HMontenegro and Kotor are practically consonant concepts. If we asked tourists about the most famous places in Montenegro, many of them would mention Bay of Kotor and its ancient city of Kotor. Indeed, the majority quite rightly claims that this is one of the most famous tourist destinations, not only in Montenegro, but throughout the Balkans. This is a bit paradoxical, because historically this place is not quite Balkan and definitely not Montenegrin.
Kotor in historical detail: from the Principality of Duklja to Montenegro
The two most important sights of the bay, the cities of Kotor (Cataro) and Perast, owe their current state and years of prosperity to a completely different country that no longer exists - the Venetian Republic. However, stormy fate decreed that today they are within the borders of the Republic of Montenegro and are the tourist basis of this state. These are the pearls of the modern Balkans, and Montenegrins use this very well.
The name of the city is not associated with cats, as some tourists believe, but comes from the ancient Greek concept of "a place where it's warm." And numerous cats in Kotor are an object of tourist interest, which has little in common with history.
The history of the settlement, from the time of the uprising at the beginning of the Byzantine era, is primarily connected with the fate of the Serbian Slavic Principalities of Zeta, which in the Middle Ages was located on the territory of modern Montenegro.
The Principality of Zeta, which gained independence in 1356, out of fear of the Turkish threat, turned to the Venetian Republic with a request to take it under protection. Those times became a golden period for the development of Kotor. Its impregnable walls, built during this period, helped repel two major Turkish invasions.
However, they did not protect the city from earthquakes. But Kotor quickly recovered from the consequences of natural disasters. Venice was a rich country and took care of its subjects. We can still see traces of the wealth of the inhabitants of that time, admiring the magnificent palace architecture.
Unfortunately, everything has its end. The fall of the Venetian Republic and the Peace of Campo Formio in 1797 sent the city under the rule of the Habsburg Monarchy. The period of the Napoleonic Wars, and later the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was accompanied by a slow decline of the city.
After World War I and the fall of Austria-Hungary, Kotor became part of the formed federation of South Slavs known as the State of the SHS (Slovenes, Croats and Serbs), later transformed into the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, after World War II into the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia, and is today part of independent Montenegro .
Legends, stories and interesting facts about the city of Kotor in Montenegro
Like any other ancient city, Kotor over its centuries-old history, it has acquired legends, stories and rumors. But in addition to beautiful, and often fabulous stories, Kotor can surprise with real, but no less interesting facts from his life.
A fairy tale, an Illyrian leader and salt water...
One day, behind seven mountains... at the end of a beautiful bay on the Adriatic, in the shadow of high mountains, the leader of an Illyrian tribe decided to build a settlement. Despite the ideal location, it was not easy, because the area was swampy. Each new house was destroyed almost before our eyes, the foundations sank and cracked literally overnight. No matter what the builders did, nothing helped.
One day, the dejected chief wandered through the wooded slopes. There he met a forest fairy, perhaps it was an oread nymph. Seeing the pensive face of the ruler, she asked him about the reason for the anxiety. The leader explained the essence of the problem, and the nymph decided to help him. She showed him which trees to cut down and told him what to do with them next.
The ruler conveyed the words of the oread to the builders, and soon a beautiful bright city grew up in the foothills. To celebrate its founding, the ruler held a feast, which was attended by many important guests from neighboring principalities. That's just the fairy, who was dressed as a simple girl, he did not invite. But she herself came to the party.
In the midst of the celebration, the fairy heard the ruler, talking about the splendor of the city, praising himself for a brilliant idea with trees. The sorceress approached him and told him to publicly apologize and tell everyone that it was thanks to her that this city appeared. Otherwise, she promised to take away what was most valuable to him.
The ruler thought and laughed in her face. Gold? He will quickly win new riches. Son? - His wife will give birth to another one ...
The sorceress left, but kept her word and, having avenged herself, took fresh water from the inhabitants. Since then, the water in the wells of Kotor has acquired a salty taste. Nowadays, water comes from the mountains above the old city through a pipeline.
Cathedral of Saint Tryphon: Kotor and his patron
The Cathedral of St. Tryphon is the main attraction and visiting card of Kotor. Its grand opening took place on July 19 back in 1166. However, the earthquake, which occurred just a year after this significant event, made significant adjustments to its original appearance.
Incredibly, today the temple is not only beautiful and attracts with its unique frescoes, but is even proud of its different towers, as the cathedral was rebuilt after another earthquake.
In general, over the centuries, earthquakes seriously damaged it three times. First in the fourteenth, then in the seventeenth centuries, and most recently in 1979. With each restoration and reconstruction, the architectural styles of the cathedral changed.
The original Romanesque style was replaced by the Renaissance, then Baroque elements were added. But then history closed the circle and the Cathedral of St. Tryphon returned to the original Romanesque architectural style.
Interesting fact. Saint Tryphon was a martyr of Asia and had nothing to do with Kotor. So how did it happen that he became the patron saint of a city in the Balkans? Exists legend, that, by order of the Doge of the "Queen of the Adriatic", the relics of Tryphon were delivered to Venice in order to protect them from desecration by the Turks.
