Our time in Kotor, Montenegro, would be short, but we had to visit Kotor. We had seen pictures of this amazing town at the end of a fjord guarded by a Roman Era Fortress.
We only had 2 days in this beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site and were excited to visit the Kotor City Walls, The Old Town, and climb San Giovanni Castle (Kotor Fortress)
We arrived on the Dubrovnik-Kotor bus after spending a few days in Croatia. The Kotor bus station is a few hundred meters from the Kotor Old Town.
Towering above the Old Town is Kotor Fortress, otherwise known as The Castle of San Giovanni Kotor or St John Fortress Kotor. The Fortifications of Kotor Fortress run down the side of the hill to meet with the Kotor city walls.
It is truly an amazing sight. It catches your attention no matter where you look in Kotor. We had read about Kotor Castle and seen pictures, but there is nothing like seeing it in person. It looks like it is hanging off the side of a cliff.
Kotor Fortress is often referred to as a castle. In reality, it was used more for defence, so for us, it is more of a Fortress.
Can we climb to Kotor Fortress?
After a short look, it was settled that the Wyld Family Travel would climb the fortress in Kotor. Anyone who knows us knows we are more overweight than underweight, we are more cable car than a hiking trail, and we are more looking up at it than looking down from it, if you get my drift.
Could we motivate two kids aged 9 and 12 to go on the Kotor Fortress Hike? The climb to San Giovanni Fortress would be challenging, and the whole family would need to rise, too! Unfortunately, there is no cable car up to Kotor Fortress, much to the dismay of our children.
Kotor Fortress is often called The Castle of San Giovanni Kotor or St John Fortress Kotor. One is an Italian name, and one is an English name. They are both the same place.
Kotor Fortress History
A quick rundown on Kotor Fortress. There has been a fortification on the site since the time of Christ. In the 6th century, Emperor Justinian I took control of the site and built the fortress.
The fortress remained pretty much unchanged over the next 800 years until 1420. The rulers, The Republic of Cattaro, finally gave in to Venetian control. Under the Venetians, the Fortress was upgraded, and the Mountain fortifications were constructed.
From the 14th century to the present, the Kotor castle in Montenegro has been held by Hapsburgs, The Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, the Austrian Empire, Yugoslavia and finally, an independent Montenegro.
The castle and its fortifications have survived severe earthquakes that damaged its structural integrity in 1563, 1667, and, most recently, on April 15, 1979.
Kotor Fortress, here we come.
We left our apartment and walked through Kotor Stari Grad past the Kotor Cathedral area until we reached the steps’ start. You won’t need a Kotor map to find the entry.
It is signposted very well. What an intimidating sight this is for a family of two young kids and two unfit parents. At this point, I will put my hand up and say I was not keen. It was only at Rebecca’s urging that we undertook this mission. There was no ‘if you choose to accept’, we were just doing it… Mum said so.
We passed through the Kotor Walls and onto the path to start the rigorous castle climbing towards Kotor Fortress. At a slow pace with less than a steely resolve to make it to the top, we said goodbye to the fortifications of Kotor and headed up the hill.
At this stage, we thought it would be a small miracle if we made it to the Church of Our Lady of Health. It would be something to celebrate through the ages of Wyld Family history, something to be shouted from mountain tops, well maybe low-level mountain sides at the very least!
As you look upwards at the inspiring Kotor Fortress and endure the thought of your leg muscles contracting on every one of the 1350 steps, you can’t help but say in your head I can. I think I can!
Willow took off scaling the uneven, broken, and crumbling steps of Kotor Fortress stairs like a seasoned mountain climber. It had more to do with her saying I got there first. With every step, the view became more amazing as Kotor Bay came into view.
The Bay of Kotor starts stretching out in front of your eyes. We reached the church at what seemed like an eternity, but it was more like 40 minutes at a slow, snail-like pace.
We sat down for 10 minutes and drank water; the kids patted a few cats running around. It was all very nice and relaxed. Somewhere between the first step and the church, my ambition overtook my fitness level, and at my urging, ignoring my family’s calls of ‘Are you crazy?’ we all continued climbing Kotor Fortress with kids.
Best things to do in Montenegro – Kotor Fortress is a must
The march to the top started, and up and up we went, with, at times, an uneasy feeling that all that stood between us and the sheer cliff drop was the crumbling fortification walls nearing their 700th year. More than one scream aimed at Willow and Marley to get back from the edge.
As you get closer to the stop top, you’ll see a sign on the walls pointing to your left to the Chapel of St Ivan. This is where the magic begins. An Alice in Wonderland moment was upon us.
A hole in the fortifications wall leads to what can only be described as a step back in time, into the land from another time, a time long forgotten. The climb through the hole in the wall is not the most safety-conscious thing I have ever done with my kids, that’s for sure, actually, to the point where I was pretty worried about their safety.
Alice in Wonderland, here we come.
You must step onto the small rocky ledge with a 3-meter drop below you and walk along the fortification wall until you hit land. For me, this was maybe the highlight. The ruins of a 12th-century village were part of the trade route that linked inland Montenegro with the Bay of Kotor and the coast.
It was magical in there—like no one else existed. It was peaceful and serene—that is, until Marley Wyld fell over, and the bellowing howls of her crying echoed through the small valley at decibels that would wake the dead.
We took Marley back to Bec and put her back through the wall, and Willow and I explored the Chapel and its century-old paintings, which are slowly fading into history.
