Kotor, beyond the square: the inner labyrinth of the old town
In Kotor, beyond the cathedral stormed by cruise passengers, the inner lanes remain a silent maze of stone and cats.
Foto: User:Ggia (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons
Most of those who arrive in Kotor stop within a fifty-metre radius of the main gate: the cathedral of Saint Tryphon, a few cafés with their little tables, the fridge-magnet stalls. Yet only a few sideways steps are needed, slipping into one of the lanes that open like cracks between the stone houses, for the noise to vanish. In here, the layout of the old town follows no logic: the passages narrow, turn, break off into tiny courtyards, and you gladly lose yourself, because the walls are there to contain it all.
It is in the inner quarter that Kotor shows its lived-in face. Overhead, lines of washing pass by; behind the ground-floor windows you glimpse kitchens and geraniums; and the cats — so constant a presence that they even have a small museum devoted to them — sleep on the worn steps. There are no monuments to tick off, only details: a carved Venetian portal, a fountain, a family crest above an arch, the flaking plaster that lets the stone beneath show through. You walk with your nose in the air, then look back down at where you place your feet, because the paving is uneven and glossy.
The right moment is early morning or late evening, when the ship passengers have already departed. At dawn the inner lanes are practically empty, the air smells of the sea and of freshly made coffee, and you hear only the echo of your own footsteps. To sit on a step with something bought in a neighbourhood shop, away from the main squares, is worth more than any guided tour.
A word of respect: people really do live here. You speak in a low voice, you do not photograph the windows of the houses as if they were shop displays, and you leave the hanging washing in peace. Inner Kotor is best enjoyed in silence, letting the labyrinth decide the direction.
Getting there
The nearest airport is Tivat, a handful of kilometres along the bay, reachable in about twenty minutes by taxi or transfer. Podgorica is the other reference gateway, about an hour and a half to two hours away by road. Along the Bay of Kotor there are also regional buses linking Kotor to the nearby towns, handy for those without a car.
Practical guides for Como
Practical info
When is the best time to visit Kotor?
The recommended time is April, May and October, when it is less crowded.
Is Kotor crowded?
Kotor is a very quiet destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is Kotor?
Kotor is located in Kotor, Montenegro.
Suggerita come alternativa a
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Altre alternative a Dubrovnik
Guide selezionate dalla nostra redazione, tutte alternative alla stessa meta affollata:
Skip Dubrovnik: Šibenik, Authentic Dalmatia
Šibenik, Croatia
Instead of Dubrovnik: Trogir, the Dalmatian Island-City Where Romanesque Meets the Sea
Trogir, Dalmatia, Croatia
Berat, the city of a thousand windows where Albania slows down
Berat, Albania
Instead of Dubrovnik: Kotor, the Montenegrin Fjord UNESCO Protected Before Tourism Arrived
Kotor, Montenegro
How to get there
- 🚆 Nearest station: Danilovgrad ~32 km as the crow flies
- ✈️ Nearest airport: Aerodrom Tivat TIV ~4 km as the crow flies
Nearest points as the crow flies (source OpenStreetMap): actual times depend on the roads, often mountain ones.
