Bay of Kotor

One of the most picturesque bays in the world, the Kotor Bay on the Adriatic Sea

The largest in Europe, the Bay of Kotor (serb. and montenegrin. Boka Kotorska), cuts deep into the coastline of the southern Adriatic Sea and creates four spectacular inland bays, surrounded by countless mountains - "fjords" of the Mediterranean - and quaint serpentines.

Bay of Kotor: it's a wide range of various resorts

The well-known resort can be considered a united tourist complex - bays with their own tourist infrastructure: Tivatsky, Morinsky and Herceg Novi Bay are must-see.

The panorama of the Bay of Kotor can be seen from Mount Lovcen, as its height above sea level is 1500 meters. It is convenient to climb to the top on foot or by car along the P-1 road towards Njegusi and Cetinje.

Comparing the largest bay in the Mediterranean basin to the world-famous fjords of Norway that resemble it, you can endlessly admire the ingenuity of nature and the impressive beauty of the gigantic mountains with picturesque towns scattered at their base. The largest settlements of the winding coast: Tivat, Herceg Novi, Kotor, along with them the cities of Risan, Perast and many other interesting points are attractive. The special history of each of these cities gives a special charm to travel!

A practical option for traveling for two, a family with children or a small company is to rent a comfortable car. This will allow not only to relax on the numerous beaches, but also to fully travel around the country - today we will arrange an excursion around the Bay of Kotor.
From Budva, only 25 km to Tivat - entering Boka Kotorska through the Vrmac peninsula, we will find ourselves at the starting point of our journey.

For lovers of hiking and long walks in picturesque places: on the top of the Vrmac ridge separating the Bays of Kotor and Tivat, there are several ancient churches and a fortress from the period of Austria-Hungary. You can get there by following a mountain trail from the Kotor side from the town of Muo, as well as from the Troitsa pass along an asphalt road - a stunning view of the wooded mountains and emerald waters of the Adriatic opens up from above.

The luxurious Porto Montenegro - the port of Tivat and the most expensive marina in Montenegro - is deservedly associated with giant yachts and fashionable restaurants. The city is distinguished by the spacious Pine promenade with mini-hotels, restaurants and cafes, the Maritime Heritage Museum in an ancient Austrian building. Like many Balkan settlements, in the old part, Tivat has preserved the architecture of bygone times - the authentic Old Fortress City and the medieval Bucha Palace - the historical summer residence of the Bucha and Lukovic families - await you in the very center of the modern city.

There are clean sandy beaches around the city and on the islands, for example, on the Island of Flowers (Slavic title: Ostrvo Cvijeca) - 2 kilometers from Tivat you will find clear water and Mediterranean vegetation of the island. The beach on the Island of Flowers can be reached either on foot, by boat, or by car across the bridge. Divers will appreciate the extraordinary beauty of the underwater world on the reefs off the coast of the city! The coastline of the cities of Tivat and Kumbor attracts beach lovers and stands out among others in Montenegro.

The Vrmac tunnel connects Kotor with the Adriatic Highway, the rest of the coast and the hinterland of Montenegro. The road is convenient for inexperienced or for the time being accustomed to countless Montenegrin serpentines drivers. It is also interesting to drive along the picturesque old mountain road from Cetinje to Kotor. The princely palace of the 18th century, the palaces of Byzanti and Pima form a single medieval ensemble, the Catholic Cathedral of St. Tryphon (Katedrala Svetog Trifuna) - to the north of it there is Grgurina Palace with the Maritime Museum, the Clock Tower of the Ottoman Empire in 1602 - houses of the noble families of Kotor and other antiquities can be explored for several days, with pleasure plunging into its atmosphere. Cozy cafes are waiting for you for a cup of coffee, and you can buy nice souvenirs with cats - the unofficial symbol of Kotor - in the souvenir shops on the first floors of the old houses of the Old Town.

A few kilometers from Kotor, at the very edge of the sea, there is the tiny town of Prčanj, in the past one of the points of the Venetian sea mail, and now a harbor town frozen in time. Here, at the foot of the Vrmac mountain range, stands the most impressive Catholic church in Montenegro and this building truly deserves attention! Completed at the beginning of the 20th century, made in the Baroque style of Croatian white stone from the island of Korchula (Korčula). Nowadays, modern yachts are located at a small pier, surrounded by stone Gothic houses, among them there is a summer residence of the Bucha family - as in Tivat - this is the "Three Sisters" palace of the 15th century.

A few kilometers from Kotor, in the most distant bend from the entrance to Boka, at the foot of Mount Oren, lies the oldest settlement of the bay - the ancient town of Risan, which is still a relatively non-tourist place with a population of several thousand people. Risan is peace and clean air, friendly owners of local cafes and restaurants serve visitors themselves. Interestingly, the city is more than 2 thousand years old, it got its name from the Italian Risano after returning to the Venetian Republic in the 17th century as part of the coastal province of Albania Veneta.
The city was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the second half of the 15th century, from which follows a large number of followers of Islam and the respect of the population for this culture. Albanians also lived around Ulcinj and Durres in the south of Venetian Albania, while the territory around Kotor was inhabited by Italian Catholics and Slavs.

