The best things to do in Kotor, Montenegro, include savouring sunset over the spectacular Bay of Kotor, strolling atmospheric Kotor old town to take in splendid sandstone Venetian palaces, climbing craggy mountains for breathtaking views, and savouring traditional Montenegro specialties from fish soup and village cheese to charcuterie, such as Njeguši prosciutto and sausage.
I’ve been dreaming of Kotor in Montenegro and some of our other favourite European summer destinations. Montenegro ticks all the boxes for travellers to Europe. Dramatic natural landscapes. Glittering bays. Gob-smacking mountain vistas. Atmospheric old towns. Handsome historic buildings. Delicious traditional food. And all of those can be found in Kotor and around the historic town.
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Things To Do in Kotor from Strolling the Old Town, Savouring Sunsets and Tasting Local Specialties
These are some of the things to do in Kotor, Montenegro, that we love to do.
Savour Sunset Over the Bay of Kotor
Watching a magical Kotor sunset with a glass of wine in hand from a balcony overlooking the breathtaking Bay of Kotor is one of the most memorable experiences of our travelling lives and one of the best things to do in Kotor.
I still can’t quite believe that we got to do that night after night for two weeks – and for work! We did just that from the balcony of our home away from home in Kotor, a holiday apartment in Muo on the Bay of Kotor, looking directly across to the Old Town of Kotor, tops my list of Montenegro highlights.
To see how sublime these sunsets are, watch Terence’s time-lapse sequence, below, which will take you from late afternoon through dusk and sunset into the early evening, and watch the lights turn on and twinkle on the hillside and tell me you don’t want to book a flight to Montenegro.
The main lights you can see on the hill follow the contours of the old city wall, which dates back to medieval times. It was built on and off between the 9th and 19th centuries, and built by everyone from the Byzantines to the Venetians. You can read more about the fortifications and castle below.
For time-lapse lovers: Terence took a couple of tests to get the right light on the right day for this video, as there was sometimes low cloud and high winds that almost blew his tripod over a few times. On this magic day in Kotor, he shot this afternoon into evening time-lapse looking across the bay to the heritage-listed old town between 17:46pm and 21:13pm with one photo taken every 20 seconds.
Stroll Atmospheric Kotor Old Town
Wandering the well preserved walled town of Kotor on foot is one of the best things to do in Kotor – so much so we created an itinerary for a self-guided stroll around the UNESCO World Heritage listed Stari Grad or Old Town for you.
Often called a mini-Dubrovnik, Kotor’s old town is a treasure, home to lovely sunny squares lined with cafés, handsome medieval stone villas with small balconies and window boxes, and narrow alleyways that often lead to secret gardens hidden behind high walls.
If you’re travelling around the country, Montenegro has more marvellous towns for you to explore as well, including Budva’s Old Town, which was one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic, originally built on an island that evolved into a peninsula.
Ulcinj has another of the Adriatic’s oldest towns, founded in the 5th century BC, and conquered in the 2nd century AD by the Romans, and surrounded by thick stone walls. The Old Town of Nikšić has an impressive fortress within a fortress, and Stari Bar has an important archaeological site dating to the tenth century on the slopes of Mount Rumija.
Taste Montenegro’s Traditional Cuisine and Local Specialties in Kotor
Sampling the local specialities and traditional cuisine of Montenegro is another one of the best things to do in Kotor. Begin your day with delicious pastries or a slice of Dobrotska torta, a lovely almond lemon cake.
Like most of Montenegro’s old towns, Kotor has a lively morning market just outside the Old Town walls. At Kotor’s market, you can buy wonderful fruit and vegetables, as well as local specialties produced in surrounding villages. Many of the cheeses and pork charcuterie, such as smoky salamis, sausages and prosciutto come from nearby Njeguski village. You can sample these in tapas-style sizes, along with Montenegrin wine, at osterias and bars in Kotor old town.
Other specialties, which you can buy in the local supermarkets and make great edible souvenirs include canned fish, the red pepper sauce called ajvar or ‘Serbian salsa’, and bottles of potent Slivovica, Montenegro’s famous brandy.
If you’re staying in an apartment with a kitchen, buy some farm eggs, local pork products and ajvar at the market and you can make Terence’s scrambled eggs with Njeguski kobasica (smoky pork sausage) and ajvar for breakfast.
Follow up with seafood specialties for lunch and dinner, such as Monenegro’s legendary fish soup called Riblja Čorba, made with the smallest fish of the daily catch, which is too small to be sold; octopus stuffed with cheese and ham; and hearty traditional meat stews.
Climb Mountains and Hike Hills for Breathtaking Views
As you’d expect from such a mountainous country, climbing mountains and hiking hills is undoubtedly another one of the highlights of Montenegro. One of the best things to do in Kotor is to climb up to the ruins of medieval Kotor’s Castle of San Giovanni (or Castle of St John) to take in the sturdy fortifications and savour the spectacular vistas of Kotor Bay and the Old Town.
If you’re travelling around Montenegro, Mount Orjen is the highest mountain on the Adriatic coast, located on a mountain range that separates Montenegro from Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders in winter and hikers in summer, with plenty of tracks to suit all levels of fitness, atmospheric lodgings, including mountain huts, and tours that can easily be arranged with specialist guides.
You can climb up to lofty Mount Ćurevac for birds-eye-views of the mountains below, cross the 150 metre-high Tara River bridge, and hike – or do a jeep safari, canyoning or whitewater rafting – through the 82-kilometre long canyon that carves its’ way through the mountains of Durmitor National Park.
If you’ve been to Montenegro and Kotor and have more suggestions for things to do in Kotor let us know in the comments section below. Heading to Kotor? Check out our Weekend in Kotor itinerary and read our Local Knowledge Kotor insider’s local tips to Kotor.
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