Kotor Montenegro is the city you never knew you wanted to go to. Nestled into a fjord-like bay surrounded by mountains, there is a ton to do from hiking to kayaking to eating some amazing Montenegrin food.

Stay

Staying in or near Old Town Kotor puts you close to everything, plus you get all the old town medieval-y vibes. We stayed in an apartment near the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon which was great. It was right in the hub of the city so there were all kinds of things going on all around. And it was close to just about everything.

Packing for Europe in summer

Eat & Drink

Old Town Winery

Sit outside and try some local wines as well as meat and cheese at the Old Town Winery. The wine was delicious as was the cheese and charcuterie plate and the ambiance is relaxed but nice. Nothing says European summer more than wine tasting on a cobblestone street.

Bokun

For Montenegrin and Mediterranean favorites Bokun is your spot. From seafood to pizza it’s great for lunch and dinner. We would go for a lazy brunch or lunch, just a heads up some people complain about the service being slow, but I just found it to be relaxed in that European sort of way.

Hoste

For a light dinner or snack of tapas and drinks Hoste’s menu is perfect. The tapas menu takes inspiration from all around Europe and the world and the drinks are unique and delicious.

Gastro Pub 702

When you are looking for burgers and craft beer look no further than Gastro Pub 702. This little pub has great burgers and beer and always has the soccer game on so you get a little sports bar kind of feel.

Tanjga

For traditional Montenegrin food, Tanjga is the best in town. They make big platters of food to share so you can try a little bit of everything (which is my favorite!). The restaurant itself is small but the back patio seating area is perfect on a summer night.

Outdoorsy things to do in Montenegro

Do

Wander the streets of Old Town

Wandering around a new city is one of my favorite things to do. Old Town Kotor has that old school European vibe to it so wandering the skinny streets sort of takes you back in time. You can also get up on the walls nearest the waterfront for a good view of the bay and the city.

Hike City Walls

Kotor’s city walls go up the mountains at the back of the city making for a great hike and work out. The entrance to the wall hike is in the northeast corner of the old city down a little alleyway, and just a heads up there is an entrance fee of around eight Euros as it is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The trail zig-zags up the mountain in a combination of stairs and gravel paths until you get to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy. This a good spot to take a little break and take in the view before continuing onward and upward to Saint John’s Fortress at the top. There is a ton to explore in the fortress from dark passageways and rooms overgrown with vines to the spectacular view of the bay and city below.

From the top you can either go back down the way you came or you can climb out a fortress window and take an old donkey path down the side of the mountain back to the city.

Kayak on the bay

Once you’ve seen the view from above on the city walls get the view from the water by kayaking out on the bay. The steep mountains jutting up from the bay look spectacular from the water. I enjoyed getting to see the rest of the city and the outskirts of town by paddling along the shore.

You can rent kayaks just outside the Old Town down on the water and adventure on your own, or you can book a kayaking tour with Kotor Bay Tour for a more structured trip.

Our Lady of the Rocks

Our Lady of the Rocks in a little island off the coast of Perast on the north side of the Bay of Kotor. It is named for the Catholic church, which is the island’s only building. The legend says that fishermen would drop rocks in the water upon a safe return from the sea and gradually the island was built up. People still throw rocks into the water there even today for the tradition.

There are tons of boat tours that will take you out there and over to Perast. Kotor Boat Tour does a private tour with a guide as well.

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