10 things to do in KOTOR if you have few hours
Kotor Old Town should be on a list, “must see places” when you traveling in Montenegro, if you have short time to visit Kotor and Kotor bay, if you are cruise ship passengers, this are some tips : 10 thing to do in Kotor if you have few hours.
On your arrival in Kotor you will note that old city is surrounded by mountain, walls, river. On a map that is a last point when you come from the sea. So now imagine yourself in middle Ages when this town reached economic rise. Also used to be very important port on Mediterranean sea and part of Venetian Republic. You get it ! Everyone wanted to conquer this small town. We will not write here about rich history of Kotor, we will mention something trough 10 thing to do in Kotor if you have few hours.
Walls of Kotor’s old city
Thanks to Walls of old town, Kotor become part of Unseco culture-historical heritage. Walls as we see it now was built from XIII to XVII century to protect city from attacks, mostly from Turks. But walls have existed before, only in a period of Venetian Republic got today’s look. Archaeologists can’t say for sure how old Kotor is, but even in BC here was settlement of Ilyric tribe. They believe that walls around Kotor started to built from IX century. On this walls you can see different from all historical stages. When Kotor was under the Rome, Byzantium, Venetian, Austo-Hungarian, Serbs, Span, France but never Turks. Wall thickness is from 2 m to 16 m and length around 4,5 km. Sharp cliffs and stairs that leads to fortress San Giovani is for sure one of the most popular photo stops.
Beautiful view from top is really something we recommend, even as you will see is not easy to get. Take some comfortable shoes and water, best time to visit is on the sunset and you need around 1 hour and half. If you have short time to visit Kotor and you want good photo and activity this is a great choice. Again we recommend this for cruise ship passengers who want some activities in Kotor.
Cathedral of St Tryphon
We have to be proud to have one of the oldest cathedral in Europe. St Tryphon’s Cathedral is even 69 year older than Notre Dame in Paris. St Tryphon is also protector of a city Kotor. There was a story that bones of this saint should be transferred from Greece to Vatican. Kotor was a port for a break, but every time when ship wanted to sail out of bay, storm would make that impossible. So habitats thought that God wants to tell tham to keep bones in Kotor. Later people made a Cathedral. Official year when is finished is 1166.
This cathedral was reconstructed several times because of strong earthquakes. It is also well known for a lot of valuables. One of this is golden pala, made by crafts from Kotor, than stone pieta, relief of the Virgin with Christ, four stone altars. Also paintings of famous painters from XV century are kept in the treasury.
The squares of the old town Kotor
The old town Kotor is small in a shape of triangle. So even if you fave only few hours to visit Kotor you should walk inside and to get lost in this narrow streets and squares. Inside the walls there are a lot of palaces and squares or Piazza how we like to say. The biggest and main square is Square of Arms , got a name because in the weapons for the defense of the city were kept in one of the buildings. This is the firs square from the main entrance trough the Door of Sea. Flour Square, south of Square of Arms , with Pima and Buca palaces, which previously housed flour magazines. St Tryphon Square got a name because of Cathedral, but since every square got a meninges by activities, nowadays we could call it Square of Pizza 🙂
The Salad Square or the Skljar’s Market is located south of the Cathedral and was place where inhabitants of the Kotor suburbs, Skljar sold their products. Pizza of Museum is in front of palace Grgurina where is now Maritime Museum . Than we have Square of St Nikola or St Luka, got a name because of churches here. St Luka is one of the oldest church in the city and a lot of years it had two altars Catholic and Orthodox. Pizza de cinema is now place where you can find Cat’s Museum. You will see a lot of cats in Kotor since they are also protectors of the city.
The palaces in Kotor
In this blog 10 thing to do in Kotor if you have few hours we will just mention palaces in the Old town. You will notice that on some buildings you can read surname of family and ages when they lived in house. A lot of this buildings, palaces were reconstructed several times because of earthquakes.
Palace Bizanti
Very important family lived few century in this palace. When they left Kotor and moved in Italy , they leave the palace to municipality Kotor. You even can enter inside the yard to take a look. This look palace got after the reconstruction in 1667. when strong earthquake hit Kotor. Nikolo Bizanti in that period give a big donation to recover the city. Bizanti was a noble family with a strong connections with Venetians.
