City Walls

Sitting on the edge of an inlet that wends inland from the sea, the Montenegrin town of Kotor has its origins back in Roman times; as an important Adriatic port it was fortified from the ninth century onwards, with the Venetian occupiers of the town eventually finishing the ramparts in the 14th century, Extending three miles (4.5 km) around Kotor Old Town, the walls rise steeply out of the sea at their base and extend steeply up the slopes of St John’s Hill behind the Old Town. Made of grey limestone, at points the walls measure several meters and can be circumnavigated on foot for fine views of the red-roofed stone townhouses and for panoramas across the emerald waters of the Bay of Kotor. Along the cobbled, circular pathway are several fortresses and churches, including those dedicated to St Ivan and Our Lady of the Remedy, leading up to the crumbling ruins of the Fortress of St John, which is about 850 feet (260 meters) above sea level. The entrance to the walk is through the North Gate of Kotor Old Town’s fortified walls and the route takes about two hours to complete; in summer the walls are wonderfully illuminated at night, glittering like a halo around the town.

Practical Info

North Gate, Kotor Old Town. Tickets for the walk €3; it is open between 8am–8pm in the summer months. Kotor is easily accessed from Dubrovnik in Croatia in two hours along the D8 Adriatic motorway.