Things to do in Kotor

Kotor sits at the end of a flooded river canyon that everyone calls a fjord and geologists call a ria. Mountains drop straight into salt water on both sides. The town is Venetian and walled.

The town and the climb

The old town is a triangle of squares and alleys. Street names barely exist. Above it the walls run up the cliff to St John's fortress.

• The fortress walls. Around 1,350 steps to the top, and the view down the bay is why people do it.
• St Tryphon's cathedral. Consecrated in 1166, rebuilt after earthquakes, with two mismatched towers.
• The cats. A local institution with their own small museum, and they are everywhere.

The bay by boat

Water is half the offer, and it goes north from the town. Perast is the stop everyone makes. It is one street of baroque houses facing two islets.

• Our Lady of the Rocks. An artificial island built on centuries of dropped stones, with a church on it.
• The Blue Cave. On the outer coast near Herceg Novi, entered by small boat when the sea allows.
• Mussels and oysters. Farmed in the bay and eaten at the water, usually as part of a boat day.

Days out from here

Kotor is where most Montenegro tours start. Budva, Sveti Stefan and Lovćen are all inside an hour. Skadar Lake and Lipa Cave make a longer day inland.

Practical

• The climb. Exposed, uneven and hot from June. Go at eight or after five, and carry water — there is none up there.
• Cruise ships. They berth at the walls. On a two-ship day the old town is unwalkable between ten and four.
• Season. Boat trips run May to October. The Blue Cave depends on swell and is cancelled without much notice.
• Driving the bay. The road circles the whole inlet and is slow. The Kamenari ferry saves an hour towards Herceg Novi.