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Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor

Kotor · Montenegro

Background

World Heritage since
1979
Type of site
Cultural
Cathedral built
1166

In the Middle Ages this natural harbour on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial centre with its own famous schools of masonry and iconography. UNESCO says many monuments, including four Romanesque churches and the town walls, were seriously damaged by the 1979 earthquake, and the town was restored largely with UNESCO's help.

The site takes in the old town, its fortifications and the inner bay beyond the Verige strait with Risan, Perast and the islets of St George and Our Lady of the Rocks. The Cathedral of St Tryphon dates from 1166; the walls, mostly Venetian, climb over 260 m to the castle of St John. Wikivoyage calls the Boka the deepest natural fjord in the Mediterranean, with mountains almost to the waterline; the Stari Grad is car-free, entered by three gates, and its squares are named for their churches.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 1166The Cathedral of St Tryphon is built
  2. Venetian ruleMost of the fortifications are raised
  3. 1979Inscribed as World Heritage and placed on the Danger List after the April earthquake
  4. 2003Removed from the Danger List after restoration

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Stari Grad
    The walled old town, car-free, with the clock tower inside the Sea Gate.
  2. 2
    Cathedral of St Tryphon
    The Romanesque cathedral of 1166.
  3. 3
    The Walls to St John
    Ramparts climbing the mountain to the castle, 260 m up, with the bay below.
  4. 4
    Perast
    The baroque town on the bay.
  5. 5
    Our Lady of the Rocks
    The church on its man-made islet off Perast, with St George's islet beside it.
  6. 6
    Risan
    The other old town of the inner bay.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Navigate by Landmarks
Wikivoyage: there are no standard street names in the old town; use the squares, their churches and the three gates.
Tivat or Dubrovnik
Tivat airport is 8 km away and Dubrovnik's 73 km; a fast ferry from Dubrovnik runs in high season, three hours, and avoids the border queue.
Cruise Days
The bay is a long-standing holiday destination; English is widely spoken after Serbian.
No Uber
Neither Uber nor Bolt operates in Kotor; use licensed local taxis.

Walls and the Bay

Not yet in a GoGo guide

  1. 09:00
    Old Town through the Sea Gate90 min
    The squares and lanes inside the walls.
  2. 10:45
    Cathedral of St Tryphon45 min
    The Romanesque cathedral.
  3. 12:00
    Climb to St John's Castle2 hrs
    Up the ramparts for the bay view.
  4. 16:00
    Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks2 hrs
    The baroque town and the island church.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: May–Oct. Rainy season Nov–Feb.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Nov (187 mm), driest Jul (42 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Do These Together
The Venetian Works of Defence include Kotor's own walls; the Stećci tombstones are 24 km away and Dubrovnik 50 km, Durmitor 77 km and Mostar 119 km.
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 125 · Wikipedia: Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor · Wikivoyage: Kotor (CC BY-SA 4.0) · UNESCO listing