After emerging from Wonderland, we convened a serious Wyld Family Travel committee meeting to discuss if Marley could go on or if our ears could bear the pain of Marley’s whining. We pushed on for the final assault on this Kotor Fortress Hike.
We could nearly taste the satisfaction, the feeling of accomplishment at this stage, not to mention the sheer burning of our lungs as we gasped for air. Still standing but maybe closer to crawling, we reached the top of Kotor Fortress.
But, like all things, one more challenge presented itself. A steel walkway over a drop was present. This was nearly the straw that broke the camel’s back for my wife.
I could see beads of sweat on her forehead and a look of sheer panic, similar to when the jug of sangria was empty. The sweat was more likely from climbing the mountain. You see, my wife hates this sort of thing.
No steel grates, glass floors, or tree-top walks for her, just pure fear. With a little coaxing and reassuring, she was across it faster than Usain Bolt does the 100-meter sprint.
We had done it; we made it to the top of the Fortress in Kotor with the kids!
We had made it to 1200 meters above Kotor Old Town, the Kotor City walls, and the Kotor Montenegro Crusie Port. There was high-fiving, fist pumping, and smiles all around.
The all-encompassing 360-degree views of the magnificence of Kotor Bay. Hiking Montenegro for us, even if only in this one location, is something we will do again. Just between you and me, going downhill was just as hard on the feet, legs and ankles. Scaling Kotor Fortress is one of the true highlights of our family travel adventures.
This may not be one of the top things everyone should do in Kotor, but I can tell you it’s not to be missed when you visit. Words fail me when describing the views, beauty, and sheer magnificence of the snow-topped mountains that seem to climb vertically out of the water.
You can easily add a trip to Kotor to any Croatian trip. We have a great guide on how to get to Kotor from Dubrovnik.
Tips for Kotor Fortress Hike
- Take plenty of water
- Pack some energy-rich snacks, like nuts, dried fruits, or energy bars, to keep your energy levels up
- A small kit with essentials like band-aids, antiseptic wipes, and pain relievers
- Bring hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen with high SPF to protect your skin from the sun.
- Set aside 3-4 hours
- Wear sturdy supporting shoes as the stairs and trail are uneven
- Take warm clothes in winter its cold at altitude
- The is a fee in summer to walk to the castle but its is free in winter
- Stay on the path there are stinging nettles
- Be aware that Montenegro is a developing country as such rails and safety barriers are not present in spots that you would find in other countries.
How to get to Kotor
- Tivat International Airport is 7.6 kilometres from the Kotor Old Town.
- The main carriers at Tivat are Aeroflot and AirSerbia, which service the airport all year round. During the summer season, airlines such as Eurowings, Easyjet, and TUI also service Tivat Airport.
- You can check the prices of international flights to Tivat with Kiwi Flights.
- Kotor is well connected by international buses from Split, Zagreb and Dubrovnik, to name a few. Search for bus tickets to Kotor with GoEuro.
- Being close to Kotor, your transfer option includes a taxi or a booked private transfer with Suntransfers.
- You can reserve a rental car and have it waiting for you at Tivat airport.
Getting around Kotor
- Most sights in Kotor can be seen on the Foot
- Anywhere further out of town, a taxi or private car
Where to stay in Kotor
- Kotor has accommodation options for every budget, from Hostels to apartments and hotel rooms.
- Hostels in Kotor can start from as little as 25 euros a night for a shared dorm room.
- Check out Trip Advisors’ top 10 hostels in Kotor and book
- Hotels in Kotor generally start from around $84.00 a night for a double room 3star and increase incrementally as the luxury rating rises towards the 5-star
- You can compare and book your stay on Agoda, Hotels.com and Expedia
We hope this article from Wyld Family Travel inspires you to visit Kotor, Montenegro. There are so many things to do in Montenegro that will entertain you for your family’s whole stay. Kids will enjoy participating in a variety of family activities in Kotor
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We are temporarily living in Croatia and were just in Dubrovnik last weekend. Montenegro came up in my searches for Airbnb places to stay, but I thought it might be too far of a trip. It looks like an amazing place to go all by itself.
I’ve read so much about Kotor that I really want to go. So do you think 2-3 days are enough, or should we book more?
The castle and fortress are really amazing. The castle has always haunted me after seeing pictures and reading about it. As you mention all the pictures do not do justice to it, it must be really stunning in person. Great to see the kids completing the tough climb with grit and determination.
It always feels so rewarding to see such a beautiful view after a great climb and thanks a lot for sharing it with us! Nice pictures and I should visit there when I am in Montenegro!
Looks like your effort was well rewarded. The view from the fortress is spectacular!
Wow congratulations to the family, those views were well deserved. We were road tripping in Croatia last year and really had to make a choice between Kotor and Elaphiti islands. We chose the latter but we hope to make it back to Kotor some day!
WOW! Thanks for sharing this. I found your article through Pinterest. Most of the blog articles I find on there are interesting, but never quite this helpful. We’ll be in Kotor next May and it looks like we will be huffing and puffing to the top now. We weren’t sold on the idea of “working out” on vacation or getting all sweaty and tired, but those views are too good to pass up.
Also, I love the humor in your writing and your pictures! Not that it was funny that sweet Marley fell, but it reminded me of when I was little going on vacation with my parents and how our screams or cries could wake the dead! Totally hilarious.
Tasha
thanks, i actually think this is my best piece of writing on our website. Alas, it was no more popular than any other but when receiving comments like this I know it’s helped someone is satisfying.
Mark