Kotor

Mar 07, 2016

Surrounded by cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor is a city located at the end of Bay of Kotor whic almost every visitor leaves breathless. View of the bay, which is often called Europe's southernmost fjord, gives the impression that this is one of the most beautiful landscapes on the planet. On one side of the town there is a sea, on the other Škurda river and hill Sveti Ivan on which is located the famous San Giovanni fortress. Kotor is the only city of the eastern coast the Adriatic Sea, whose name has been written on all historical maps.

Throughout its long history, Kotor has always been the center of merging different cultures which made it a unique place to live, where the majority of inhabitants of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths for centuries held an extremely harmonious coexistence. Surrounded by walls that date back to the Byzantine, Venetian and Nemanjići and features three gates - one with access to the town promenade and the coast, the other with access to the river, and the third gate of Gurdića leading to the Trojica and the intersection of Cetinje - Budva.

Old Town consists of large and small squares and winding streets that for every visitor are a real maze. The largest and most important square is The square of arms (Trg od oružja) where's a Renaissance Rector's Palace, one of the oldest theaters in the area, and the Baroque tower clock from the XVII century.

The cultural - historical treasure of Kotor is classified on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The most important monument in the area of Kotor is Saint Tryphon's Cathedral, built in 1166 making it older than St. Paul's Cathedral, Church of Notre Dame in Paris, Uspenski temple in Moscow, St. Peters Basilica in Rome as well as the discovery of the American continent.

Very significant monuments include the Church of St. Luke from the late twelfth century, the Church of St. Mary of the thirteenth century, the Church of St. Paul from the mid XIII century, and the Church of Santa Chiara which holds a library of twenty thousand books and fifty oldest printed books from the XVI century, known as incunabula.

Kotor is unique for its many gorgeous palettes, such as the palace "Buca" from the XIV century, the Palace "Drago" from the XV century, the Palace "Pima" from the XVI century, the Palace "Vrakjen" from the XVIII century and the palace "Grubonja" of the XVII century.

Kotor is connected to the Adriatic Motorway and the rest of the coast and inland Montenegro by Vrmac Tunnel. Inland is reachable by detouring from Adriatic motorway at Budva or Sutomore (through Sozina tunnel). There is also a historic road connecting Kotor with Cetinje, which offers spectacular views of Kotor bay. Tivat Airport is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away, and there are regular flights to Belgrade, Moscow and Paris and dozens of charter planes land daily on Tivat airport during the summer season. Podgorica Airport is 65 kilometres (40 mi) away, and it has regular flights to major European destinations throughout the year.