The ships moored in the port of Kotor to replenish supplies and fresh water. After some time, the Venetians were about to continue their journey, but each of their attempts to sail from the coast was accompanied by a sudden storm.
After several unsuccessful attempts to continue the voyage, it was decided that the martyr chose Kotor as his last resting place. So Saint Tryphon became the official patron of the city.
City gates of Kotor - Sea, river and gates of Goodrich
In total, there are three gates in Kotor through which you can enter the city. Each of them has a memorable appearance, different from the others, and in itself is a separate attraction that deserves the attention of a tourist.
The main ones are called "Sea Gate"as they face the harbour. Inside the Sea Gate we will see a memorable bas-relief, and an interesting inscription just above the entrance. The bas-relief depicts the Mother of God and Jesus Christ surrounded by Saints Tryphon and Bernard. The inscription is a catchphrase of the famous political figure of Yugoslavia Broz Tito:
... “We don’t want someone else’s, but we won’t give up our own either” ...
The phrase itself was immortalized in stone in connection with the liberation of Kotor from Wehrmacht soldiers during the Second World War.
After passing through the gate, pay attention to the kiosk with paid and free booklets and maps of the city. The maps show the main sights recommended for sightseeing during an independent tourist walk.
There is also "River Gate"also called Northern. They were built in honor of a landmark military event in which the inhabitants of Kotor defeated the Turkish troops. The Turkish troops were commanded by the brave and talented Admiral Khairuddin Barbarossa. In 1539, he and his troops besieged Kotor for a long time, but the stamina of the people of Kotor prevailed and the city remained in the hands of its inhabitants.
There is also a third southern gate, which is called "Gurdich's Gate". This gate, named after the river that flows in front of the city, is equipped with a drawbridge.
The walls of the castle, combined with the clear water, make the overall appearance of the gate charming and even a little magical. This is a top notch photo spot.
It's also a great way to start a tour. Indeed, both today and in the old days, only residential buildings were located in this area, so it is much calmer than the main tourist area. Small shady yards with flowers, slumbering cats, clothes on a line — take a look at the life of the townspeople from the inside.
Church of St. Luke, Square of Arms and Pillar of Shame
The Church of St. Luke is the second, and no less important, symbol and landmark of the city. It was built in the 12th century. It is famous not only for its venerable age, but also for the presence of two altars of various Christian concessions.
Initially Church of Saint Luke was built only as a Catholic church. The fact is that since 1657, attacks by Turkish troops on individual settlements of nearby lands have become more frequent. Therefore, many Orthodox believers had to take refuge in Kotor, and the Venetian government allowed them to conduct Orthodox rites in the church.
And so the church lives with two altars to this day, although over time it became completely Orthodox. The temple is also interesting for tourists with its frescoes, some fragments of which have been preserved since the time of its original construction.
Right behind the Sea Gate is located Square of Weapons - the largest square of Kotor, which got its name from the time of the reign of the Venetian doges. Then on the square were located either armories, or weapons workshops. But these days, Place des Arms is a great place to grab a bite to eat or just quench your thirst on a hot summer day.
On the Square of Weapons are located Clock tower And Pillar of shame - an old way to pacify lawbreakers. This pillar of shame has an unusual history of use. Here, violators of public order were not tied to a pole with their faces and were not whipped on the back.
On the contrary, they were tied with their backs to a post. The fact is that Kotor has never been a huge settlement, and most of the inhabitants knew each other. Therefore, a more severe punishment than a lash for a not particularly serious criminal was contempt in the eyes of acquaintances and neighbors.
Attractions «Kotor's Palaces» — Palaces of Bisanti, Princesses, Pima
According to the excursion booklets and maps, Kotor is extremely rich in such historical sights as palaces. But some tourists will be disappointed when they see these structures with their own eyes. The fact is that the common name of these ancient buildings - palaces, does not correspond much to the prevailing idea of the majority of the appearance of the palaces.
For example, right after entering the old city there is a clock tower, but if you go forward and look at the building on the right, you can see the Bisanti Palace in detail - Bizanti Palace. Focus on a small balcony with a wrought-iron fence, flags and a commemorative plaque about the former belonging of the building to the Bisanti family.
Experts describe this attraction as an architectural example of the Renaissance style, in its original development. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1667, it was reconstructed and to some extent changed its original appearance. Today the building is an interesting example of Renaissance architecture with baroque elements. On the façade are the initials and coat of arms of Nicola Bisanti, its former owner.
From the point of view of a non-specialist in the field of architectural style, the Pima Palace looks quite similar in general impression. Although the reviews and impressions of tourists from the Pima Palace are extremely opposite.
Someone absolutely does not perceive this building as a palace and a landmark, someone, on the contrary, admires the views of the building, considering it the most attractive and architecturally interesting among similar historical objects. But both of them note that the building definitely needs restoration and general repair work.
