Climbing up to Kotor’s Castle Of San Giovanni

[gallery link="file" columns="4"] After strolling Kotor’s Stari Grad, you should have warmed up enough for a walk up to Tvrđave Kotora or the Castle of San Giovanni (St John) for stupendous vistas of the fjord and a fabulous birds-eye-view of the Old Town. While it’s not strictly-speaking a ‘climb’, it’s more what a guide friend of ours in Australia calls a “huff ’n’ puff” hike – because you will be ascending approximately 1,350 stairs to a height of 1,200 metres. Phew. These formidable fortress walls date back to medieval times, built on and off between the 9th and 19th centuries, and built by everyone from the Byzantines to the Venetians. While the ramparts may appear dilapidated in parts, they are actually remarkably well preserved and you especially notice this from any of the city gates. From the opposite side of the bay at Muo, our 'home' for two weeks, you can clearly see how the walls form a ring around what was once Kotor’s old urban centre, in order to protect the city. This is most visible at night when the ramparts are illuminated. See Terence’s magical time-lapse sequence to see what I mean. The walls are long, around 4.5 kilometres, and wide, between two and 16 meters in different places, while the height reaches up to 20 metres in parts. There are two entrances, although the best to take is the main entrance near the River Gate, where you purchase your ticket and will be given a handy descriptive brochure identifying the various gates, bastions, and other significant sites along the way, such as the Church of Our Lady of Health. In front of the Church you’ll find a semi-circular stone seat where you can rest and take in the spectacular vistas – and where you may also be tempted to turn back and descend. Don’t. The views of the fjord from just a little further up with the church tower in the foreground are fantastic, and they’re even more breathtaking from the very top. Once at the top, you’ll see a sign on the walls pointing to your left to the Chapel of St Ivan or to the right up to the fortress itself. Head left first and (quite literally) climb through the hole in the wall to visit the pretty little chapel that you see. Very few people do yet it’s an idyllic spot: there’s a charming stone cottage on the mountainside, beneath the sheer rock walls of the mountain, from where you might hear the tinkling of goat’s bells, children laughing, or an old couple arguing. When we visited there was a cow and a horse on the hillside, both munching on grass, a dog frolicking through the field of wildflowers, and an artist followed us looking for a spot to set up his easel. Head down to the church and look inside at the faded painted ceilings. It’s not far now up to the top of the fortress from where you’ll be able to take in even more heavenly views. Well, you’re pretty close to the clouds from up here, aren’t you? OUR TIPS • Allow two hours for the total walk if you’re super-fit and in a rush and around three hours if you’re not or you simply want to take it easy and take photos along the way. • Do the walk in the late afternoon when the views of the ramparts and mountain are best, although the views back to Muo are in shadow at this time. • Take plenty of photos on the way up, as once the sun sinks beneath the opposite mountain the bay becomes dark quickly and a shadow is cast over the Old Town so make sure you • Do the walk in the morning too if you can, when the rising sun should give better views of the fjord and Muo. Having said that, it was always hazy, foggy or cloudy in the mornings during our stay. • Take care as the stairs are unstable in places and don’t do the walk after or during rain when they’re slippery. • Don’t forget to take a bottle of water and some coins – the entrance fee is two euros per person. Enjoy it. We did. We loved it so much we did it twice!