Kotor

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Old town landscape, Perast, Kotor Bay, Montenegro

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Overview

Wedged between brooding mountains and a moody corner of the bay, achingly atmospheric Kotor (Котор) is perfectly at one with its setting. Hemmed in by staunch walls snaking improbably up the surrounding slopes, the town is a medieval maze of museums, churches, cafe-strewn squares, and Venetian palaces and pillories. It’s a dramatic and delightful place where the past coexists with the present; its cobblestones ring with the sound of children racing to school in centuries-old buildings, lines of laundry flutter from wrought-iron balconies, and hundreds of cats – the descendants of seafaring felines – loll in marble laneways. Come nightfall, Kotor’s spectacularly lit-up walls glow as serenely as a halo. Behind the bulwarks, the streets buzz with bars, live music – from soul to serenades – and castle-top clubbing.


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Best Things to Do

Wedged between Montenegro’s brooding mountains and the Bay of Kotor, Kotor is Montenegro's most atmospheric city. Here are the top things to see and do.

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Bay of Kotor, as seen from a high vantage point

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The 11 best things to do in Kotor, Montenegro

Mar 28, 2025 • 11 min read

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