, Montenegro

Travelling between Croatia and Montenegro

The stunning Bay of Kotor