Kotor, Montenegro Photography

Photographing Kotor

Kotor is a walled Venetian port town wedged between the Adriatic and a wall of karst mountains, its Old Town a maze of marble lanes, Catholic and Orthodox churches, and fortifications that climb straight up the cliffside behind it.

Where to shoot

St. John's Fortress — the hilltop fortress above town, reached by a roughly 1,350-step climb up the city walls with panoramic views over the Bay of Kotor.
Cathedral of St. Tryphon — Kotor's 12th-century Romanesque cathedral, with twin bell towers that anchor the Old Town's skyline.
Our Lady of the Rocks — a man-made islet off Perast crowned by a Baroque church, reachable by a short boat trip across the bay.
Kotor's Old Town cats — descendants of ship cats that once guarded Venetian merchant vessels, now the city's unofficial mascots roaming every alley.

When to go

Late May, June, or September, when the bay is warm enough to swim but the cruise-ship crowds and peak summer heat haven't taken over the Old Town.

What to eat

Order Njeguški pršut (air-dried prosciutto from the mountains above the bay) with local cheese, or crni rižot — black risotto made with cuttlefish ink — at a konoba near the harbor.

Where to stay

Base yourself inside the Old Town's stone walls near Trg od Oružja, within easy walking distance of the cathedral, the harbor, and the base of the fortress climb.

Climb the city walls to St. John's Fortress before 7am — there's almost no shade on the stone steps, and the ticket line backs up fast once the first cruise ship tenders start landing.