Palace Bezkuca
This palace is in front of a palace Bizanati, you will recognize it by the greatest green door. We believe that owner wanted this big door how he could enter inside by horse. This family wasn’t with noble roots. So they probably felt less value comparing to all that contesses and nobles. They made a lot of money by maritime trade. The archives have preserved the story that the title of “conte” was celebrated by throwing ducats from windows on the road. When you translate Beskuca means “without a home”, so Jozo Beskuca because of this frustration had a plan to buy 100 houses and to change surname in Stokuca. Unfortunately he never made it.
Palace Pima
A palace that dominates by its beauty and belonged to the Pima family. It is a mix of barocco and renaissance styles with the huge terrace. On the first floor is a Gallery. The presence of the Pima family in Kotor was recorded in the XIV century and is traced to the XVIII century when its last member disappeared. It was built in the Gothic style, but the fields of it were remodeled, and today it can clearly see the Baroque elements.
Palace Buca
This wealthy merchant family was the most influential political element in the town of Kotor. Also could have influenced the policies of Dubrovnik and other trade centers. The interests of the Buca family were raised to the height of the political interests of the city. They even got permission to put a lily flower (the sign of the French kings) on the family coat of arms. This Buca palace is now hotel and had huge damage during the earthquake 1979.
Cycling through the bay of Kotor
If you want to choose some easy activity cycling through the bay of Kotor. If you have only some short time to spend you can rent a bike and ride around the bay. This ride is really something amazing you will get feeling like you are in the heart of Italy. Totally Mediterranean style of small places around a bay while wind and smell of the sea refreshing you body and energy. If you need help with this contact us, here are details of a tour. This is a perfect tour for cruise ship passengers who have only few hours in Kotor, duration of this tour is 4 hours.
Beaches nearby Kotor
For 10 thing to do in Kotor if you have few hours you can have combination of cycling and beach. You can visit Prcanj, Muo, Dobrota… You have some very cool docks with bars and restaurants. Usually in this places is less crowded than in old town of Kotor. One of the beach where usually locals go is Verige and it is around 15 km from Kotor, near Stoliv. This you shouldn’t be planed, just be spontaneous with some Montenegrin phrases and arms 🙂 you will get information from locals.
25 serpentine road to Njegusi village
Fortress San Giovani indeed have a beautiful view, but if you really want something amazing you have to give more effort. This road you can do by car, but it is really narrow. View for all this serpentine is magical and also challenging for driver. On the top you have a restaurant on all Kotor bay. This is really something worth for life time memories.
Restaurants in Kotor
We already mentioned few restaurants, but this all depend what you want on a menu. Fish in Kotor is great and fresh on every place. Please always check which fish is fresh. Best way to check this is of course on Trip Advisor.
Blue Cave
For some tips : “10 thing to do in Kotor if you have few hours”, You have a lot of offers for Blue cave, for this excursion you need around 4 hours or more. If you take a speed boat you will pass trough the entrance of Kotor bay near to the island Mamula and Lustica. Here you will enjoy in a beautiful landscape and you will see some wild beaches. Blue cave got a name because of the reflection of sun inside. So you have impression when you swim inside that your body is blue. This is really nice experience but not only because of cave mostly for all things you see on this way.
Perast
Probably when you have searching trough brochures and forums while you where getting in love in all this images of breathtaking landscape of Montenegro, you must get noticed Perast as one idyllic small town. Some of travel bloggers even describing this walk as a walk trough eternity. Rich history that is hiding in all narrow streets, adorn also two islands as two of the brightest pearls of Kotor bay, Our Lady of the Rocks and St Georg (the island of silence). If you are coming by cruise ship in Kotor there is enough time to visit this magical place.
You will find out why Perast inhabitants decided to built artificial island with a church, which is now beautiful museum with original story of all people who are selflessly made some piece of art or any gift as a proof of gratitude for a nice life in Perast. But for Perast is also nice to not be in a rush so for 10 thing to do in Kotor if you have few hours, this only means if you already visit Kotor.
Tips for cruise ship passengers in Kotor
Even if you have only a few hours from cruise ship arrival to departure you can choose some nice tour for full fill experience in Kotor. We definitely recommend you walking tour in Kotor, cycling with combination with hiking, wine tasting and shore excursion, with Budva, Perast and St Stefan. We are here to give you a best advice for visiting our beautiful Kotor bay/
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