Historical note: in the 3rd century A.D. Risan was the capital of the Illyrian state under the patronage of the pirate queen Teuta. The townspeople still find ancient jewelry and Illyrian coins in the eroded ground after heavy rains.

You can stay in a comfortable hotel, named after the ruler, near it there is the only comfortable beach in the city. In the middle of the 15th century, along with Herceg Novi, Risan was almost exchanged by Duke Stefan Vukic for one of the palaces in Split (Split, modern Croatia) and the island of Brać in the Adriatic Sea in favor of the Venetian Republic. Although the city practically lacks the Old Town of the Middle Ages, which is already quite expected by tourists, a breathtaking view opens up from the coast. Take a walk to the ancient castle of the city of Risan - you can see the expensive marble masonry, and if you wish, live in one of the 8 rooms of the Marble Castle. On the coast, you will notice 8 Mediteran style houses - these are modern "Roman courtyards" in a quiet corner of the Adriatic coast. The active nunnery of the 15th century Banja (Banja) in the vicinity of Risan will be of interest to believers.

In the direction of Herceg Novi from Risan, you can visit (4.5 kilometers) to touch the antiquity at the Lipsi cave with rock ornaments over 10,000 years old. The drawings on the rock of the cave are an invaluable heritage of Balkan prehistoric art.
Inside the Risan Bay, 7 km from the town of Risan in the south-west, in the village of Morinj, you can spend a beach holiday on the coast with white sand and a gentle entrance to the sea - the water here is refreshing even at the end of summer due to underwater currents. The ruins of an ancient church in Morinj, the last of its 20 ancient mills and a fortress - a tiny but colorful Morinj deserves attention.

Morinj is home to only 261 people, and the local restaurant "Chatovića Mlini" (Konoba Ćatovića Mlini) on the river in a picturesque place among the hills is one of the best in Montenegro and a must-see!

The “city of a thousand steps” Herceg Novi lies on the other side of Mount Oren. You can get to it along the Adriatic highway (Jadranska magistrala), going from neighboring Croatia to Ulcinj through the coastal cities of Tivat, then Budva (through Cetinje), Petrovac, Sutomore (through the Sozinsky tunnel) and the port city of Bar. The ferry from Herceg Novi to Tivat will shorten the route to Budva.

Historical note: in the past, the settlement was also part of the Venetian Republic and was founded under the name Sveti Stefan from the Italian San-Stefano. Herceg Novi was created as a fortress at the end of the XIV century by the Bosnian king Tvrtko I.

Along the sea fortress (Forte Mare) of the King of Serbia and Montenegro Tvrtko I and the Spanjola fortress - a stunning panoramic view of Herceg Novi and its surroundings - you can walk along a picturesque staircase to the amazing Old Town and the central square and to the Seaport. The old city with many old buildings is the mystical Turkish fortress Bloody Tower (Kanli Kula) on the top of Mount Orien, and the Sahat kula tower with a clock - inside the chapel there is a unique bas-relief "Black Madonna" dedicated to the founder of Herceg Novi Tvrtko I, a stone fountain of Karacha with drinking water and the most beautiful church in the city - the Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Crkva Sveti Arhangel Mihail) on Bellavista Square. You can dine at the Petica restaurant in the center of the Old Town. In the midst of picturesque greenery, 2 kilometers from the city, there is a working Savina Orthodox monastery (manastir Savina).

The small and quiet beaches of Herceg Novi and its suburbs are popular with guests of Montenegro. Along with Tivat, off the coast of Herceg Novi, divers will get indescribable emotions from diving into the clear waters of the Adriatic!

It is also convenient to get to the curious city of Perast by car (Croatian Perast, Italian Perasto). This cozy, uncrowded town at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor is waiting for vacationers! It is located at the hill of St. Elijah (873 m), opposite the narrowest strait of Boka Kotorska Verige (Montenegrin Prolaz Verige), where the bays of Kotor and Risan, remote from the entrance to the Bay of Kotor, are connected.

Climb the sight of the city - the tower of the Church of St. Nicholas of the 15th century - since ancient times Perast has an advantageous location from the point of view of navigation, therefore, the entire immense Bay of Kotor is perfectly visible from the coast.

Here stands out the charming island of St. George of the XII century (Serb. And Montenegrin. Ostrvo Sveti Ђorђe), from which there is probably the only man-made island in the waters of the Adriatic Theotokos on the reef of the 15th century (Serb. Gospa od Skrpјela) - built on the reef the island attracts the eye of the observer with the turquoise roof of the Church of Our Lady, the patroness of sailors. Perast is especially beautiful at sunset!

The towns on the coast of Lepetane and Kamenari lie opposite each other - so close that in the old days enemy ships ran into chains stretched by defenders from one settlement to another. Almost at the same distance from Herceg Novi (about 30 km) there are two airports: Tivat airport - one of the two international airports in Montenegro and Dubrovnik airport (Croatia).

On the way to Bosnia (if the goal of your trip is Trebinje) and Croatia, a ferry crossing between the Kamenari and Lepetane peninsulas through the Verige Strait allows you not to go around the entire Bay of Kotor.