In addition to the sights of historical significance listed above, in total you can visit about ten such objects that deserve attention. These are the palaces of the Princess (Princes Palace), Grgurina Palace, Buca Palace and many others. Take them not as the chambers of the reigning persons, but as the houses of noble citizens, and then everything will fall into place.
Kotor - the old city under the protection of UNESCO
The old town of Kotor is a rather rare phenomenon for the Adriatic. It managed to maintain its medieval appearance, despite a series of serious earthquakes that occurred with a certain frequency in the north-west of the Balkan Peninsula. Today it is under the protection of UNESCO, so in 1979, after another serious earthquake, the relevant committee of this organization included the old Kotor in the List of World Heritage Sites.
Old Kotor is a completely stone city, there is not even a hint of greenery in it, even tubs with flowers are the exception rather than the rule here. But even on the sunniest day, you can easily find a dark narrow street and a couple of neat doorways, where there is a lot of shade.
The stone streets are polished to a shine by the feet of numerous visitors. The architectural ensemble of the settlement was created from the 12th to the 20th centuries and it is all the same, familiar to many from Budva and Perast, red-yellow tiled roofs, narrow streets and gray-yellow buildings.
For most of the existence of the city, local residents were engaged in navigation and trade, and no wonder, because Kotor was one of the most important shopping centers on the Adriatic. Now all travelers are waiting here not only for historical sights, ancient streets, cozy cafes and neat boutiques, but also for the Maritime Museum of Montenegro and the Institute of Marine Biology.
Strict and harsh fortress walls completely encircle the old city, they rise to a height of 250 m on the mountain and lead to the fortress of St. Ivan. Part of the walls appeared during the Byzantine period, but most of them were built in the 16th-18th centuries.
Now a rare guest of the "pearl of Montenegro" does not want to conquer this fortification and look at the beauty of the Bay of Kotor from a bird's eye or helicopter flight.
Where is a good beach in Kotor?
If you come here with the hope that here you will find yellow sand and catch the sun rays like on a beach somewhere in Thailand, then I must disappoint you a little. There is no decent large beach in the city itself. It is crowded here, because the place for a beach holiday is not at all small. However, true lovers of swimming and sunbathing have no reason to be upset.
The beach is a little off. You need to walk a few hundred meters towards Perast. Some people like this beach for a different reason. This is a great place to come here on a quiet summer evening with a bottle of good old wine and, sitting on a concrete pier, wait for the night to come.
When darkness covers the bay, lamps are lit, illuminating the walls of the fortress. The five-kilometer "snake", which for several hundred years protected the settlement from the attack of enemies, looks simply incomparable at night. You should definitely visit here, because this is one of the best places to see the fortifications.
When is the best time to visit Kotor?
In Kotor, according to some travelers, there are always a lot of people. They say that even at the end of the season on some and not the narrowest streets, it was possible to push tourists with their elbows. Someone thinks that you can't get through in Budva? Budva can only dream of such an influx at any time of the day. The sights of Kotor can be visited by up to 3 thousand tourists per day, and the population of the inhabitants of the old city is about 5 thousand. But do you really have to walk in one big crowd?
Do not trust absolutely all the reviews of tourists. It is not necessary to wander in a dense stream of people. We recommend visiting not only this city, but the whole of southern Montenegro at the beginning of autumn. The main tourist flow has already passed, the sun is still in force, but there is no heat, as in the height of summer. The weather is just great. Kotor, and indeed the whole of Montenegro, look great in autumn attire, and there are many fewer tourists.
In the evenings there are far fewer people on the streets than during the day. Passengers from cruise ships spend the night in their cabins. Tourists who arrived on day trips from Budva, Ulcinj or even Dubrovnik went to their hotels.
Only residents and those who decided to spend the night here remain in the old city. The streets are well lit by numerous lanterns, the yellow light of which falls mysteriously on the shiny pavement and stone walls. And a late evening or even a night walk is something completely different than a day trip.
Should you visit Kotor?
Kotor is beautiful and original. He safely hid on the shore of a winding bay, and it is like two hearts in it - one shady and cool, and the other hot and sultry. It happens that in the hot summer at lunchtime, the squares of Kotor resemble a hot frying pan.
The stone warms up under the hot sun and breathes high temperatures, you want to leave the red-hot belly of the city as soon as possible and breathe in fresh, cool air. But go into a narrow street, find one of the drinking fountains, of which there are many in the city, quench your thirst and you will feel cool and fresh.
If you manage to stay alone with Whom, then he seems completely different - silent, balanced and quiet. Kotor is a residential city and another open-air museum full of ancient sights. It's so funny to look at the half-open shutters, when people are torn between the desire to breathe fresh air and hide from prying eyes.
And even nicer to look at the clothesline. In the heart of the old city, they are rare, but also modest and neat. But closer to the fortress walls, people become noticeably bolder - the clothesline here is very reminiscent of Istanbul ones in their colorfulness and carelessness.
You will definitely like Kotor, it makes an impression no less bright than Budva, beloved by many. If she is a sweetheart beauty, then he is a rather strict gentleman. Visit it and you won't regret it...
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